LA CAGE Gets First Playbill In The Middle East

This past week, Harvey Fierstein and Jerry Herman's LA CAGE AUX FOLLES had its Middle Eastern premiere in Tel Aviv, produced by The Tramp and starring Oren Habot as George and Roi Dolev as Albin.

The landmark production had one last surprise up its sleeve:

Every audience member walking into the theatre received the very first Playbill program published in the Middle East, complete with a cast list, creative team credits, photos and more.

"In the Israeli theatre, free programs are unheard of, not to mention Playbills," says producer Roi Dolev. "Bringing the Playbill brand into the hands of our audience members was one of my small efforts to improve the local theatre scene, and I hope other producers would be inspired to license the Playbill brand for their own productions to enrich the audience's experience."

When asked about other aspects he believes the Israeli theatre scene can improve upon, Dolev targeted microphones: "Sound designers in Israel fix the mics exclusively on the performer's cheek, with abundance of scotch tape, which creates a truly horrifying aesthetic I just can't stand. In LA CAGE, I insisted upon fixing the mics on the actor's forehead, as is the custom on Broadway and the West End, and when that was not possible [due to baldness or volume issues], we've used a headset which doesn't require tape and is less obvious from afar."

"Those are silly little obsessions, but when adding them up, it creates a better experience for the audience. Again, I hope local producers would be inspired to rise up."

Take a look at the Hebrew LA CAGE Playbill below.