CABARET at the Kit Kat Club Previews- Page 13

[butlervyer]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 12:44pm

Cliff has primarily been cast as a person of color in this production. There have been people of South Asian descent in London in the role too. It sets up a tension and counterpoint for the Sally-Cliff relationship. But it's obvious that the first instinct is for Cliff to be Black, since that contrast rings strongest that way. 

[BJR]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 2:12pm

lopside said: "You might not remember the Mendes cabaret, but clearly it colors your perception about what the cabaret venues could look like. There was nothing like the Kit Kat Club anyways, it is an amalgam ofmany places. It is meant to capture something of the time,a mirror image of the way we live now, and a something of a Groszrenderingcome to life; so many of these establishments catered to the middle class too. If you saw the documentary on Eldorado on Netflix, with its recreation of that, you'll notice this one would look nary out of place. And there were plenty others. The whole point is the interplay between reality and unreality, the extent to which a whole society can become captive to a hallucination."

Reportedly when Hal Prince saw the Mendes/Marshall revival, he said, "What kinda club is this?" In that the Mendes/Marshall had a club so seedy and low rent, it would be downright disgusting. Many of the clubs at the time were indeed quite nice and everything in between.

[KevinKlawitter]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 2:54pm

 

 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 3:25pm

BJR said: "Reportedly when Hal Prince saw the Mendes/Marshall revival, he said, "What kinda club is this?" In that the Mendes/Marshall had a club so seedy and low rent, it would be downright disgusting. Many of the clubs at the time were indeed quite nice and everything in between."

And IMO something between the completely low rent and ridiculously high end would make more sense for these characters and this story. They don't need to be in a place completely seedy, but the kind of place the design team has created here makes no sense for an unemployed writer to frequent. (Famously Stephen Spender said none of the people in Isherwood's cohort could have afforded the food or places depicted in the movie. So I don't know how this production's setting makes any sense either.)

[Kad]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 3:29pm

butlervyer said: "Cliff has primarily been cast as a person of color in this production. There have been people of South Asian descent in London in the role too.It sets up a tension and counterpoint for the Sally-Cliff relationship.But it's obvious that the first instinct is for Cliff to be Black, since that contrast rings strongest that way."

But Cliff also has to immediately earn the trust of Ernst, a literal Nazi, so the casting has to either be colorblind or only deal with race in an extremely superficial way.

Updated On: 4/15/24 at 03:29 PM

[Feidlimid]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 3:35pm

It's a bare stage with some tables around it. Not sure what makes it 'high end'. Just adding a lamp goes a long way in making a place look beautiful. And Cliff has money sent from his family, and does smuggling for Ernst. He's not quite Isherwood as well. 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 3:49pm

It's not a bare stage. If it were they wouldn't have bothered spending multiple millions of dollars renovating the theater to turn it into a high-end space. The setting is the entire theater, especially

 

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since they have Sally popping up in the mezzanine and walking through and interacting with the audience there.

Mendes making the Kit Kat Club a sh**hole may have been too extreme, but Frecknall and co doing the exact opposite is just as extreme and unbelievable.



 

[Feidlimid]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 3:54pm

Sorry, but you need to go and look at images. Making a circular playing area does not make it high end. It seems entirely period accurate, more so than I imagined. It's also supposed to be the 'hottest spot' where wannbe 'political' players like Ernst frequent.

Mendes might have gone too far with what he put on the stage, but his theater was very much like this.

Updated On: 4/15/24 at 03:54 PM

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 4:52pm

How is John Kander these days? Well, I hope. Will he see this?

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 5:00pm

Jay Lerner-Z said: "How is John Kander these days? Well, I hope. Will he see this?"

The article about Joel Grey's birthday celebration there last week stated that John Kander was one of several celebrities in attendance.

https://playbill.com/article/photos-broadways-cabaret-celebrates-joel-greys-birthday

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 5:08pm

Great to hear! Two nonagenarians living their best lives. Thank you.

