I saw it last night. I didn't think I was going to be able to make it up to see this, but I had to find a way to make it happen, and I did.
I was going to post more, because I have a lot of thoughts (mostly positive!) but the creative team was there last night, very actively observing and taking notes, and out of respect to the hard (and great) work they're doing on a show that's very precious to me, I'm not going to go into detail. But I will make some general comments, if only to encourage people to go see it, and because I need to write about it in some way.
I shouldn't have to preface this by saying that Cabaret is my favorite show, but people are often surprised to learn that about me, so I will. It's my favorite favorite
favorite musical. And I should have to say even less that (obviously, I hope), the Emcee is one of my favorite characters, theatrical or not. He really captured my imagination the first time I saw the show, when I was much younger and really didn't know what I was encountering, and I have always been able to anchor my love for the show in part on that role.
Amanda's fantastic, and I'm sure she'll only get even better as the run goes on. A female Emcee is something I have always wanted to see, and she is the perfect person to do it. There are certain moments where it doesn't work quite as well as others, but on the whole, I really, really liked her. She's magnetic, sexy, beautiful, mischievous, and when it's right, a little scary. She sang it, I believe, in the original key (if not close to it -- could someone more musically inclined verify?). The more I think about her performance, the more I love it, and I just can't get it out of my head.
They make great use of the space, and it's pretty interactive, especially if you're standing, but for the most part, not in an obtrusive way. Though not unexpectedly, I think it did make some unsuspecting audience members a little uncomfortable. The production as a whole is pretty well done. There are a handful of choices that I didn't love, but I admit that part of that is just me being really picky about how I like this show to be done. They weren't wrong, they were just different, and I have the Sam Mendes production so deeply ingrained in my head. But that this production made the impact that it did on me knowing that, I think speaks a lot for it. There were really only a few things that I outwardly disagreed with. I wish I could make it back to see it again, and watch it develop, or to be around for a talkback if they're going to have any, because there are a lot of things I would love to hear more about. I'll also be curious to find out if they make any changes to the ending, which I think they should. But especially in terms of the androgyny and the sexuality of the production, while I'm not sure how interesting what they're doing up there would be to people who are experiencing the show for the first time, I found it fascinating. It's, IMO, very much worth seeing, especially if you love this show.
My friend and I spent hours talking about the show afterwards, and either way, I can't stop thinking about it -- and that, at the end of the day, is what Cabaret should be. And I simply can't get over Amanda.
A work of art is an invitation to love.
Updated On: 9/3/10 at 07:09 PM
