About the Show
Music & Lyrics by Jerry Herman
Book by Harvey Fierstein
Directed and Choreographed by Diane Lala
July 9th–12th
La Cage aux Folles is the 1983 hit by Jerry Herman with the book by Harvey Fierstein.
Here, the irony is that the “Razzle Dazzle” refers to bugle beads, sequins, and baubles, which are not agents of disguise, but the trappings of audacious authenticity. At the heart of the story is the very familiar tension between audacious authenticity and comfortable conformity. Boasting one of the most impactful Act I closers in musical theatre history, come and prepare to be transfixed by the glint of rhinestones, and gutted by the rawness of a self-love that will not be obscured.
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Meet the Director & Choreographer
Diane Lala brings new depth to La Cage aux Folles. Her expertise in classic musical theatre ensures a visually and emotionally stunning production.
Diane is Professor Emerita of Musical Theatre at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music. At CCM, she has served as director/choreographer for such shows as 42nd Street, Carousel, Legally Blonde, and Singin’ in the Rain, to name a few. Many of her students have gone on to successful Broadway careers. Diane is a Certified Pilates Instructor and an associate member of SDC. She has directed and choreographed for SLT for the last 25 years. Her first production with SLT was in 1983.
Meet The Artistic Director
C. Leonard Raybon, a native of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. After earning a bachelor’s degree from William Carey College in music education, he won a Rotary Ambassadorial Fellowship to study in York, England, where he earned his master’s. His doctorate, from Louisiana State University, is in choral conducting with a minor in vocal performance.
He has been on the faculty of Tulane for thirteen years, and currently serves as chair of the Newcomb Department of Music. At Tulane, he is the Director of Choirs, resident musical director and conductor for the prestigious Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane, and a voice teacher.
He has presented papers in Honolulu, Hawaii, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and has had an article on Bach’s Jesu, meine Freude published in The American Organist. In 2009 he was invited as guest conductor in Tel-Aviv, Israel. Raybon has won two Big Easy Awards for musical direction in Pirates of Penzance and Man of La Mancha at Summer Lyric at Tulane.
He was recently a featured soloist and chorister the Monteverdi Vespers at Marigny Opera House. Leonard and his choirs performed in Rome, Florence, and Venice in 2013. In the Summer of 2014, in Rome, he presented a paper on his innovative beginning voice teaching approach based in Aristotle, and an article on the topic will be published in the International Journal of Arts Education.
History & Fun Facts
- Groundbreaking Broadway representation: When it premiered in 1983, La Cage Aux Folles was one of the first major Broadway musicals to center openly on a loving gay couple and portray them sympathetically.
- Based on a French source: The musical is adapted from the 1973 French play by Jean Poiret, which also inspired the popular French-Italian film La Cage aux Folles and later The Birdcage (1996).
- Jerry Herman’s comeback hit: Composer-lyricist Jerry Herman returned to Broadway prominence with this show after a quiet period, proving his enduring talent for heartfelt, melodic musical theatre.
- Tony Award triumph: The original Broadway production won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Actor (George Hearn), and Best Score.
- Home of an iconic anthem: The song “I Am What I Am” became a powerful anthem of self-acceptance and LGBTQ+ pride, later recorded by numerous artists including Gloria Gaynor.
