The 'Birdcage Club' itself is actually the splendid Carlyle, 1250 Ocean Drive at 13th Street. Built in 1939, it's one of South Beach's celebrated Art Deco landmarks, its façade virtually unchanged.

How much of The Birdcage was improvised?

Most of the improvising happened in rehearsal

"We sort of got all the improvising out of our systems the first two weeks, and then we shot basically what we all agreed on," Hank Azaria told The A.V. Club. "And it was very tough for Robin, who really wanted to still go bananas."

What is The Birdcage based off of?

Twenty years ago today, The Birdcage was released. Based on the 1978 French film La Cage aux Folles, it involves, among many things, Nathan Lane throwing pitch-perfect hysterical fits, Hank Azaria dancing in cutoffs, and Robin Williams playing the straight man (no pun intended).