Updated
Updated · Playbill · Jun 18
Encores! Releases 1st Look at La Cage aux Folles With Billy Porter, Wayne Brady
Updated
Updated · Playbill · Jun 18

Encores! Releases 1st Look at La Cage aux Folles With Billy Porter, Wayne Brady

3 articles · Updated · Playbill · Jun 18

Summary

  • June 18 brought first-look photos and video from City Center Encores!' limited run of La Cage aux Folles, which began performances June 17 and runs through June 28.
  • Billy Porter leads the all-Black cast as Albin opposite Wayne Brady as Georges in Robert O'Hara's staging of the Tony-winning Jerry Herman-Harvey Fierstein musical.
  • A 28-piece orchestra under guest music director Joseph Joubert backs the production, which also revives the show's original 1983 orchestrations not heard since its first Broadway run.
  • The musical, based on Jean Poiret's play, opened on Broadway in 1983 and won 6 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Insights

Can Robert O'Hara's bold vision for an all-Black 'La Cage' overcome early reviews of a 'messy' execution?
Does recasting a classic queer story with an all-Black cast successfully update its themes of acceptance for 2026?