Barrington Stage Set for Summer
Kicks Off with La Cage aux Folles
By: Barrington - May 14, 2024
Barrington Stage Company (BSC), under the leadership of Artistic Director Alan Paul, is pleased to launch its 30th anniversary season with a new production of the multi-Tony Award-winning musical, La Cage aux Folles. The production will play June 11-July 6 on the Boyd-Quinson Stage (30 Union Street). Opening night is Sunday, June 16 at 3:00 PM.
With a book by Harvey Fierstein (Broadway: Kinky Boots, Torch Song Trilogy) and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman (Broadway: Hello, Dolly!, Mame), La Cage aux Folles is based on the play by Jean Poirot that also inspired the 1978 French film of the same name and its American remake, The Birdcage, starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane.
BSC’s production will be directed by Mike Donahue (Off-Broadway: The Legend of Georgia McBride, Phoebe in Winter) and choreographed by Paul McGill (Broadway: Associate Choreographer, Hedwig and the Angry Inch; Off-Broadway: The Legend of Georgia McBride). Angela Steiner (BSC Cabaret) is musical director.
The original Broadway production of La Cage aux Folles opened in 1983 and won six Tony Awards in 1984, including Best Musical, Best Original Score (Herman) and Best Book of a Musical (Fierstein). Two subsequent Broadway revivals won Best Revival of a Musical in 2005 and 2010, respectively. La Cage aux Folles is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. concordtheatricals.com
Set in St. Tropez on the French Riviera, La Cage aux Folles is a riotous and touching musical comedy about a gay couple, Georges and Albin, who must disguise themselves for one night in order to impress a local ultra-conservative politician who is threatening to shut down the couple’s drag nightclub where Georges serves as Emcee and Albin as the star attraction, Zaza.
The production will star Alex Michaels, aka Alexis Michelle as Albin and Tom Story as Georges.
Alex Michaels/Alexis Michelle (Albin) was most recently seen on “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 8” (Paramount), finishing in the top 4. Other television credits: “True Colors” (PBS), “One Voice: Broadway” (PBS) both with The American Pops orchestra, “Blue Bloods” (CBS), “Dragnificent!” and “Drag Me Down the Aisle” (TLC). Alexis was cast on Season 9 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (VH1), and after triumphant turns as Kris Jenner and Liza Minnelli, made it all the way to Top 5. In addition to performing her cabarets at Joe’s Pub, 54 Below and Club Cumming in NYC you can find her singing, lip-syncing and dancing all over the world. Training: LaGuardia H.S. for the performing arts, Interlochen Center for the Arts and B.F.A. University of Michigan in Musical Theatre. You can keep up with Alexis on her Facebook artist page, as well as TikTok & Instagram @AlexisMichelleOfficial.
Tom Story (Georges) is an actor and director based in Washington DC. He made his Barrington Stage Company debut last summer in Cabaret. He has appeared in over 75 productions in DC, New York City, and in many cities throughout the country. He is an Affiliated Artist at The Shakespeare Theatre Company where he has starred in works by Shakespeare, Noel Coward, Stephen Sondheim (A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum, directed by Alan Paul), David Ives’ School For Lies and many others. He is a Cabinet Member at The Studio Theatre where he has been featured in many contemporary works. Favorites include AE Houseman in The Invention of Love and Lewis in The Wolfe Twins by Rachel Bonds and directed by Mike Donahue. He recently directed At The Wedding to critical acclaim at Studio where he made his directorial debut with MOTH. He also directed Terminus by Mark O’Rowe at Studio. At Berkshire Theatre Group, he has acted in 16 productions, including The Heidi Chronicles and Moby Dick: Rehearsed. At BTG, he directed the critically acclaimed Design For Living. He has directed at American University, Solas Nua, Imagination Stage and he helmed the box office hit The Legend of Georgia McBride at Roundhouse Theatre. Tom is a graduate of Duke University and The Juilliard School. He has received nine Helen Hayes nominations and a Fox Foundation Fellowship. He studied acting with Michael Kahn and directing with Joy Zinoman.
“La Cage aux Folles is a delirious farce, with Harvey Fierstein’s hilarious book and Jerry Herman’s exuberantly tuneful score,” commented BSC Artistic Director. “But it needs a believable couple at its center for the show’s beating heart, and we’re extremely fortunate to have Alex Michaels, perhaps best known for their drag persona Alexis Michelle on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” and the dashing Tom Story as our Albin and Georges. With a brilliant cast and helmed by Mike Donohue with high-flying choreography from Paul McGill, we think BSC audiences are in for a treat.”
