LA CAGE AUX FOLLES

Jerry Herman

Cast

Trailer | LA CAGE AUX FOLLES

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Behind the scenes

Reviews

Merle Wilts - musicalzentrale

When did you decide to be straight?

In times of great debates over homosexual marriage and equality the production of Sebastian Ritschel is taking a clear position towards love and respect. At the same time Ritschel skilfully weaves current events into his cages of fools, whilst never pointing the moral finger to much and always finds, thanks to a point-precise cast, the right mixture between comedy and tragedy.

In the first act, at the end of the final, when Zaza rips the clothes from her body after saying  “I am, what I am” and the naked upper part of her body shows the words “Stop Homophobia”, this is making a more than clear statement, while giving you goose bumps. These courageous ideas are adding new perspectives to this often played classic and are making it to more than just an entertaining evening. There are two times, when Zara has an ambiguous and sharp monologue creating highlights of the show, seen from a dramaturgical point of view. Because when, in his part, Adrian Becker is reporting on how homosexuals are brutally tortured in Russia, is referring to a more open way to look onto marriage in Ireland or is trying to get to the bottom of why homosexuality and pedophilia are often placed on the same level, you could feel a jolt going through the audience. The message is loud and clear and shakes you up […]

“La Cage aux Folles” in Görlitz is a courageous statement in a highly conservative city – a pleading for family and tolerance. One could almost say, that this evening was a venture. But when on the evening of the premiere the whole audience was giving standing ovations after the first curtain fell, it was obvious: exactly this statement has had been well received and was quite rightly honored. Because it is more than welcome, that a theatre is positioning itself so explicitly for diversity and against simplemindedness and very openly askes: when did you decide to be straight?

Andreas Hermann - Sächsische Zeitung

Rarely a classic of musical theatre is coming along so politicly up-to-date as “La Cage aux Folles” at the theatre of Görlitz.

For his version staff director Sebastian Ritschel also created all the ideas for the setting. He had built a semicircle, curved to the back front, that has revolvable windows, which on the one hand allow to act with them, but when closed are functioning as  the background – optionally equipped with mirrors or picture-puzzles. This setting quickly can be turned into the stage of a nightclub, the flat of an artist or a place on the street. For the scene of the virginal last supper in the second act, there are hanging two giant feet of Jesus on the cross from the ceiling and are faking sacral virtues like moral, family and goodness.

Adrian Becker […] is without a doubt the star of the evening: tranny, fag, broad and bloke – well shaved, he is showing everyone in the theatre of Görlitz, what was missing to the worldwide disappointed TV-audience: a talent for show combined with hard work on body movement and voice. He is allowed to announce the words “stop homophobia” on his shaved and naked body and also to break his character, hitting hard against Putin, Merkel and Höcke […]

The whole work deserves respect. With its courage to a clear positioning it is not imaginable on any  other stage in Saxony. Even more: only in the really major cities.

Melanie Hermann - daCapo

Clear statement against homophobia.

With an impressing demonstration for tolerance and against homophobia director Sebastian Ritschel has stage-managed “La cage aux Folles”, a classic of musical theatre, at the Gerhard-Hauptmann-theatre in Görlitz. [...] Despite all current references Ritschel is succeeds in both, emphasizing the comedic and the dramaturgical part of the show. The audience was giving enthusiastic standing ovations at the evening of the premiere. […]

The team of creatives is overall accomplishing to shake up its audience. This is not only the presentation of a play, this is transferring a message. One could doubt, if being so up-to-date doesn't hurt the actual effect, but overall the concept, taking the reactions of the audience as a scale, seems to work well. A courageous version with a clear message. But if all the ones it is directed to, also get it, can at least be doubted. Because there will always be the people lagging behind, as one can see by recent comments from Rome, Moscow or Berlin. Considering that, one can be well informed in Görlitz. Chapeau!