… so our second choice show became Mooch’s first ever Broadway musical: La Cage aux Folles, starring the gravel-voiced Harvey Fierstein.
Lonzie, Moochie’s sister, was just home from England, where she’d been studying with her college acting class for a few months. On the spur of the moment, we all decided to drive into the city and see what half-price tickets were available for a Sunday musical.
It’s not like we went in with the express purpose of introducing our kindergartner to the art of drag; I wasn’t planning to see if LeapFrog made a Tag version of Sontag’s Notes on Camp or anything. It just sort of happened.
Billy Elliot had no seats available, The Lion King didn’t do half-price tickets, and The Addams Family was supposed to suck. I’d seen La Cage before, and nervously hoped knew I could give my daughter an overview of the plot so she wouldn’t drive us all nuts with questions during the production.
Except for a handful of drag queens, the story is very homespun and traditional, and thus, made for a pretty straight-forward (no pun) lesson in tolerance — a feel good, clap along morality play that actually elicited fewer questions than did the local performance of Annie we saw a few weeks back.
So we went, we clapped and applauded, and a drag queen from the show told my daughter that she was beautiful. All in all, a lovely day at the thea-tah was had by all — Phin, Lonzie, me, Mooch and the friend she smuggled in with her:
Was it the first hot pink teddy bear to ever attend a performance of the show? Who knows? If it had been Glengarry Glen Ross, I’d have put my money on “yes.” Then again, I wouldn’t have brought five-year-old Mooch to see a Mamet show.
That’s not responsible parenting.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
That sounds like a fun day!
I'll bet the drag queens loved the hot pink teddy bear! La Cage is a wonderful treat!
Aw, Moochie's growing up! With hot pink teddy and all! Hahahahahaha!
This is just one of the reasons I love you guys. What a cool family!
How fun!
I'm going to see Wicked in May. I can't wait.
@the Tsaritsa: It really was, esp. when I got to watch my daughter clapping and grinning widely at the musical numbers.
@boom squared: a girl after their own heart and all
@quirky: perish the thought. (although that was very funny)
@mardi: see my note, above; not everyone is as open-minded as you
@whispering w: in NYC or locally? Wicked's a really fun show
I'll bet she'll remember it as one of the most wonderful, colorful, fun days with grown ups of her life.
It'll be a sweet memory.
I still adore drag shows.
My big sister took me by accident when I was 15.
We thought everyone on stage was so beautiful.
I still remember it, and smile.
Yea for life's surprises…things we wouldn't have chosen deliberately. That's where the sweetness is hidden.
OMG – that happens to you, too? It occurs when I type what or when – I have to suddenly get all Jan Brady and pronounce the words outloud )which is what pronouncing is all about – right, Mrs. Lewis? There I am, all "who-en, who-at, who-y" – have no idea which episode it happens in, or it is in all episodes, but clearly, I relate my childhood and horrors of grammar to late 60s early 70s sitcoms – I'll have to think back and see if there are any Partridge Family references that pop up.