I hesitate to get carried away trying to sum up my thoughts on Emma Stone's performance and its transformative effect on the show as a whole, but that is exactly what I felt: carried away. It was an overall performance so electric from the very beginning, I suddenly understood what the first audiences of the original revival production (and, for that matter, the original-original production) must have felt.
The entire ensemble is exceptional. Alan Cumming is as vicious and ominous as ever, Linda Emond is still giving an absolute guy-punch of a performance, and Danny Burstein and Bill Heck continue to provide solid supporting work, if not incredibly exciting. But, my god, Emma Stone. Her Sally is deeply unstable, highly self-conscious, and frighteningly addicted to anything and anyone who can provide her respite from herself. She also oozes sex in a way that can only be described as Monroean. The result is a tragic portrait of a party girl without Daddy's money and nothing to lose - and it's horrifying and exhilarating to watch. Her "Cabaret" in particular was a stunner.
If you're a fan of hers, you will continue to be amazed at just how versatile and exciting an actress she is. If you're skeptical, make a trip to the show and see for yourself. It's a Broadway debut for the books by one of the best young talents working in film OR theatre.
Updated On: 11/11/14 at 10:16 PM