East West Players, the longest running theater of color in the United States, is seeking Asian, Pacific Islander, South Asian musical theater performers for their upcoming Los Angeles production of La Cage Aux Folles.
This Tony Award winning musical, which inspired the film The Birdcage, is about a gay couple; Georges, a suave owner of a glitzy drag club, and Albin, his high-strung star performer, whose charmed lives turn upside down when George's son, Jean-Michel, turns up with his fiancée, Anne. Cultures collide as Georges and Albin are introduced to Anne and her parents, members of the conservative Traditional Family Values Coalition.
Les Cage Aux Folles is scheduled to begin previews on May 12, with rehearsals beginning in April.
Principal Roles:
ALBIN: To play Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander Male 45-55 (Range: Baritone, A#2-G4)
A performer of star quality; mature; great powerhouse of a Broadway voice; fine comic actor. Must be willing to shave face and body for role.
GEORGES: To play Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander Male, 50’s (Range: G2-F4)
A star; mature and attractive; good singer; energetic, charming, loving and caring; must move well
JEAN-MICHEL: To play Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander Male, 20 (Range: Baritone, A#2-G4)
Handsome; masculine, well-mannered, educated; desperately in love with his fiancée, Anne; acts, sings, and moves well
JACOB: To play Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander Male, Early 20’s-30s (Range: Bb2-Ab4)
Male butler/maid; brilliant comedian who sings and moves well. Must be willing to shave face and body for role.
ANNE: To play Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander Female, 18-21 (Range: Ensemble, Part Flexible) Jean-Michel’s fiancee; lovely to look at; spunky; a superb dancer who acts well
EDOUARD DINDON: To play Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander Male, Early 50’s (Range:Bb2-Eb4) Anne’s father; right-wing radical politician; pompous; quirky; must sing, move well, and be a fine comedian. Also plays RENAUD: Male, middle age, mature, male friend of Georges and Albin; owns a small café.
MARIE DINDON: To play Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander Female, Late 40’s (Range: F4-A5) Anne’s mother; 48-52, shy, retiring, sexually repressed and sex-starved; good singer and actress who moves well; must look great in a leotard for the finale
JACQUELINE: To play Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander, female, 30s (Range: B3-F5)
Female friend of Georges and Albin; owns a chic restaurant; attractive, charming; very theatrical. Also plays Madame Renaud and other smaller roles.
FRANCIS: To play Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander, Male, 30’s
Male stage manager in Georges’ club; strong actor/dancer/singer, muscular, partial nudity, must be able to do lifts. And be comfortable doing male/male dance movements. Also part of the ensemble. Must be willing to shave face and body for role.
Ensemble Male Dancer/Singer: To play Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander, Male 30’s
Strong actor/dancer/singer, muscular, partial nudity, must be able to do lifts male/male dance movement. Clean shaven face and body. Part of the ensemble.
THE LES CAGELLES (Range: Ensemble, Parts Flexible)
To play Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander, multi-racial, urban cosmopolitan, ethnically ambiguous. Six males 18-30 who can pass for women (top model types), excellent dancer/singers. Dance tricks, gymnastics, and other naughty talents are helpful. Must be able to dance in heels and be comfortable in women’s clothing and wig/makeup. Must be willing to shave face and body for role. Must also be comfortable with female/female dance movement.
Specific Cagelles names (some roles have been combined): Chantal – must have an operatic soprano voice, Hanna – must be able to handle a bull-whip, Bitelle, Phaedra, Mercedes/Babette.
For information on auditions and how to submit, visit the East West Players website.
