Alternative Character Interpretation: Jacob, Georges and Albin's cross-dressing butler prefers to be called "Claudine" or at least refer his job title as maid instead of butler. Is it a drag alter ego like ZaZa, an endearingly playful female expression out of sheer Camp Gayness, or is she possibly Transgender?
The 1983 musical:
Americans Hate Tingle: Played straight initially, but later averted. The original London production in 1986 was a flop, though this was partially because it got lost in the shadow of The Phantom of the Opera, which opened a few months later. Ironically, it was the 2008 Menier Chocolate Factory staging, which transferred to the West End and then to Broadway in 2010, that rescued the show's reputation after the poorly-received 2004 Broadway revival suggested it was no longer relevant to modern audiences (as a product of a time when positive gay portrayals were a rarity in media, particularly musical theatre, it had fallen victim to Once Original, Now Common in the ensuing two decades).
Covered Up: Gloria Gaynor's disco cover of the song "I Am What I Am" became so famous and popular on its own, that most people don't realize this is where it came from, and claim the gays "stole" the song.
Tearjerker: As a standalone song, "I Am What I Am" is an awesome anthem about being yourself and ignoring the haters. In context, it's still an awesome anthem... but also massively heartbreaking when put in the context of the finale of the first act for the show. Albin sings it after his son has asked him to pretend to be his "uncle" so he can tell his fiancee's family he's from a "normal" family.
