La Cage aux Folles: Tan Kheng Hua - Ivan Heng Cage aux Folles, Kheng Hua admits, is quintessential Glen Goei style. To bring the story closer to home, Glen has plucked the original

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La Cage aux Folles: Tan Kheng Hua

by Guo Wei Ho on July 19, 2012

La Cage aux Folles: Tan Kheng Hua http://www.feveravenue.com/la-cage-aux-folles-kheng-hua/

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Tan Kheng Hua is probably the jock of the cast; even she admits it herself. But this jock cannotwait to don on some feathers and sequins to prance on stage as Jacqueline in Wild Rice‘supcoming production of La Cage aux Folles, opening this week.

‘I am only in one dance – in ‘The Best of Times’ and I wish there was more! I love it!’ Kheng Huadiscloses. ‘But I am also glad that it is just one dance because it emphasizes on ballroom dancingand it is really quite tough on the knees, you know!’ So if you want to see Kheng Hua dancingballroom, you know that you will be able to find her on the Esplanade Theatre stage.

Fresh off swinging herself on the pole, Kheng Hua steps into a more zesty role as Jaqueline in LaCage aux Folles. Here in this Tony-award musical now adapted to Singapore by our very ownGlen Goei, Kheng Hua plays the role of the fabulous Jaqueline who is the resident fag-hag of herneighbours, George and Albin, the gay couple who own La Cage.

She is a good friend and a part of George and Albin’s world (played by Malaysian lead TonyEusoff and our homegrown talent Ivan Heng). Yet other than being their best friend who loves herto bits, Jaqueline also owns a restuarant next to La Cage so you can expect her to pop in at themost convenient of times throughout the musical. And together, Kheng Hua backs up her friendsin the main story-line: where George and Albin gets to meet the prospective parents of theirdaughter-in-law who is the ultraconservative politician who hates the infamous club.


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But Kheng Hua never knew what she was in for when she first said yes to Glen Goei, the directorof the musical. ‘In the middle of Malaysia somewhere (back in 2011), I got this long-distance callfrom Glen asking me if I was free in June the following year to do La Cage aux Folles’ she laughs.

‘Sure, I said. Any phone call from Glen or Ivan grants me a yes. Don’t need to give me the script,don’t need anything, as long as I am free. I didn’t even know what role I was playing, I could havebeen one of the Cagelles (the enthusiastic dancing chorus) for all I knew!’


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La Cage aux Folles, Kheng Hua admits, is quintessential Glen Goei style. To bring the story closerto home, Glen has plucked the original story and adapted it to our life. The club La Cage auxFolles is now situated in the heart of Tanjong Pagar and their neighbours include the localcoffeeshop owners, Ah Beng and Ah Lian – played by Andrew Lua and Judee Tan respectively.

Yet as all these ‘local’ characters take their place on stage, the story of La Cage aux Folles is auniversal story about acceptance. ‘Jaqueline is a part of their (George and Albin’s) world. And wesee them right through the feathers, and they are just people after all, and they are our friends. Andthat is what makes La Cage such a beautiful story.’ Kheng Hua shares.

We asked Kheng Hua if she was more like the toned-down Albin or the fabulous Zaza and sheprofesses, ‘I think neither! I think i am more George!’

La Cage Aux Folles will run from 20 July to 4 August at the Esplanade Theatre. Tickets start at$35 (excluding SISTIC charge) and can be purchased from all SISTIC Authorized Agents, SISTIC


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Hotline (65) 6348 5555 or the SISTIC Website www.sistic.com.sg Early Bird specials start nowtill 13 June: 10% Discount for OCBC Credit & Debit Cards, 15% Discount for Senior Citizensaged 55 years and above / Students / NSF. For more information and discounts, visit W!ld Rice attheir website here.

Image Credits: Harris Sim

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La Cage Aux Folles: The Glitter, The Drama and All That Jazz

La Cage aux Folles: Andrew Lua

More Than Just Sequins and Feathers


5 of 8 19/7/12 12:21 PM

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Article by Guo Wei Ho

Entertainment Sub-editor. Content to be a hermit surrounded by novels, Guo Wei stronglybelieves in having cold cereal in bed watching endless reruns of Grey's Anatomy. He constantlyfinds himself singing ballads tunelessly in the shower, complete with embarrassing dance moves.Oh and he thinks that he will be eaten by his cat, go figure. He tweets useless nuggets ofinformation at @guoweiho

Guo Wei has written 226 articles for Fever Avenue.

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La Cage aux Folles: Tan Kheng Hua - Ivan Heng Cage aux Folles, Kheng Hua admits, is quintessential Glen Goei style. To bring the story closer to home, Glen has plucked the original