Broadway Review: Cabaret - Bored and Confused Episode 10
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 21. 04. 2024
- Welcome to Bored and Confused! Today, I'm reviewing the iconic Broadway show, Cabaret. From the ever-changing numbers to the revamped August Wilson Theater, this performance offers a fresh take on the classic. Eddie Redmayne's captivating portrayal of the emcee sets the stage, but some costume choices and sightline issues may leave audiences puzzled. Despite this, Cabaret delivers an immersive experience with its fabulous outfits, engaging performances, and iconic songs. While the theater-in-the-round setup adds to the atmosphere, I'll share tips for the best seats to avoid sightline struggles. Overall, Cabaret on Broadway is a must-see for theater enthusiasts, promising a night of glitz, glamour, and a touch of confusion. Don't miss out-grab your tickets now and immerse yourself in the magic of Broadway! đđ
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I really appreciated this revival. My biggest critique was the pre-show, which felt like a glorified tourist trap. It was overcrowded, and about half as impressive as any gay bar in this city. I opted to go right to my seat (which was a nightmare to find). I think that this staging of the production is best to see after youâve seen a few others. The most striking moment of the show was the group of tipsy tourists clapping and cheering during âCabaretâ, unaware of their jarring irony. Talk about life imitating art! LOL! But in all seriousness, I found the staging to be innovative, impactful, and worth the ticket price. I sat in the newly built mezzanine and wouldnât change my seat if I saw it again. It is closer to the stage than the original mezz and gives a great visual perspective. This staging is a fully realized piece of art, and I think that the audience headspace needs to be prepared to take in nuance. This would be something great to see alone. Thank you for sharing this review!
This is a great comment Andrew. Thanks for sharing.
This revival isn't half as innovative as it thinks it is. The 1998/2014 revivals also drew the audience immersively into the world of the Kit Kat Klub at Studio 54-- AND with the SUPERB Alan Cumming!! This revival obviously tips its hat too early, and thinks it is so daring and provocative. It looks so much WORSE than other superior revivals.
I LOVED the Alan Cumming revival. there's a reason why they remounted it again on Broadway.
I also loved the 1998 version. I saw it on tour with the great Norbert Leo Butz (who was great but not yet legendary). It was in LA with the full Kit Kat Klub transformation of the theater. Teri Hatcher was Sally. Then I saw it in Dallas with Butz and Lea Thompson. Then I saw it on Broadway with no one special in the lead roles, but Blair Brown as Fr. Schneider. Finally I saw the relaunch with Cummings and Michelle Williams. Thatâs more than Iâve seen any show other than Always, Patsy Cline.
I donât see the point of the changes in this version. Though I havenât seen it and Iâm only going from reviews and promotions.
I donât see the point of the updates to Sunset Blvd.
I kind of see the point of the recent Oklahoma!
I really didnât get the point of that Sweeney Todd production that was set in an insane asylum and the characters played all the instruments, but I did see that one and it had Patti LuPone so of course I enjoyed it!
I dont see the point in people commenting on shows they havent seen...
'It' thinks it is innovative does it? I think 'it' just thinks that doing carbon copies of shows which come before it and bowing down to nostalgia will be the death of theatre.
@@yedis1750 we both have points we donât see.
Originally, Kost sings Tomorrow Belongs To Me at the engagement party at the end of act one but it would make and make no sense for her to be interrupting the love song, Married, between Schultz and Schneider. It would be a plebeian choice to suddenly make her want a husband.
Yeh, it was confusing. I didn't get why. Maybe someone else who has seen the show can make sense of that choice.
Question: having seen this show I donât know that I agree with your statement that itâs highly immersive or that I would recommend to see it even in the mezzanine. You pay upwards of $200 for nosebleeds and you get a better view than the tables or anywhere else but then it doesnât matter because Redmayne is mumbling half his lines or speaking like French Kermit. Lots of choices seem to be made for shock value only? The clown suit and skeleton confused the hell out of me and my partner, so much so we are still trying to figure out what they are going for. Cliff is boring and one note, sally scream songs like everything, the only part of the show that was truly exceptional was the portrayal of Herr Shultz, who clearly gave everything he had to the role and it paid off in spades.
Trying to understand how you could say that you did and then in the very last second turn around and recommend a show you couldnât see half of. If anything this production takes some enormous swings that donât hit the mark. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but yours is in conflict with itself.
Partner here. We were talking about how some movies are âbadâ and some are âfun badâ this morning. We think this version of Cabaret is âfun badâ IF $200 means absolutely nothing to you (plus getting into/out of the city, sleeping accommodations, etc.). Poking fun at Eddie Redmayne is justified when weâve all spent $200+ to see Cabaret and got something that feels dissonant from the themes of the text. I think we feel a little ripped off, especially because we saw a production in Rochester two weeks ago for $40 per ticket that knocked our socks off.
