“I first watched La Cage twenty-five years ago in London with my mother,” says Glen Goei. “By the end she was bawling her eyes out, and she said, ‘Darling, will you take me again tomorrow?’”
What makes this anecdote so remarkable is the fact that La Cage aux Folles is one of the gayest musicals ever – it’s set in a drag cabaret, full of high-kicking sequin-studded cross-dressers. (Incidentally, the title is pronounced “la carge oh foll”, and it pretty much means “the cage full of crazy ladies” in French.)
The tale centres on the middle-aged gay couple George and Albin, respectively the MC and the leading lady of the cabaret show. Together, they’ve raised a son: a young man named Jean-Michel. The trouble begins when Jean-Michel wants to get married to the daughter of an ultra-conservative politician. When the two families meet, chaos ensues.
Now, Glen and his company W!ld Rice have decided to open the show here, at no less prestigious a venue than the Esplanade Theatre. Although the original takes place in St Tropez in the south of France, Glen’s decided to relocate the story to Tanjong Pagar, Singapore. “We’re doing Broadway, our way,” he explains.
This is only one of the many incarnations that La Cage has experienced in its forty-year history. It was born back in 1973 as a stage play by French playwright Jean Poiret, but went on to inspire a 1978 French-Italian movie, which in turn inspired a 1996 Hollywood film: The Birdcage, starring Robin Williams, Gene Hackman and Nathan Lane.
The Broadway musical version opened in 1983, with a script by acclaimed New York actor-playwright Harvey Fierstein. The musical ended up winning six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book, Best Score and – not surprisingly – Best Costume. It also happened to include a little ditty called "I Am What I Am", which has become an international gay anthem, preaching pride, dignity and acceptance.
But what’s most impressive to several cast members is how the show emphasizes the importance of family. “There is this silly idea that the LGBT community is an anathema to family or core values of society; as if we don't have families, or that we don't love our families,” says Ivan Heng, who plays Albin in glamorous sequins and feather boa.
“This is a musical that celebrates the idea of a loving family as we know it and experience it. We trust it will get people to open their eyes.”
Ivan, incidentally, is only one of the several Singaporean celebrities involved in this show. Others include Hossan Leong, Karen Tan, Brendon Fernandez, Judee Tan and Tan Kheng Hua. Two guest stars from Malaysia have also joined them: the preeminent Tony Eusoff and the fresh-faced Aaron Khaled.
No less impressive are the Cagelles, the gender-bending chorus line. They’re played by an international team of androgynous guys and gals, recruited from the US, the UK, Australia, the Philippines, Hong Kong and Singapore. You may in fact have seen all these stars in person already: they were out in force at PinkDot on 30 June, decked out in their costumes, high-kicking in the name of equality at Hong Lim Park.
For this article, we’ve managed to score an interview with two key members of the cast: Hossan Leong, who plays the comedic butler/maid Jacob, and Aaron Khaled, who plays the male romantic lead, Jonathan.
æ: Age, sex, occupation, location?
Aaron: 24, male, freelance actor and dancer, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).
Hossan: 43, not as often as I would like, company director of Paul Carr Consultancy, Singapore.
æ: Tell us about the characters you'll be playing.
Aaron: I play Jonathan (originally Jean-Michel). He’s the son of George and Albin.
Hossan: I play Jacob, the maid. Deep down he wants to be on stage like the rest of the Cagelles. He was hired to be a PA, but insists on being called the maid, and having a girls’ name.
æ: How were you cast?
Aaron: I was actually recommended by someone who did The Secret Life of Nora with me. I met with Glen, we did a few rounds of auditions and then I met Ivan. I did the dance routines, did a bit of the singing, then we sat down to lunch, and they told me, “We’d like to invite you to be part of the cast of La Cage aux Folles. So I was very happy: I’d been crossing my fingers and toes, anything I could cross, ‘cos it was the first time I would be working in Singapore, and I would work with fantastic people like Hossan and Ivan.