The cast will also feature Noah Wolfe (BSC: A Little Night Music) as Jean Michel, Sally Shaw (Regional: The Wizard of Oz) as Anne, Phillip Taratula (Lincoln Center Theater: The Skin of Our Teeth) as Jacob, Tanesha Gary (Off-Broadway: Fat Ham) as Jacqueline, Don Noble (Broadway: Once; National Tour: An American in Paris) as Edouard Dindon, Michele Ragusa (Broadway: Flying Over Sunset, Young Frankenstein) as Mme. Dindon, and Drae Campbell (Off-Broadway: Room for Cream, Pictures of the Drowned) as Francis. Also starring as the “notorious and dangerous” Cagelles will be Jonté Jaurel Culpepper as Bitelle, Gabe Friedman aka Kiki BallChange as Chantal, Jules Geiss as Clo-Clo, Aaron Graham as Angelique, and Kyle White as Hannah, with Raphe Gilliam and Drew Minard.
The creative team includes Alexander Woodward (Scenic Design), Rodrigo Munoz (Costume Design), Philip Rosenberg (Lighting Design), Ken Travis (Sound Design), Bobbie Zlotnik (Wig Design), Kyle Kreuger (Makeup Design), Robert Aronowitz (Whip Consultant). Sara Ford is Production Stage Manager. Casting is by McCorkle Casting (Pat McCorkle, CSA; Rebecca Weiss, CSA).
BOYD-QUINSON STAGE
In addition to La Cage aux Folles, the 2024 Boyd-Quinson Stage will feature a revival of Boeing Boeing (July 17-August 3) by Marc Camoletti and translated by Beverley Cross & Francis Evans. This 1960 riotous French sex farce delighted a new generation of theatregoers with a recent critically acclaimed London and Broadway revival. BSC’s production will be helmed by Founding Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and will star BSC Associate Artists Mark H. Dold (BSC: Waiting for Godot, Harry Clarke, Freud’s Last Session), Christopher Innvar (BSC: The Importance of Being Earnest; A Doll’s House, Part 2; Private Lives, Faith Healer), and Debra Jo Rupp (BSC: Dr. Ruth, All the Way, Ring ‘Round the Moon, To Kill A Mockingbird and The Laramie Project).
BSC Artistic Director Alan Paul will direct Next to Normal (August 13-September 8), in a co-production with Round House Theatre in Washington, DC, where it recently opened and was hailed as an “impeccable, vibrant musical revival” by the Washington Post. Next to Normal, which will close the Boyd-Quinson Stage season, features music by Tom Kitt (Broadway: Bring It On, If/Then), book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey (Broadway: If/Then, The Last Ship). The original Broadway production, produced by David Stone, James L. Nederlander, Barbara Whitman, Patrick Catullo, and Second Stage Theatre, won three 2009 Tony Awards including Best Score and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The show recently received its London premiere in a critically acclaimed production that is transferring to the West End. Next to Normal is licensed by Music Theatre International.
- GERMAIN STAGE
The St. Germain Stage season opens with the regional premiere of A Tender Thing (June 25-July 20) by Ben Power (Broadway: The Lehman Trilogy), which will be directed by Alan Paul. Originally staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company, this charming and elegiac two-character play imagines what would have happened if Romeo and Juliet had not died as teenagers but had instead lived to old age.
Forgiveness (July 30-August 25) is the world premiere of a new play by Mark St. Germain (BSC: Eleanor; Dr. Ruth, All the Way; Freud’s Last Session; The Happiest Man on Earth) and directed by Ron Lagomarsino (BSC: Chester Bailey, The Happiest Man on Earth). The play is set in Minnesota where prisoners are allowed to plead their case in front of the Governor, in a bid to be returned to society. In this interactive production, audiences will help determine who is worthy of forgiveness.
The St. Germain Stage season will conclude with the regional premiere of Primary Trust (September 18-October 13), winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, by actress/playwright Eboni Booth. This play, about a bookstore worker who loses his job and must find a new way forward for himself, delighted Off-Broadway audiences last year at Roundabout Theatre Company.
Additional details on the 2024 BSC season, including gala, concerts, and staged readings, will be announced in coming weeks.
THE BARRINGTON STAGE COMPANY 2024 SEASON
Boyd-Quinson Stage
30 Union Street, Pittsfield, MA.
La Cage aux Folles
Book by Harvey Fierstein
Based on the play La Cage Aux Folles by Jean Poiret
Music & Lyrics by Jerry Herman
Choreographed by Paul McGill
Directed by Mike Donahue
June 11-July 6
Opening Night: Sunday, June 16 at 3:00 PM
Sponsored by Berkshire Money Management
“The best of times is now!” Come join the party at the hottest nightclub in St. Tropez, home to Jerry Herman & Harvey Fierstein’s hit musical comedy. This spectacular show about love and acceptance is as heartwarming as it is hilarious, and it has so much to say about what it means to be a family.
