Davis was let go from the revival following the Sunday matinee. Until Goulet arrives, Davis' role will be played by understudy, John Hillner.
News of Davis' imminent dismissal began circulating in Broadway circles last week. The Post, which broke the story March 28—and had reported last month that co-star Gary Beach and Davis were no longer on speaking terms—said that Davis had clashed with Gary Beach, who plays Albin, and other members of the company. That account has not been offically confirmed.
"It is absolutely thrilling to hear Robert Goulet singing these great Jerry Herman songs. He is true Broadway and is right back where he belongs" said lead producer James L. Nederlander in a prepared statement. "We wish the talented Daniel Davis well in his future endeavors."
After having spent much of his stage career in the regions, including ten seasons at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, and six seasons at San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater, Davis finally made a mark on the Broadway stage with his Tony-nominated performance as a drama teacher in the play Wrong Mountain. After that, he was chosen for important roles in the New York premieres of Tom Stoppard's The Invention of Love and Stephen Sondheim's The Frogs. La Cage represented his first starring part on Broadway, and most reviews singled him out for praise. His chief fame outside the stage, of course, comes from six seasons playing the butler on TV's "The Nanny."
Robert Goulet created the role of Lancelot — Arthur's champion and rival — in the musical fantasy Camelot by Frederick Loewe, Alan Jay Lerner and Moss Hart. The Tony Award-winning Goulet graduated to the King Arthur role in touring productions over the last decade. He is known as a concert headliner, a recording artist and a TV and film actor. His stage credits have included recent tours of The Fantasticks, Man of La Mancha and South Pacific. Goulet won his Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for Kander and Ebb's The Happy Time. La Cage tells the story of Georges and Albin, who are told by their son Jean-Michel (played by Gavin Creel) that he is marrying Anne (Angela Gaylor), the daughter of a morals crusader. What Anne and her parents don't know is that the new in-laws are not only gay but run a notorious drag cabaret — with Albin as the marquee star, Zaza. Cue the conflict, both between the two families and within the non-traditional family.
Jerry Zaks (Guys and Dolls) directs the production. Jerry Mitchell (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Full Monty) choreographs. The production is set in the present-day, not in the 1980s, when the musical first appeared.
The Herman score includes "Song on the Sand," "Look Over There," "We Are What We Are," "A Little More Mascara," "With You on My Arm," "I Am What I Am," "The Best of Times" and more.
The original production opened on Broadway at the Palace Theatre on Aug. 21, 1983. It ran for 1,761 performances and won six Tony Awards including Best Musical. Composer-lyricist Herman and librettist Harvey Fierstein won Tony Awards for their work on the original production.
Performances play Tuesday at 7 PM, Wednesday through Saturday at 8 PM, with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2 PM, and Sunday at 3 PM. Note that during previews Tuesday performance are at 8 PM.
Tickets range $25-$100, and are available through Ticketmaster.com at (212) 307-4100.
For more information visit www.lacage.com.
