CABARET at the Kit Kat Club (2024) Opening Night Critics' Reviews — Page 5

Mr. Wormwood said: "I feel like the Cabaret team has got to be shocked by these reviews. They had the feel of a juggernaut coming in and I think they were feeling good about their chances to snatch the attention away from Merrily. And then... this happened."

Was ANYONE except ATG and those who raised money for the show expecting it to be a juggernaut? It's hugely expensive and risky. Selling well in the first few months while the star is in is one thing, a juggernaut is another.

In London, they started Act 2 by having audience members dance on “stage” with the ensemble. Does that not happen here?

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Mr. Wormwood said: "I feel like the Cabaret team has got to be shocked by these reviews. They had the feel of a juggernaut coming in and I think they were feeling good about their chances to snatch the attention away from Merrily. And then... this happened."

Was ANYONE except ATG and those who raised money for the show expecting it to be a juggernaut? "

That's who I meant by the Cabaret team...

These reviews are more or less what I expected. I felt the American critics would be far more critical of the major choices made throughout the production. It’s a situation where I love many of the choices made, but completely understand why someone may be turned off by them at the same time.

Adding New York Theatre for the Neuwirth/Skybell comments:

https://newyorktheater.me/2024/04/21/cabaret-broadway-review/

"Redmayne has proven himself a skilled, magnetic and adventurous actor, certainly on film, but also in his Tony-winning Broadway debut fourteen years ago, in “Red.” In “Cabaret,” he reveals a fine singing voice. But his performance struck me as largely a collection of costumes and mannerisms, twisted poses and twitches.

Luckily there are two performances that do more than their share in trying to right the imbalance. Bebe Neuwirth is exquisite as Fraulein Schneider, the landlady of the boarding house where Clifford rents a room; she brings attention to songs that are not normally among the most memorable in the musical – “So What” and “What Would You Do,” — which drive home the real-life despair and high stakes then facing people in Germany. Her performance is matched by Steven Skybell, as Herr Schultz, one of her boarders....

The scenes and songs with Neuwirth and Skybell, he on his eighth Broadway play or musical, she on her ninth, demonstrate that effective and affecting theater doesn’t have to be high concept or reimagined, or paired with a party."

Menken Fan said: "These nasty reviews are mirroring my opinions on seeing this in London, amidst the critical raves there. I wonder if Sunset Boulevard will be similarly received here, in contrast to the London love. I was firmly in the negative on that one too and have been baffled by the acclaim and awards for both shows."

I liked both on West End, especially Sunset Blvd. I saw Aimee Lou Wood as Sally and really liked the vulnerability in her interpretation. I’m not sure what went wrong here. Seems like most of the reviews were critical of Sally here. I may wait a bit until the prices come down after these reviews to see for myself.

The bloom is off the rose.
Eddie Redmayne in Sprockets.

ErmengardeStopSniveling wrote: “Since then, London has had Cabaret revivals in 2006 and 2012 (both dir Rufus Norris).”

I liked the 2006 revival, but I thought the 2012 production at the Savoy was brilliant.

Updated On: 4/22/24 at 12:34 AM

I'd like to bring back my post from last week from the other thread because I'm always right.

Here's what I wrote:

"Count me in as one of the people who didn't like the production. I was very underwhelmed and didn't like many of the choices they made. Eddie Redmayne was the best part, but still couldn't save it. I could've done without all the pre-show entertainment."

MichelleCraig said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling wrote: “Since then, London has had Cabaret revivals in 2006 and 2012 (both dir Rufus Norris).”

I liked the 2006 revival, but I thought the 2012 production at the Savoy was brilliant."

I saw the 2006 production, which I thought was a mediocre production. Part of the problem was that I hated the performance of the emcee. I thought the actor was severely miscast.

I also saw the original production several times, and I thought that Haworth was unfairly maligned by Walter Kerr. Most of her reviews were solid, but Kerr was so dismissive that the good reviews were forgotten. I didn’t see Richardson, but I still think Haworth was the best of the 10 or more people I saw play that role live on stage.

Updated On: 4/22/24 at 01:07 AM

I can't help but wonder how Sunset Boulevard will be reviewed in NYC.

I feel like the New York critics have got it more right than those here in London did.

This was a production that was hard to criticise as you just got shot down by so many.

I felr similar about the Sunset revival so I'm curious to see how that does in NYC

The New York Times review for Sunset was written by Matt Wolf, who is the London critic and had loved Cabaret too. The NYPost though, did love Sunset.