Hossan: Mine was just a call, many many months ago. “Hello, are you free at this part of the year? You want to do La Cage aux Folles?” “Who’s in it?” “Ivan. And you’re playing the maid.” “Oh, okay.” It didn’t matter who else was in it, ‘cos I liked the play.
æ: What do you think is the significance of staging this musical in Singapore today?
Aaron: I think it’s more relevant today than it was back then, considering what’s going on with discrimination and bullying and all that violence [of the anti-gay Malaysian demonstrations]. In the USA there’s freedom of speech, but in Asia, we should open up more.
Hossan: I think Singaporeans, and audiences in general, are ready. I don’t know why people get shocked when we say we’re doing La Cage aux Folles – “A drag show? How did you get the licence?” But folks go to Bangkok and watch the cabaret shows there, anyway. And this show has so much heart, and so much to give. You’re talking about acceptance, and whether you can be happy with your life or not. It’s one of those musicals the whole family should come to watch.
Aaron: It’s about spreading awareness. Besides it being so fun and brilliant with all the amazing dancers and choreography, it’s about bringing awareness to Asian families.
æ: What’s your favourite moment in the show?
Aaron: I feel it so poignantly when Ann steps up and says, “I don’t care who his parents are; I still love Jonathan and I still want to raise a family.” And that’s when I realise I’ve done my family a great disservice, trying to cover up my dads. It’s really heartfelt. I feel it a lot. And I say I’m proud that these are my family, no matter what gender they are.
Hossan: I like the reconciliation at the end. It’s very touching to see, when Ivan’s sitting in the corner and Tony says, “Look over there. That’s your mother, who sacrificed everything to bring you up.” It doesn’t matter if your mother is a man or woman, She’s the one who brought you up.
Aaron: I also love those comical beats Hossan has.
Hossan: They only want to laugh at me throughout this whole show.
æ: What's it been like working with the cast and crew this time round? Any amusing stories?
Aaron: So many! Hossan in every day life is amusing. (To Hossan) You walk in, you have this natural thing that makes all of us happy. During the first stages of the rehearsal, when we were reading the script and trying to block it, he put in all these gestures... It’s so much fun to see Tony cracking up at Hossan.
Hossan: He’d better not do it on stage! Rehearsals are a process I really really like, because your colleagues actually become your friends. I’ve worked with Tony, and I dare say we’ve become very good friends. And rehearsals are a place to learn, to improve my craft. I’ve been acting for over 20 years, and every time I enter a rehearsal room, it’s a place I can learn.
Aaron: That’s why it’s so overwhelming. There’s so much to take in, all this energy: Hossan, Ivan, Karen. [Not just] one line at a time, no, you have to cram it all in. I’m very grateful to be working with all these great people.
æ: Are there any other projects you're involved in that we should know about?
Hossan: Sure. Right after this, The Hossan Leong Show opens from 30 August to 18 September. That one is a completely different: Hossan Leong flying solo, back to basics. And then it’s straight into rehearsal: I’m directing Stephen Sondheim’s company. It opens 1 November. And then there’ll be A Crazy Christmas.
Aaron: I’m also quite busy. I’ll be going on the streets, saying, “Would you like an actor?” At the end of the year I’m going to his house and saying, “Can I have some turkey?”
æ: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Hossan: I think this is an important show, something that especially Fridae readers should support. Look at PinkDot – 15,000 people! If everyone buys a ticket, we’ll be all set.
La Cage aux Folles runs at the Esplanade Theatre from 20 July-4 August, 2012, 8pm (no shows on Mondays, 3pm matinees on weekends. Tickets are available from Sistic.com.sg. Also check out http://www.wildrice.com.sg.
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Reader's Comments
they have used fake feathers instead?
the performance was good but the lead vocals were a bit weak.. Hossan really stole the show as the maid/butler .. see if for his wonderful performance , but Ivan is getting a bit long in the tooth for this.. maybe should stick to playing matriarchs only...
the rest of the cast and songs were wonderful and the "girls" were fantastic.. over all a really good show..
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