Simon Burke: “LA CAGE AUX FOLLES has always been one of my favourite Broadway musicals”

On September 14, Simon Burke and John Barrowman joined the successful London production of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES. Burke and Barrowman lead the cast of this revival of the musical written by Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein that can be seen currently in the West End.

When Simon Burke replaced Philip Quast, he became the fourth actor who plays the role of Georges, the owner of a Night Club, since the revival of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES opened at the Playhouse Theatre on October 2008. Before him, the character has been played by Denis Lawson, Steven Pacey and the before-mentioned Quast.

Burke’s theatre credits in his native country include musicals such as CHICAGO, FALSETTOS or ANYTHING GOES. In the West End he has been in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC and, more recently, THE SOUND OF MUSIC.

We talk with Simon Burke about his work in LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, his artistic career and his debut solo album entitled `Something About Always´. The album was released last September.

LAST 14TH SEPTEMBER YOU MADE YOUR FIRST PERFORMANCE AS GEORGES IN ‘LA CAGE AUX FOLLES’. HOW HAVE LONDON AUDIENCES RECEIVED YOU?
The audience response has been phenomenal - standing ovations every night.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO STAR IN THIS AWARDED PRODUCTION?
I´m very honoured to be in this production - it´s always been one of my favourite Broadway musicals but I think Terry Johnson´s production has brought out so much more in the piece.

YOU ARE WORKING OPPOSITE JOHN BARROWMAN. HOW IS IT WORKING WITH HIM?
John is a powerhouse performer and personality - we knew each other vaguely from a few years ago but had never worked together - but we are having a blast - our one-on-one scenes are an absolute joy to do and we feel like we are on the same wavelength every night.

THE SHOW OPENED ORIGINALLY IN BROADWAY IN 1983, A TIME WHEN IT WAS RISKY OPENING A SHOW FOCUSED IN A HOMOSEXUAL RELATIONSHIP. HOW DO YOU THINK HAS EVOLVED ON THIS TIME THE ACCEPTATION OF HOMOSEXUALITY? HAS THIS EVOLUTION CHANGED THE WAY PEOPLE COME TO SEE THE SHOW?
I think gay people are so much more visible in all walks of life these days and this is thankfully reflected on our stages and screens. This show is more than anything about belonging and about family and I think these days we are much more in tune to all different kinds of families.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THIS PRODUCTION WILL OPEN ON BROADWAY AT THE END OF THE YEAR?
I think it´s tremendously exciting that Broadway will get to see Douglas Hodge´s phenomenal performance as Albin - I would rate it as one of the all-time best performances I have ever seen anywhere.

YOU HAVE JUST RELEASED YOUR DEBUT ALBUM, ‘SOMETHING ABOUT ALWAYS’. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU RELEASING THIS ALBUM?
It´s the realization of a lifelong dream - to finally record a solo album - I had been urged to for many years by so many different people I´m so glad I finally took the plunge and I´m really pleased with the result.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE ALBUM AND THE SONGS ON IT? WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONVEY TO PEOPLE WHO LISTEN ‘SOMETHING ABOUT ALWAYS’?
As I say on the liner notes of the album "I guess recording your first album is like writing your first novel - you do what you know " - most of the songs on the album are songs that have been with me for many years - some from shows I have done such as CHICAGO, FALSETTOS, SOUND OF MUSIC and ANYTHING GOES and some that I have done at very important times in my life - such as when I hosted a gala concert at Carnegie Hall on Jan 20th this year, the night of President Obama´s inauguration and sang "My Country" with a 70 piece orchestra and a children´s choir of 100.
The title of the album is a lyric from the song "Song on the Sand" which of course is the love song that Georges sings to Albin in LA CAGE - I´m really proud of the title as I think it sums up the album and the tone of it very well!

CONNIE FISHER AND CAROLINE O´CONNOR FEATURE ON YOUR ALBUM AS GUEST STARS. COULD YOU COMMENT ON THESE COLLABORATIONS?
I spent the happiest six months playing Captain von Trapp opposite Connie as Maria and we became very close - I was absolutely thrilled that she wanted to sing “True Love” with me on the album. Caroline and I have known each other for many years but never really worked together - but I´m a huge fan of hers and thought “You´re The Top” would be the perfect way to start a working relationship.

ON YOUR CAREER IN LONDON, YOU HAVE BEEN IN MUSICALS AS ‘THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA’ PLAYING THE ROLE OF RAOUL, ‘THE SOUND OF MUSIC’ PLAYING CAPTAIN VON TRAPP, OR ‘A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC’ AS CARLUS-MAGNUS, NEXT TO JUDI DENCH. WHAT MEMORIES DO YOU KEEP ABOUT THESE SHOWS?
All 3 completely joyous experiences PHANTOM is one of those perfect productions which is so satisfying for a performer to do. And I loved the challenge of finding the meat in the role of Raoul. SOUND OF MUSIC - playing the Palladium in one of the greatest musicals ever written was just a dream come true, and especially working with the 57 different von Trapp kids - all of whom I became really close to. And as for NIGHT MUSIC - Sondheim´s greatest work in the greatest theatre company in the world and playing the Count to Dame Judi´s Desiree. It doesn´t get any better than that.

IN YOUR COUNTRY, AUSTRALIA, YOU HAVE ALSO STARRED IN ‘CHICAGO’, ‘LES MISÉRABLES’, ‘FALSETTOS’ OR ‘ANYTHING GOES’. THE WAY OF WORKING AND DOING MUSICALS IN AUSTRALIA IS VERY DIFFERENT THAT THE WAY THEY DO IT IN LONDON?
We have a smaller population so I guess we have fewer productions each year but I haven´t really noticed a huge difference in working in both places - often the productions are the same as the originating one from either Broadway or the West End.

THERE ARE MANY AUSTRALIAN ACTORS AND ACTRESSES THAT ARE STARRING IN WEST END MUSICALS NOWDAYS (TONY SHELDON, JASON DONOVAN, TAMSIN CARROLL...) WHICH DO YOU THINK IS THE CONNECTION POINT BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND LONDON? WHY DO YOU THINK IT´S SO USUAL THAT AUSTRALIAN PERFORMERS SUCCED IN LONDON?
There´s something very satisfying about working as an Australian in the West End I guess because so many of us have our ancestral roots in the UK - so even though it´s a foreign country it´s also like coming home in a way.

WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT MUSICAL THEATRE INDUSTRY IN YOUR COUNTRY?
Australia has an incredibly vital music theatre industry and an amazing talent pool - we can do the big international shows as well as anyone but I´m really excited in seeing the development and commercial success of our homegrown musicals which I believe is slowly but surely happening. 

Syrus Lowe (Jacob), John Barrowman (Albin) and Simon Burke (Georges) in LA CAGE AUX FOLLES