The heels fall off of Mercury’s ‘La Cage aux Folles’ Bob Abelman Cleveland Jewish News, The News Herald, The Morning Journal Member, International Association of Theatre Critics “La Cage aux Folles” started life as a 1973 French farce by Jean Pioret, was turned into a campy French-Italian film in 1978 and, in 1983, became a charming, Tony Award-winning musical comedy with a book by Harvey Fierstein and music/lyrics by Jerry Herman. What defines the current Mercury production is that it is an unfortunate almagam of past productions -- farcical, campy, comedic and charming in spurts, and rarely finding the right balance or holding it for long. This production works best – works brilliantly, in fact – when it addresses the dignity and resilience of its hero Albin, played by Brian Marshall, and when it does so in song. For more of this article, go to www.clevelandjewishnews.com/columnists/.