Just pulling some of the nice Neuwirth/Skybell comments, even among otherwise negative reviews, since I did very much agree they were the highlights of the production. I hope they're both nominated, and certainly wouldn't mind wins.
Chicago Tribune/NY Daily News: "Only Neuwirth and Skybell make sense of their roles; they are quite lovely and offer the only moments of honesty and emotional engagement."
NY Post: "We are lucky, though, to have a wonderful Fraulein Schneider, Cliff’s no-nonsense landlady, and Herr Schultz, the Jewish fruit vendor who woos her, in Bebe Neuwirth and Steven Skybell.
Neuwirth’s “What Would You Do?” destroys us, as it should.
Unlike our Cliff and Sally, Neuwirth and Skybell create a perceivable romance."
Vulture: Thank goodness, therefore, for Bebe Neuwirth and Steven Skybell. Any production of this show has the potential to become the story not of its young leads but of the heartbreaking romance between Cliff’s landlady, Fraulein Schneider, and the sweet-natured old fruit vendor who loves her, Herr Schultz. But this production can’t help it. When Neuwirth and Skybell enter the stage, it feels as if someone has taken the reins. Suddenly, the singing is beautiful and full of character, the story is clear and stirring, the stakes are high, the humor deft and generous. These are consummate pros: They fill the space with ease and breath, they make everyone around them better, and they trust the play. Neuwirth’s ashamed, anguished “What Would You Do?” is shattering, and “It Couldn’t Please Me More” (i.e. the pineapple song) is so lovable that the pre-grieving starts immediately. Frecknall has abundant riches to work with, and she knows her #vibes — what she’s created is slick and entertaining, sometimes even ingenious, but all Neuwirth and Skybell have to do is make a quiet entrance to remind us how much more is possible.
Theatermania: "Neuwirth’s lucid and powerful performance offers one of the few silver linings of this production. Her interpretation of “What Would You Do?” is the best I’ve ever heard (it should be noted that the band, led by Jennifer Whyte, sounds great throughout). We truly believe that Schneider loves the Jewish fruit seller, Herr Schultz (Steven Skybell). But love doesn’t win in Cabaret. Fear does.
Skybell’s performance is the other highlight of this revival. His manners and diction are so precise, it’s like he stepped out of a time machine. And it tells a vital story: Even as Herr Schultz insists he is just another German, his accent (a hint of zaide) and lively hand gestures betray his difference — and the neighborhood fascists have noticed."
WSJ: "This leaves an emotional void that is thankfully filled by the romance between Fraulein Schneider and another boarder, the Jewish fruit vendor Herr Schultz (Steven Skybell), who woos her with gentle courtliness. Both bruised by life, they nevertheless are increasingly drawn together. Ms. Neuwirth renders her character’s ambivalence but also her undeniable yearning for a refuge from the world’s storms with exquisite delicacy. Mr. Skybell’s warmth and ardent devotion are likewise affecting. "
Variety: The tender romance between Bebe Neuwirth’s elegant and maternal Fraulein Schneider and the moony-eyed fruit seller Herr Schultz (Stephen Skybell) spins a sweet and aching emotional thread. Neuwirth’s shattering performance of “What Would You Do?” shows an indomitable woman piecing herself back together one trembling note at a time.
Deadline: "For all of Redmayne’s eccentric posturing and Rankin’s Courtney Love kinderwhore onslaughts, its the more muted, naturalistic performances of Bebe Neuwirth and Steven Skybell as the unlikely and unlasting lovers Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz that carry the emotional heft of this Cabaret."
Time Out: "it occasionally pauses for breath long enough to accommodate warm, charming performances by two supporting actors: Bebe Neuwirth as Cliff’s practical-minded landlady, Fraulein Schneider, and Steven Skybell as her Jewish beau, the fruit-seller Herr Schultz. They bring heart and small moments of joy to a production that otherwise seems intent to leave you cold."
Updated On: 4/21/24 at 10:44 PM
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