Deborah Henson-Conant’s ‘The Golden Cage’
The Golden Cage – Book, Music, and Lyrics by Deborah Henson-Conant; Directed by R. Lee Kratzer; Music Direction by Nevada Lozano; Scenic Design by Tyler R. Herald; Costume Design by Evan Pritzant; Lighting Design by Michael Cole. Presented by Streaming Musicals online and filmed in front of live audiences at the CreateTheater New Works Festival at NYC’s Theatre Row. It can be seen here StreamingMusicals.com
by Mike Hoban
When I was a teen, there was an episode of Rod Serling’s Night Gallery, the hit-or-miss knockoff of the iconic Twilight Zone TV series entitled “Hell’s Bells.” In it, hippie John Astin (of Addams Family fame) dies in a car crash and lands in Hell. What he finds there is not a lake of fire but an insanely boring place populated by Midwestern white people. Thinking he is in heaven, the hippie complains to the devil that he wants to go to the “other place.” The devil explains to him that “This is the other place. While this is absolute Hell for you, up there (looks skyward), it’s someone else’s idea of heaven.”
The “grass is always greener” theme is an ancient one, but Grammy-nominated composer Deborah Henson-Conant, best known for her funny and fiery performances as the wild woman with the electric harp, breathes new life into the trope with her new musical, The Golden Cage. This two-hander operetta, which appears to have been loosely adapted from the works of the 13th-century Persian poet Rumi, tells the story of a half-man, half-bird Boris, who makes it his life’s mission to seek out the mythical Golden Cage (“Just because nobody’s ever actually seen it doesn’t mean it’s not out there”), which he sees as the key to his happiness.
He travels the world in his quest and finally finds what he has dreamed of his entire life – the Golden Cage – perched high upon a mountaintop. What he doesn’t expect is to find it occupied, which he does, by Alphea, a demonstrably unhappy young woman with the self-centered personality of a reality TV star. Where he sees a cage constructed with golden bars, she sees a dank cell with iron prison bars from which she cannot escape. Perception, we soon learn, is everything, and the actions we pursue based on our perceptions often lead to damaging (and, in some cases, downright horrible) life choices. Without giving up too much of the plot, this is not The Monkey’s Paw. It’s a joyful entertainment that appeals to all ages, and there is a myriad of positive life lessons to be learned from the production.
Henson-Conant is a brilliant composer, and her style reminds me a lot of Sondheim (with much less dissonance) in delivering complex but accessible music. The opening piece (the gorgeous “Flying Song,” which is reprised throughout the show) is reminiscent of a lush 30’s movie musical number. Henson-Conant also incorporates her wit into much of the storytelling, making the simple story far more compelling. The jokes have multi-generational appeal – like SpongeBob (or Rocky & Bullwinkle for older folks). The Golden Cage also gives playful nods to opera (complete with a Wagnerian breastplate and Viking helmet for Alphea).
The production is buoyed by the stellar performances of baritone Christopher Isolano as Boris and soprano Maddie Allen as Althea (both making their off-Broadway debuts), who wholeheartedly commit to the material and sell it like true believers. They’re terrific vocalists (both as solo performers and in duets like “Then at Last,”) and Allen is really dialed in comedically as the spoiled Alphea. The set (loaded with campy touches) and projections are simple and effective. The costumes seem to have been constructed from materials found in a thrift shop or church rummage sale and are uber-imaginative.
The Golden Cage can serve as a metaphor for any number of things (mine was a condemnation of the myth of the American Dream), but there are probably as many interpretations as there will be audience members if this work gets the attention it deserves. The show may even inspire some to “take the leap of believing (they) can fly.”
The Golden Cage collaborated with Streaming Musicals for this awarding-winning soundstage production, filmed in front of live audiences at the CreateTheater New Works Festival at NYC’s Theatre Row in 2022, where the production won awards for Best Actor, Best Musical Score, and Most Innovative Production. As enjoyable as this work is on film, one can only imagine what it would be like with the vibrancy of a live performance. Let’s hope someone does it soon. For more information about The Golden Cage, go to GoldenCageMusical.com. Or go to StreamingMusicals.com to see it.