Imo Herr Shultz was the best of the lot and knew what show he was in. Ernst did too. Iâm not sure about everyone else. Itâs likeâŠwhen people decide to do Shakespeare the weirdest way they can, and then it doesnât work? This feels like that.
Thanks for your question/comment! In all my reviews I finish with a reason why someone might want to see the show. If I think a show has nothing worthwhile for an audience then I won't review it. I agree that Stephen Skybell as Herr Schultz was great. I also loved Bebe Neuworth as Frauline Schneider. I think they make the show worth seeing as well as the opportunity to experience the interesting choices made for this immersive production. The ticket buyer has to decide if seeing Stephen and Bebe's performances are worth the $200 price tag. As @austensg9596 pointed out, $200 means different things to different people. (FULL DISCLOSURE: I did NOT pay $200 to see the show. I was given a comp ticket during previews.)
In the Brazil production,it is way more immersive,every seat is a table to look like you are on the club but the chairs aren't comfortable,great review!
I'm buying my ticket to Brazil!
I thought it was too deconstructed and self knowing the pre-show is a gimmick- have seen better Carbarets
But have you had a better Cabernet?
The ending has entirely lost it's punch in this version - where previously the Emcee would reveal an Auschwitz uniform before whispering "Life is a Cabaret" and the theater crashing to black - we now have Eddie spoofing Trump while the chorus is dressed like kids who raided their Sears sales rep Dad's closet.
Is that what Eddie was doing? It was lost on me. Yes, the 2014 revival had such a chilling ending. Hard to surpass.
While it was flashy, I have seen better productions with the story.
But have you seen flashier productions? :-)
Eddie is too,alpha male to get the humor.
Epilepsy behavior apparently.
Huh?
I don't know if I'd describe Eddie as Alpha.
@@MatthewHardyMusical he is a leading man. I like the role when played by s character actor. As damaged as Sally!
@@jeffreywillstewart Interesting, I've never considered Eddie as a leading man. I thought it was an unusual choice when he was cast as Marius in Les Mis.
I interpreted the suits at the end as them blending in with the n@zis rather than trying to fight them
I think that's the correct interpretation. I just didn't like how it looked on Sally for her big number. You'd think she'd be wearing a cabaret outfit for a song that declares her love of the Cabaret.
@@MatthewHardyMusical Way too oblique of an ending - needed the sucker punch of the known ending to really drive the point home, especially in this day and age.
I didn't love or hate it, but my review as I left the theater last week was that it's "overly reimagined". Didn't help that there's no chemistry between Sally and Cliff and his queer experience is brushed aside completely. In fact, all the queer elements have been so flattened out that they are barely a blip in this production. A disappointing production overall...
Thanks for joining the convo. Yeh, that's what I love about the movie adaptation and how Bob Fosse delved into Cliff's bisexuality. But Bob was always about the SEX.
@@MatthewHardyMusical Bob indeed WAS always about the SEX. I never saw the original onstage - only the revival with Alan Cumming and Natasha Richardson - which was BRILLIANT - and of course the film (a zillion times), but the friend I saw this current one with and I are both former agents, so we're harsh critics and we both felt the same way, so I think we were spot on. We also thought the pre-show was absurd...
â@@cripbabe111 Yeh the pre-show is strange. I don't like pre-show music for musicals because it never matches with the shows score. I agree the Alan/Natasha revival was SO good. They raised the bar and it's going to be difficult for a production to top that.
FLOP!
Awww. Don't say that. It was a hit in London! I hope it has a decent run. I want theater people to get paid!
@@MatthewHardyMusical So American's either don't see true art or the British have low standards! :)
@@donnyslader9025 Neither Americans nor Brits are a monolith. You will find a variety of reactions to theatrical productions on both sides of the pond. Also remember that the Broadway production is not a carbon copy of the West End production. Many times I have enjoyed a production more on the west end than I have on broadway and vice versa.
@@MatthewHardyMusical
I JUST SAW THIS 'CABARET' IN LONDON ON 5/11/24. AN AMERICAN THEATER PROFESSIONAL SINCE 1975, I FOUND THIS NEW VERSION OF 'CABARET' THE MOST BIZARRE TWISTED PIECE OF SHIT I'VE EVER SEEN, AND THAT SAYS QUITE A LOT. THEY HAVE TURNED AN ICONIC HISTORY MAKING BROADWAY MUSICAL OF 1965 INTO A SICK, MORBID, HORROR STORY.
@@larryabramsky1214 Thanks Larry! It is dark and bizarre. But hey, maybe that's what some people are into? And truthfully, the rise of the Nazis was a sick, morbid horror story. But I get it, I like a little more light and joy in my theater experience before being plunged into the darkness and despair.
Reviewed as "The Worst Musical on Broadway"...
Who said? Did they not see Heart of Rock and Roll?
@@MatthewHardyMusical Reviewers.
CABARET sucks! Leave it alone already!!! It's been OVERDONE NOW!!! đ€ź