Boeing Boeing
By Marc Camoletti
Translated by Beverley Cross & Francis Evans
Directed by Julianne Boyd
Starring Mark H. Dold, Christopher Innvar, and Debra Jo Rupp
July 17-August 3
Opening Night: Sunday, July 21 at 5:00 PM
Fly to Paris in the swinging ’60s and meet playboy Bernard. With help from his housekeeper Bertha who plays flight control, Bernard keeps a rotating group of flight attendants on standby. But with the arrival of a long-lost friend and the new Boeing jet, Bernard’s plans hit some turbulence. Fasten your seatbelts for a “deliciously, deliriously innocent sex comedy.” (The New York Times)
Next to Normal
Music by Tom Kitt
Book & Lyrics by Brian Yorkey
Choreography by Eamon Foley
Directed by Alan Paul
Co-Production with Round House Theatre, Bethesda, MD.
August 13 - September 8
Opening Night: Saturday, August 17 at 8:00 pm
“Impeccable,” proclaimed the The Washington Post—a “vibrant musical revival.” Director Alan Paul infuses his production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical with live video and multimedia, capturing the psychology and inner life of the musical’s six characters in ways both intimate and epic. Centered around a family’s ongoing struggles to overcome issues from their past and the underpinnings of suburban life, Paul’s all-new production blew DC audiences away. And now it’s coming to Barrington Stage.
St. Germain Stage
36 Linden Street, Pittsfield, MA
Regional Premiere
A Tender Thing
By Ben Power
Directed by Alan Paul
June 25-July 20
Opening Night: Friday, June 28 at 8:00 pm
What if Romeo and Juliet did not die as teenagers, but lived on into old age? Ben Power has brilliantly taken Shakespeare’s words, rearranged and reimagined the play’s scenes, and the result is a provocative tale of lasting love and commitment. First staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company, this Romeo and Juliet is about the deep, caring relationship that can only be forged by time.
World Premiere
Forgiveness
By Mark St. Germain
Directed by Ron Lagomarsino
July 30-August 25
Opening Night: Saturday, August 3 at 8:00 pm
In Minnesota, a convict who has served time for anything from drug dealing to murder is allowed to seek forgiveness from the Governor. They have 10 minutes to plead their case. It’s a dramatic, pressurized process where convicted criminals plead to be accepted back into the fold or be stuck forever on the outskirts of society. In this world premiere and interactive production, you will help decide who is worthy of forgiveness.
Winner! 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Regional Premiere
Primary Trust
By Eboni Booth
September 18-October 13
Opening Night: Saturday, September 21 at 8:00 pm
Kenneth, a 38-year-old bookstore worker, has a happy life filled with simple pleasures like Mai Tais with his lifelong best friend. But he is shaken from his routines after a sudden layoff. In finding a new job at a local bank, he starts to open up to others while also opening up moments from his past. The Observer says, Primary Trust “will restore your faith in theater’s elemental storytelling powers.”
TICKET INFORMATION
Single tickets for the 2024 season are on sale now. For more information, visit BarringtonStageCo.org.
ABOUT BARRINGTON STAGE COMPANY
Barrington Stage Company (BSC), under the leadership of Artistic Director Alan Paul, is an award-winning theatre located in Pittsfield, MA, in the heart of the Berkshires. Co-founded in 1995 by Julianne Boyd, BSC’s mission is to produce top-notch, compelling work; to develop new plays and musicals; and to engage our community with vibrant, inclusive educational outreach programs. Alan Paul succeeded Ms. Boyd as the company’s Artistic Director in 2022.
BSC attracts over 60,000 patrons annually and has gained national recognition for its superior-quality productions and comprehensive educational programming, including the award-winning Playwright Mentoring Project, the Musical Theatre Conservatory, Youth Theatre, KidsAct! and other initiatives. The company has become integral to the economic revitalization of downtown Pittsfield.
BSC’s reputation for excellence began with a smash revival of Cabaret that moved to Boston in 1997 for an extended run. The theatre’s prominence grew with the world premiere of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin (BSC 2004; Broadway 2005-2008, winner of two Tony Awards). Other notable productions include the world premiere of Christopher Demos-Brown’s American Son (BSC 2016; Broadway 2018); Mark St. Germain’s Freud’s Last Session (BSC 2009; Off-Broadway 2010-2012); Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden & Adolph Green’s On the Town (BSC 2013; Broadway 2014, four Tony Award nominations); Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s Company, starring Aaron Tveit (2017); and West Side Story in honor of Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Robbins’ centenaries (2018).
BSC develops and commissions new work with two programs: PlayWorks, which supports the creation of new plays, and the Musical Theatre Lab, which develops new musicals. Since 1995, BSC has produced 45 new works, 22 of which have moved to New York and major US regional theatres.
BSC is the recipient of 15 Berkshire Theatre Awards for the 2023 season, including Outstanding Production of a Musical for its production of Cabaret, directed by Alan Paul, and the Sally And Robert Sugarman Award for a world premiere of a New Play or Musical for The Happiest Man on Earth, by Mark St. Germain.