'La Cage' Playing at Dix Hills Performing Arts Center

The Dix Hills Performing Arts Center presents the indisputable musical comedy classic, La Cage Aux Folles, the uproarious musical with a book by Harvey Fierstein and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, the composer/lyricist of Mame, and Hello, Dolly!

La Cage will run Thursday to Saturday, March 22 to 24, at 7:30 pm, and Sunday March 25 at 2 pm. Tickets are $18 or $15 for seniors. The production will be directed by Bob Stern, a professor of Theater at Five Towns College.

La Cage Aux Folles (French for “the Bird Cage”) tells the story of Georges, the owner of a glitzy nightclub in Saint-Tropez, and his partner Albin, who moonlights as the glamorous Chanteuse Zaza. When Georges’ son brings his fiancée’s conservative parents home to meet the flashy couple, the bonds of family are put to the test.

La Cage is a tuneful and touching tale of one family’s struggle to stay together, stay fabulous and, above all, stay true to themselves. With a catchy score of hummable melodies and a dynamic cast featuring the “notorious and dangerous Cagelles,” this high-energy production is an evening of pure entertainment.

“This production will appeal to anyone who loves good music and a good laugh,” said Sandy Hinden, executive director of the Center. “It truly is a Broadway-style production without the often big production of heading into Manhattan for the evening. Tickets will surely sell out quickly for these performances.”

The New York Post called the original production of La Cage “Jerry Herman’s best musical yet – happier, more assertive, and more buoyant than Hello, Dolly! or Mame.”

Based on the 1973 play of the same name by Jean Poiret, La Cage Aux Folles was originally produced on Broadway in 1983, and won six Tony awards, including Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book. The 2004 Broadway revival won the Tony Award for Best Revival. The classic returned yet again to the Broadway stage in 2010, and garnered 11 Tony awards, including Best Revival of a Musical.

In 1978 there was an Italian-French film adaptation of the play, co-written and directed by Edouard Molinaro. In 1996 the American film version, The Bird Cage opened to rave reviews. It was directed by Mike Nichols, written by Jean Poiret and Francis Veber, and starred Robin Williams, Nathan Lane and Gene Hackman.