Phoenix Theatre; Phoenix, AZ
Performance Dates: March 13th – April 7th 2013
The Play takes place in two distinct worlds; that of the larger than life drag club on the French Rivera ‘La Cage’ and the world of the family who own and live above the club. For the world of the club we wanted to use bright colors and outrageous costumes. Unlike most productions of this piece we were interested in presenting each character that performs at this club as an individual; so for all but the finale we chose to costume each character with separate designs. This presented the world of the club in a more realistic light with various characters who each were devised to have their own ‘act’ within the club setting. The world of the family we wanted to be tamer; we chose lighter colors with more pastel tones than the intense primary colors of the club. We wanted the world of the family to be like any other family… despite it’s unusual aspects. This lighter pallet also conveyed a sense of the Mediterranean setting that was referenced frequently in the script.
The bulk of the costumes for the show are in the world of the club. There are five production numbers in the show all taking place in the club; for each number we created a set of costumes for our 8 chorus members. One of those production numbers, the title song, involved 2 costumes for each actor.
“Elaborate sets and garishly outlandish costumes make the show’s visual appeal perfect and it looks like Phoenix Theatre spent a fortunate on the production.” – Chris Curcio, Curtain up Phoenix
“Jason Resler’s costumes, Terre Steed’s makeup, and Gerard Kelly’s hairdos serve everyone well. I particularly enjoyed spotting Les Cagelles in their ‘down time,’ bicycling, dining, Maître d’ing, and slinging fresh fish around town”- Julie Peterson, Phoenix New Times
Director: Michael Barnard
Costume Design By: Jason Lee Resler
Hair Designer: Gerard Kelly
Makeup Designer: Terre Steed
Lighting Designer: Mike Eddy
Scenic Designer: Robert Kovach
Sound Design: David Temby