The productions in New York City Center’s Encores program are by design short runs, and I have a tendency to procrastinate, so by the time I post reviews of them they’re usually long over. The last time I was in City Center was for their 2023 production of Oliver! starring Raul Esparza, Lili Cooper, Tam Mutu, Julian Lerner, and Benjamin Pajak, and it took me a year to get that review posted. So the fact that we’re only a week out from the end of the City Center run of La Cage Aux Folles (and two weeks from when I saw the production) by the time this review is posted isn’t so bad, is it?
La Cage is one of those shows I know the big numbers from (can you be a Broadway fan, or a John Barrowman fan, and not know “I Am What I Am”?) but which I have never seen on stage. I’ve also never seen the original 1973 French film (yes, I know, I’m a heathen who has no right to call himself a fan of gay cinema). I have seen the Robin Williams-Nathan Lane remake, The Birdcage, several times but of course that does not have this show’s songs. So I was coming to this production with no comparisons to previous productions (the 1983 original or the 2004 or 2010 revivals), which I think maybe enabled me to see it in a less jaded way than some reviewers.
I enjoyed it. A lot. My quibbles are relatively minor.
If you know anything about the Encores program, you know that each show’s rehearsal period is condensed to ten days and that the staging is concert-style (orchestra on stage with the actors, actors carrying scripts) with usually minimal sets and choreography. In this case, scenic designer David Zinn’s set includes three runways that surround the orchestra, with a stage-width promenade at the back of the stage and a wide stairway downstage, allowing for a lot of ballroom-style choreography by Edgar Godineaux. The space works as the on-stage and back-stage portions of the club as well as the dressing room of Albin, the attached home of Georges and Albin, and local eateries.
The all-black cast (a first for a professional production of La Cage, I believe) was led by Wayne Brady as Georges and Billy Porter as Albin. I’ve been wanting to see Wayne Brady on stage for a long time now and somehow just kept missing him, so this was a true treat for me. Brady hit all the right tones as Georges-the-Consummate-Showman, bringing his TV-hosting expertise to the fore. But more impressive were the moments when he let Georges’ love for Albin come forward. “Song on the Sand” and “Look Over There” had me tearing up. The scenes where Georges knows what Jean-Michel is asking him to do is unreasonable but his love for his son brings him to try to do it anyway (even though it will hurt Albin) were also affecting. (More about Jean-Michel in a moment.) I can honestly say I was not disappointed now that I’ve finally seen Wayne live, and I look forward to seeing him again soon.
Billy Porter. I saw him in Cabaret not long before he had to bow out of the run due to sepsis. I knew he’d been deathly ill and in a coma. So if his voice was a little rougher than usual and if he wasn’t as off book as the rest of the cast, it can (and should be!) forgiven. Even with his health issues, he is a powerhouse performer. His “I Am What I Am” is angrier than any other version I’ve seen and given our current political climate towards drag performers and transgender people that anger is completely appropriate. Porter brought down the house, ending Act One with a well-deserved standing ovation and deafening cheering. Earlier in Act One, “Mascara” was a beautiful ode to aging (perhaps not the original interpretation of the song, but again, it works), and the 11-o’clock number, “Best of Times” was also a showstopper.
The supporting cast was also roundly excellent. Both Michael McElroy (as Francis) and James Jackson Jr (as Jacob) stole scenes out from under the leads with impeccable comedic timing. As Jean-Michel, Alaman Diadhiou’s tap dancing and voice during “With Anne on My Arm” were fantastic. Peter Francis James did fine work as the conservative politician Edouard Dindon, as did Sharon Washington as his put-upon wife. (Although I really wished for a moment, even a small one, where she put her husband in his place.)
My relatively minor complaints: 1. Alaman Diadhiou had an unenviable task playing the self-centered Jean-Michel. I know he’s there to drive the plot; I still found the character thoroughly unlikeable throughout, except when he’s singing about or interacting with Anne (an underused but delightful Rachel Webb). Jean-Michel’s repentance at the end of the show rang false to me because we didn’t see any indication that the kid sees Albin as anything more than an embarrassment. (Again, I’m not sure if this has been an issue in previous productions.) Still, Diadhiou has a ton of talent, and I hope we’re going to see a lot more of him on Broadway. 2. Tonya Pinkins’ accent. I’m wondering why she was the only character with a French accent. Yes, the show takes place in France, but no one else was even attempting to use anything other than their normal speaking voice. It was great seeing Pinkins on stage, and every one of the very few scenes she was in was great. But the accent kept just slightly throwing me out of the moment.
But again, those are minor quibbles. City Center seems to have had a solid run of transfers to Broadway over the past few years (Into the Woods, Parade, Ragtime, even stretching all the way back to the still-running Chicago). I have no idea if La Cage did well enough to garner interest in a transfer. If it does, I will definitely see it again. The Brady-Porter pairing was great and given more recuperation and rehearsal time I suspect Porter’s performance would only get even more stunning. And of course, the show is just as topical and important now in 2026 as it was back in 1983.
Image: Billy Porter (center left) and Wayne Brady (center right) enter for their bows between members of the Cagelles chorus, with the orchestra in the background.
I’ve always loved live theater, and in the past couple of years I’ve been making a stronger effort to see more of it. Theater Thursday is an occasional series where I talk about live theater, both shows I’ve seen recently and shows I’ve loved in the past.