By Adam Hetrick
02 Sep 2010
For de Jesús, who had just come off a Tony-nominated turn playing Sonny in In the Heights, La Cage wasn't the follow-up project he had in mind. However, director Terry Johnson's vision for La Cage gave him room for "a completely fresh take. That's when my ears perked up," de Jesús says. But a blank slate can be intimidating. "I was lost. I thought, 'I can't believe this person came from France.' The lines come across to me as someone who's very urban, someone who grew up in the 'hood."
Robin de Jesús in La Cage Aux Folles photo by Joan Marcus
Calling on a voice he'd heard backstage at In the Heights, de Jesús conceived of Jacob as a Bronx-born NuYorican (a blend of New York and Puerto Rican) who, seeking the glamour of the 1950s film divas, packed up and moved to France. "That's where all the divas went when they were outcast from America. Of course, he picked Saint Tropez because it was the closest thing to Puerto Rico with the tropical climate."
Still, de Jesús barely has to open his mouth to get a laugh, thanks to a series of looks created by costume designer Matthew Wright. De Jesús also uses Tony-winning co-star Douglas Hodge, who portrays the dazzling if fading nightlife entertainer Zaza, as an anchor. "Jacob thinks of himself as Zaza's intern. He would love to do what she does and just wants to be her. Which, to me, is all the more tragic."
For both actors, comedy in front of a live audience can be like a runaway train. "It's a great barometer, but once you get carried away it's more for you than it is for the audience. An audience can tell when the actors are having more fun than they are," Finneran says.
De Jesús and Finneran share the dictum that there is ultimately truth in great comedy. Says de Jesús, "The fact is, there's room there to explore. There's different ways to be truthful and some are funnier than others." A fact can be a beautiful and very funny thing.
Katie Finneran talks about her owl impression:
(Adam Hetrick is staff writer for Playbill.com.)
