Robin de Jesus, Veanne Cox, Elena Shaddow & More Join La Cage aux Folles
In the Heights original cast member Robin de Jesus and Broadway vets Veanne Cox and Elena Shaddow are among newly announced cast members who will join Kelsey Grammer and Douglas Hodge in the forthcoming Broadway revival of La Cage aux Folles. The musical will begin previews on April 6 and open on April 18 at the Longacre Theatre, directed by Terry Johnson.
Tony nominee de Jesus will play the sassy servant Jacob, Tony nominee Cox (Caroline, or Change; Company) has been cast as Mme. Dindon/Mme. Renaud, and Shaddow (Fiddler on the Roof, The Woman in White, Encores! Fanny) will play Anne. They are joined by two-time Tony nominee Christine Andreas (My Fair Lady, Oklahoma!, On Your Toes) as Jacqueline, Chris Hoch (Beauty and the Beast, Spamalot, Shrek) as Francis, Heather Lindell (Hairspray) as Colette, Bill Nolte (The Producers, 1776) as Tabarro and David Nathan Perlow (White Noise) as Etienne. A.J. Shively, a recent University of Michigan graduate, will make his Broadway debut as Jean-Michel.
The Cagelles will be played by Nick Adams (A Chorus Line, Guys and Dolls, Chicago), Nicholas Cunningham (La Cage aux Folles in the West End), Sean Patrick Doyle (Fiddler on the Roof national tour, Wig Out!), Yurel Echezarreta (West Side Story), Terry Lavell (Hairspray in Las Vegas, Smokey Joe’s Café national tour) and Logan Keslar (West Side Story in the West End, On the Town at Paper Mill Playhouse). The production also features Christophe Caballero, Todd Lattimore, Dale Hensley and Cheryl Stern. More casting will be announced soon.
La Cage aux Folles features music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and book by Harvey Fierstein, based on the play by Jean Poiret. This freshly reconceived production, which began life at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory, is choreographed by Lynne Page.
The musical centers on Georges (Grammer), the suave owner of a glitzy drag club on the French Riviera, and his high-strung star performer and real-life partner, Albin (Hodge). The pair live a charmed life—until Georges’ son Jean-Michel announces his engagement to the daughter of a conservative right-wing politician who’s coming to dinner.
