Drag queens, mascara, and family oh, my!: challenging heteronormativity in the musical La Cage aux Follies

Includes bibliographical references (pages 90-96)What do we see when we view a musical theater production? Who are these characters we see spontaneously singing upon the stage? What are these melodies and movements we soak in? Is a musical merely an escapist form of innocent theater? Or, is it perhaps, something more? It cannot be denied that most musicals are unadulterated spectacle that entices diverse audiences due to the fusion of various performance elements: acting, singing, dancing, etc. But, many musical productions are endowed with a series of didactic attributes that not only convey deep thematic significance to its viewers, but also reflect a truth society so often tries to conceal. Some musicals yield character diversity and aim to reflect human relations to one another. Though not always apparent, the way in which these characters interface with one another is impactful for a number of reasons. Whether these characters are fictional or non-fictional, they reflect how human beings interact and react to one another within a societal milieu. What then, does this say about us as people and the society we live in?\ud A musical that yields a fascinating response to these questions is the 1983 musical, La Cage aux Folles. Through textual analysis, this thesis demonstrates how the characters in La Cage reflect a number of issues revolving around societal discrimination and forced separatism against individuals identifying as queer (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual or any individual identifying outside the guise of normative standards). The prejudice experienced by these characters is inflicted solely on the basis of their sexual preference and identification with queer culture. This thesis demonstrates how La Cage reflects the consciousness of queer characters as queer human beings in a society dominated by heterosexual hegemony. \ud The theoretical framework utilized in this thesis derives from Queer theory, Feminist theory, and Feminist theater. It is through this framework that the following postulations about La Cage have been formulated and proven: first, La Cage is a musical production in which its script is characterized by consciousness of queer characters as queer human beings; second, La Cage contains scripted performances that demonstrate sexual differences among characters despite biological sex and thus undermines the dominate thought that heteronormativity is the sole power in society; and, lastly, La Cage challenges the recognition of heteronormativity. The combined analysis of these postulations proves that La Cage is a musical with political purpose, containing an activist viewpoint that acts as a call for societal evaluation. Ultimately, the musical points out a series of dismal truths in society that were prevalent in the 1980s, and as exemplified, still identifiable in the present