[lyceum]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 7:07pm

Caught this production over the weekend. Cabaret is a solidly constructed musical so the fact that this production succeeds is not surprising to me. I can’t say I loved it though. 

The theater was transformed very beautifully but the playing space itself was rather lacking in design elements. I understand that they were not able to bring out chairs or other furniture because of sightline issues the but it was hard not to feel as if the entire show were taking place in a hallway. I wish they had utilized the fly space to bring in light fixtures and drapes to differentiate the scenes a bit more. Loved the “reveal” of the kit kat girls during Willkommen with the emcee attaching their cloaks to wires from flies and having them pulled off.  The concentric turntables and lifts on the platform are used effectively and seamlessly. I did get a bit tired of Eddie coming out of the trap in the center of the stage over and over again. Very delightful the first time, less so the third. 

Costuming was a mixed bag. Eddie looked wonderful in his costumes, especially his death look, but Sally was very drab. I wish she was allowed to be a little more glamorous in the beginning of the show to contrast where she ends up in act II. It is difficult to believe that the “fur” coat she wears is really worth all that she has. The suits in the second half did not work for me. I feel that this choice unintentionally implicates the dancers at the club as fascists when they are the inevitable victims of fascisms rise. I believe the intent is to depict Berlin as having no beauty anymore to Cliff (and Sally, though she feels like a bit of an after thought in this production). I also need to add that American Utopia only a few years ago had the same design idea of oversized gray suits. I liked it in 2020 but feel it is rather overplayed right now. 

I agree with what others have said about casting. Nobody is embarrassed here but there are no unmissable performances. Bebe Neuwerth and Steven Skybell easily steal the show. The lack of chemistry between Cliff and Sally is palpable and odd. I heard several couples discussing it leaving the theater. I wonder if this an acting issue or a directing issue. Kermit voice aside, Eddie is a fine Emcee but is missing the sense of danger and nastiness that made Joel Grey and Alan Cumming so interesting in the role. His transformation into an ideal Aryan specimen in act II is disturbing but doesn’t lead anywhere meaningful for his performance. Rankin is fine as Sally but feels swallowed up by heavy handed directorial choices, especially in her vocal performances. She is not able to overcome the chest beating, body contorting choreo she is asked to do while singing Cabaret. Ensemble is strong throughout, though I wish wardrobe and costuming had taken the time to fit their costumes better, especially their suits for the end of act II  

Overall a serviceable evening but could be better. I am perplexed as to why this production is labeled as somehow uniquely immersive. The tables in the orchestra provide basically the same effect as the Mendes production and the less that is said about the “preshow” the better. They give you a shot the second you walk in the door for a reason. 

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 8:20pm

Kad said: "butlervyer said: "Cliff has primarily been cast as a person of color in this production. There have been people of South Asian descent in London in the role too.It sets up a tension and counterpoint for the Sally-Cliff relationship.But it's obvious that the first instinct is for Cliff to be Black, since that contrast rings strongest that way."

But Cliff also has to immediately earn the trust of Ernst, a literal Nazi, so the casting has to either be colorblind or only deal with race in an extremely superficial way."

I dig colorblind casting but if only one featured player is performed by an actor of color, as is the case here, then it seems like a specific point is being made--and thats fine, too, except we're meant to be in 1930s Berlin, and Cliff is supposed to the Decent, Appalled Non-Victim who is shocked to find his good friend is a Nazi. Casting ONLY Cliff with an actor of color (and I have never seen Ato Blankson Wood do anything not brilliant, so this is no criticism of him!) makes no sense.

 

[tagiunagi]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 10:42pm

Kindly, are there multiple door entrances to the August Wilson for this show? My ticket entrance is Door 1 so I wasn’t sure if that was a different entrance than the main entrance on 52nd Street.

Has Eddie Redmayne been stagedooring after evening performances? And if so, has there been any policies like no photos or a separate entrance for ticket holders?  
 

Thank you! 

