The Golden Cage
A two-hander musical by Grammy-nominated composer and performer Deborah Henson-Conant about a glorious mythical golden cage. Two creatures meet on either side of its bars — Boris, half-man and half-bird, and Alphea, a melodramatic diva. Boris is stranded on the outside after a lifetime searching for the cage, and Alphea is trapped on the inside and longs for freedom, yet fears the outside and can’t remember how she got trapped inside.
Where to watch
Where to Watch The Golden Cage
theatrical history
Deborah Henson-Conant is a Grammy-Nominated composer & performer who combines stories and music in multiple genres from narrated concerts to song cycles, one-person musicals, operetta and musical. She has performed and premiered her works internationally with orchestras and venues including Pittsburgh Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Tacoma Symphony and Buffalo Philharmonic, Chicago Humanities Festival, Kennedy Center, Boston’s Lyric Stage and Central Square Theater.
Henson-Conant’s full-length music special Invention & Alchemy in collaboration with the Grand Rapids Symphony, aired on PBS stations throughout the U.S. and received a Grammy Nomination for Best Classical Crossover album. The DVD is available on Amazon.
Henson-Conant’s full-length music special Invention & Alchemy in collaboration with the Grand Rapids Symphony, aired on PBS stations throughout the U.S. and received a Grammy Nomination for Best Classical Crossover album. The DVD is available on Amazon.
The Golden Cage was inspired by the tension between creative freedom and security. The musical tells the story of Alphea, a melodramatic dive who lives inside a cage of cement and iron bars and longs for freedom; and Boris, a half-man, half-bird who is seeking the security of a golden cage.
The piece is described as “lyrical musical theater meets operetta meets song-cycle.”
The Golden Cage ran for 5 performances at the Create Theatre New Works Theatre Fest between April 20 and April 24, 2022. Directed by Rebecca Miller Kratzer, the musical featured musical direction by Nevada Lozano, scenic design by Tyler R. Herald costume design by Evan Prizant, lighting design by Michael Cole, and projection design by Peter Leibold & Paul Deziel. Tala Munsterman was the stage manager.
The cast included Christopher Isolano (Boris) Maddie Allen (Alphea), and Katie Horner (understudy). Isolano also appeared in Petunia’s Playhouse which was filmed at the New Ohio Theatre.
The Golden Cage is available for licensing. As noted on the show’s website, the “concept musical” is designed for open casting in regards to age, race, gender, and body-type. The musical is able to be performed with solo piano, or piano, cello and percussion.
The piece is described as “lyrical musical theater meets operetta meets song-cycle.”
The Golden Cage ran for 5 performances at the Create Theatre New Works Theatre Fest between April 20 and April 24, 2022. Directed by Rebecca Miller Kratzer, the musical featured musical direction by Nevada Lozano, scenic design by Tyler R. Herald costume design by Evan Prizant, lighting design by Michael Cole, and projection design by Peter Leibold & Paul Deziel. Tala Munsterman was the stage manager.
The cast included Christopher Isolano (Boris) Maddie Allen (Alphea), and Katie Horner (understudy). Isolano also appeared in Petunia’s Playhouse which was filmed at the New Ohio Theatre.
The Golden Cage is available for licensing. As noted on the show’s website, the “concept musical” is designed for open casting in regards to age, race, gender, and body-type. The musical is able to be performed with solo piano, or piano, cello and percussion.
Film history
The Golden Cage was filmed live during its run at Theatre Row in New York City as part of the Create Theatre New Works Theatre Fest between April 20-24, 2022.
While the musical was performed with solo piano, orchestrations by Tim Maurice were added to the film in post-production.
The Golden Cage was released on Streaming Musicals for free between April 27 and May 1, 2023. Following the initial free release, the musical was made available on demand for $19.99US, or $4.99US for a 72 hour rental.
The film received warm reviews, with critics praising Henson-Conant’s score, Miller Kratzer’s direction, Tyler R. Herald ’s scenic design, and Evan Prizant’s costume design. Critics also commended the performances of the two leads - Christopher Isolano and Maddie Allen.
Writing for Theater Mirror, Michael Hoban extolled Henson-Conant’s writing, describing her as a “brilliant composer.” TheatreHaus reviewer Trent Sellars described the aesthetics of the production as “simply beautiful,” and stated that the musical was “a magical trip…that has the ability to both inspire and entertain across generations.” Sellars also had warm praise for the film, describing it as a “a fully immersive experience that brings the audience closer to the action than a front-row seat ever could.”
