La Cage Aux Folles

My aunt and I are in towering New York City for a few days before my flight to Germany. We found inexpensive tickets to the broadway show, La Cage Aux Folles with Kelsey Grammar, aka Frasier, and an amazing costar, Douglas Hodge. The story is rather cliché about a couple from two extremes whose parents would not approve of their marriage, so they try to be something they are not. The son’s parents are both homosexual males, while his fiancée is the daughter of a conservative politician.

The son’s transvestite mother sings an inspiring song at the end of the first act. She defends her lifestyle by saying,

“It is my world that I want to have a little pride in
My world and it is not a place I have to hide in
Life is not worth a damn till you can say
I am what I am”

The message could not be more convincing, especially coming from a transvestite.

I have always admired those people who know who they are, what they want, and most importantly are not afraid to show it. Just like she says, one should not want pity or praise, nor need excuses to be what they are. I look up to people who have figured themselves out like I look up at the skyscrapers of New York City. Each one is unique, but still belonging to the bigger picture.