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 4/16/24 at 11:26am

tagiunagi said: "Kindly, are there multiple door entrances to the August Wilson for this show? My ticket entrance is Door 1 so I wasn’t sure if that was a different entrance than the mainentrance on 52nd Street.

Has Eddie Redmayne been stagedooring after evening performances? And if so, has there been any policies like no photos or a separate entrance for ticket holders?


Thank you!"

I don't know about entrances, but I have seen pictures on social media of Eddie signing. Please note he is not required to and this is not guaranteed. I don't think I've seen him take pictures. You're so lucky-I wish I could see him in the role! Enjoy the show! 

[tagiunagi]

Posted: 4/16/24 at 2:46pm

I don't know about entrances, but I have seen pictures on social media of Eddie signing. Please note he is not required to and this is not guaranteed. I don't think I've seen him take pictures. You're so lucky-I wish I could see him in the role! Enjoy the show! 
 

Thank you so much!! 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/16/24 at 3:58pm

tagiunagi said: "Kindly, are there multiple door entrances to the August Wilson for this show? My ticket entrance is Door 1 so I wasn’t sure if that was a different entrance than the mainentrance on 52nd Street.

Has Eddie Redmayne been stagedooring after evening performances? And if so, has there been any policies like no photos or a separate entrance for ticket holders?

Thank you!"

Yes, there are multiple entrances for the theater to see the show. If I remember correctly Door 1 is on the left side of the theater (and may be along the side by the entrance to the neighboring parking garage). Door 2 is on the right side of the theater. Door 2 at least isn't really a door; you're entering through the back of the theater, so Door 2 is the entrance to the alley leading to the back of the theater.

I don't believe either of those will be where the cast come out though. Based on the photos it looks like they come out of the regular stage doors at the front of the theater. eta: the audience exits through the front like normal as well. They don't go through the alleys they came in.

Updated On: 4/16/24 at 03:58 PM

[The8re phan]

Posted: 4/16/24 at 6:10pm

lyceum said: "Overall a serviceable evening but could be better. I am perplexed as to why this production is labeled as somehow uniquely immersive. The tables in the orchestra provide basically the same effect as the Mendes production and the less that is said about the “preshow” the better. They give youa shot the second you walk in the door for a reason."

I thought it was just me.......... couldn't agree more.  Extremely over-hyped and very over-priced.  I did think Bebe was fantastic, and Gayle was very strong and will only get better.

glad i went, but won't be rushing to return anytime soon.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 4/16/24 at 9:11pm

Any merch? Is the album available at the theater?

[pathman2]

Posted: 4/16/24 at 9:45pm

GiantsInTheSky2 said: "Any merch? Is the album available at the theater?"

The merch was underwhelming. I didn’t see the CD in the cabinets they were selling it out of. I think this is all of it:

https://aracaeventmerch.com/collections/cab-shop-all

[ANewBrainn]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 1:18pm

There were so many A listers sitting near me at the show last night I felt like I was at the oscars.  Also, sitting in the orch was probably the most comfortable broadway sitting experience of my life.  TONS of leg room, the seats do not feel like they are right on top of each other side to side.  I felt like I was sitting on my couch watching the show.  I am generally an Eddie Redmayne skeptic and have not loved him in most movies I've seen him in but I shockingly loved him in this.  Even though it's a very showy performance with a lot of affect (something I usually hate), I found the whole thing hypnotic.  Some of the Sally/Cliff moments lost me though.  I did not feel the Sally numbers popped as much as the emcee numbers did.  Also the pre show could have added more to the actual story of the show.  I was underwhelmed by that aspect as well.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 2:57pm

Does the pre-show cast feature in the actual show at all?

[jpbran]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 3:37pm

ANewBrainn: I need names. :-) 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 9:06pm

Jay Lerner-Z said: "Does the pre-show cast feature in the actual show at all?"

Not a lick. Never see them again. 

[Ensemble1713386029]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 9:40pm

I don't want to be THAT person but is somebody topless in this production like Gayle was in the 2014 one?