Similarly, Joe Lombardi writing for Theatre Reviews from My Seat noted “the high quality filming and camera work here draws you into the action while also reminding that you are watching a live entertainment.”
The Golden Cage is currently available for free, or for a small fee, on Amazon and on Streaming Musicals.
While the musical was performed with solo piano, orchestrations by Tim Maurice were added to the film in post-production.
The Golden Cage was released on Streaming Musicals for free between April 27 and May 1, 2023. Following the initial free release, the musical was made available on demand for $19.99US, or $4.99US for a 72 hour rental.
The film received warm reviews, with critics praising Henson-Conant’s score, Miller Kratzer’s direction, Tyler R. Herald ’s scenic design, and Evan Prizant’s costume design. Critics also commended the performances of the two leads - Christopher Isolano and Maddie Allen.
Writing for Theater Mirror, Michael Hoban extolled Henson-Conant’s writing, describing her as a “brilliant composer.” TheatreHaus reviewer Trent Sellars described the aesthetics of the production as “simply beautiful,” and stated that the musical was “a magical trip…that has the ability to both inspire and entertain across generations.” Sellars also had warm praise for the film, describing it as a “a fully immersive experience that brings the audience closer to the action than a front-row seat ever could.”
Similarly, Joe Lombardi writing for Theatre Reviews from My Seat noted “the high quality filming and camera work here draws you into the action while also reminding that you are watching a live entertainment.”
The Golden Cage is currently available for free, or for a small fee, on Amazon and on Streaming Musicals.
cast & creative credits
Theatre: Theatre Row, NYC
Producer: Create Theatre
Book, Music, & Lyrics: Deborah Henson-Conant
Director: Rebecca Miller Kratzer
Musical Director: Nevada Lozano
Orchestrations: Tim Maurice
Scenic Design: Tyler R. Herald
Costume Design: Evan Prizant
Lighting Design: Michael Cole
Projection Design: Peter Leibold & Paul Deziel
Stage Manager: Tala Munsterman
Cast:
Christopher Isolano (Boris)
Maddie Allen (Alphea)
Producer: Create Theatre
Book, Music, & Lyrics: Deborah Henson-Conant
Director: Rebecca Miller Kratzer
Musical Director: Nevada Lozano
Orchestrations: Tim Maurice
Scenic Design: Tyler R. Herald
Costume Design: Evan Prizant
Lighting Design: Michael Cole
Projection Design: Peter Leibold & Paul Deziel
Stage Manager: Tala Munsterman
Cast:
Christopher Isolano (Boris)
Maddie Allen (Alphea)
awards & nominations
* denotes winner
2022 Off-Broadway CreateTheater New Works Series
2022 Off-Broadway CreateTheater New Works Series
- Best Musical Score*
- Best Actor*
- Most Innovative Production*
podcast
sources
Articles
Websites
Other
- Michael Hoban, “Deborah Henson-Conant’s ‘The Golden Cage’ Soars,” Theater Mirror (May 10, 2023)
- Joe Lombardi, “The Golden Cage (Streaming Musicals),” Theatre Reviews from My Seat (April 28, 2023)
- Trent Sellars, “‘The Golden Cage’ // Streaming Musicals,” TheatreHaus (April 28, 2023)
- Uncredited, “The Golden Cage, an award-winning new musical,” New York Social Diary (Aug 8, 2023)
- Stephi Wild, “CreateTheater New Works Festival Presents THE GOLDEN CAGE,” BroadwayWorld (March 30, 2022)
Websites
- The Golden Cage, “Producers Info Page,” Accessed via: https://www.hipharp.com/tgc-producers-info
- Streaming Musicals, “The Golden Cage,” Accessed via: https://www.streamingmusicals.com/film/the-golden-cage
- Theatre Row, “New Works Festival,” Accessed via: https://bfany.org/theatre-row/shows/new-works-festival-presented-by-createtheater/
- Theatre Row, “The Golden Cage Presented by CreateTheater New Works Festival,” Accessed via: https://bfany.org/theatre-row/shows/the-golden-cage-presented-by-createtheater-new-works-festival/
Other
- Author Interview with Deborah Henson-Conant (June 2022)
Written by Luisa Lyons (December 2023)