WE ARE WHAT WE ARE

Theatre Rhinoceros turns its intimate
Castro venue into a joyous explosion of
feathers, farce, and fierce self-acceptance

Since 1977, Theatre Rhinoceros has produced theater celebrating the LGBTQ community. This month, they’re presenting the classic Broadway musical La Cage Aux Folles. Originally written as a French play by Jean Poiret in 1973 and adapted into a film in 1978, the musical debuted on Broadway in 1983. It ran for over four years and was revived in both 2004 and 2010, winning six Tony Awards including Best Score, Best Book, and Best Musical. Unfortunately, many Americans familiar with the story primarily know the 1996 American film The Birdcage starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane.

This revival of the Broadway musical is what audiences should really see. Theatre Rhinoceros’s current venue is a scaled-down theater right in the heart of the Castro neighborhood. Despite the tight space, the actors and musicians manage to deliver a very big show.

Set in St. Tropez in 1973, Georges (John Mannion) owns a successful drag club and lives above it with his companion Albin (Christopher Juan). Albin is a female impersonator who performs at the club as “Zaza,” the club’s main attraction. The family “housekeeper” Jacob (SNJV), who is flamboyantly effeminate, also performs there. Trouble begins when Georges’s grown son Jean-Michel (Landyn Endo) announces that he is engaged to his girlfriend Anne (Akhila Narayanan). Unfortunately, Anne is the daughter of conservative politician Edouard Dindon (Mark J. Enea). Jean-Michel wants Anne to meet the family — minus Albin — fearing Zaza’s drag persona will horrify her father, who campaigns on a traditional-values platform.

Jean-Michel knows his family is anything but traditional, and naturally this arrangement does not sit well with everyone, especially Albin, who has helped raise him since infancy. To pull off the charade of presenting a “normal” family, the apartment undergoes a thorough cleansing of anything colorful, flamboyant, or remotely suggestive.

The humor, of course, comes from these larger-than-life personalities desperately attempting to tone themselves down into conservative respectability for Anne and her parents. In Act II, it all comes together — or falls apart — in a series of hilariously chaotic misunderstandings and shenanigans.

Because this is a musical, all the characters have the pipes to sing about their struggles, desires, and celebrations of identity. The famous anthem “I Am What I Am” has long since transcended the show itself to become an LGBTQ declaration of pride, diversity, and, most importantly, self-acceptance. Since much of the action takes place inside the nightclub, the audience is also treated to energetic dance numbers featuring bright, tight-fitting costumes by Bonita Rose and lively choreography by Aaron Simunovich.

Though Theatre Rhinoceros’s current venue is roughly the size of a medium-sized living room, the company utilizes the compact space with remarkable ingenuity, even accommodating a small orchestra. Music Director Armando Fox conducts from the piano, joined by Tim Vaughan on drums, while Anastasia Preston and Jacob Neves alternate on bass. Amazingly, this ambitious production is seamlessly executed by only eight actors, several of whom play multiple roles. The principal performers all sing, dance, and deliver lines with sharp comedic timing, while the supporting cast juggles its various assignments effortlessly. Chloe Angst, in the dual roles of club owner Jacqueline and dancer Hanna, steals every scene she enters while delivering a flawless French accent.

Theatre director John Fisher remains the driving force keeping Theatre Rhinoceros thriving year-round with adventurous and inclusive programming. La Cage Aux Folles remains a classic, and this lively production hits it out of the park for both seasoned theatergoers and newcomers alike.

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photos courtesy of the production

La Cage Aux Folles
Theatre Rhinoceros
4229 18th St. in San Francisco
Thurs–Sat at 8; Sun at 3; Sat at 3
ends on June 14, 2026
for tickets ($32.50–$65), visit The Rhino

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