Posted: 4/17/24 at 9:56pm
Jay Lerner-Z said: "Does the pre-show cast feature in the actual show at all?"
A number of them are swings
Posted: 4/17/24 at 10:24pm
Apparently an audience member walked up to the stage and grabbed Eddie Redmayne's costume tonight? Anybody there to give any more details?
Posted: 4/18/24 at 12:17am
ATG is all about selling as much alcohol to people in the theater as humanly possible so I’m sure things like this won’t be exactly uncommon.
Posted: 4/18/24 at 12:44am
I just rechecked the playbill: No, the prologue performers are not listed as swings for anyone in the regular cast. There are Prologue swings....but that's it.
To Jordan's comment about the flowig booze....I had commented to my companion that I never remember seeing so many people with drinks in their hands - but that's still no excuse for that behavior. No one else is getting out of their seat and approaching the actors. I hate people.
Posted: 4/18/24 at 12:47am
Oh don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying it’s an excuse. I’m saying it’s an effect.
Posted: 4/18/24 at 8:32am
Jordan Catalano said: "ATG is all about selling as much alcohol to people in the theater as humanly possible so I’m sure things like this won’t be exactly uncommon."
In combination with performers entering/exiting through the audience, a low stage and an immersive environment. Maybe people think they don't have to behave like they are at a Broadway show when it no longer looks or feels like a Broadway show?
Posted: 4/18/24 at 8:46am
Last time, Shia LaBeouf had harassed Alan Cumming. It might be something to do with the show, which makes ****ty people behave worse.
So when Cumming lit up a cigarette onstage, LaBeouf followed. Then when Cumming walked by, LaBeouf gave him a pat on the, uh, butt. “I give him a slap on the ass, because I think he deserves it. He’s seducing me, he’s the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.”
https://ew.com/article/2014/10/14/shia-labeouf-jimmy-kimmel-arrest/
Posted: 4/18/24 at 8:58am
It's not the show, Shia LaBeouf has some serious mental health issues.
Even in most strip clubs you aren't allowed to touch the performers.
Posted: 4/19/24 at 5:27pm
I’m considering a mezzanine seat for Cabaret because of the pricing. I don’t normally sit in mezzanine - I’m not crazy about that feeling of being high up and looking down - I’m guessing even with the remodel it’s still like a normal mezzanine at a theatre, right? Probably a stupid question but thought I’d ask.
Posted: 4/19/24 at 5:36pm
If you don't like looking down, you still might not like the mezzanine for this, but if you sit in one of the lower rows in either mezzanine you won't feel like you're that high up, I think.
People aren't supposed to take photos, but of course they have, if you want an idea what it's like.
https://aviewfrommyseat.com/photo/271744/August+Wilson+Theatre/section-Mezzanine+3/row-A/seat-2/
https://aviewfrommyseat.com/photo/272898/August+Wilson+Theatre/section-Mezzanine/row-F/seat-106/
Posted: 4/19/24 at 11:28pm
Just back from tonight’s show and oh boy, what a difference 3 weeks makes. My take on the show at first preview was that Gayle was a very disappointing Sally. I didn’t get anything from her and was really let down. Well I’m very happy to say she had found her Sally and it’s really quite excellent. This is why I love theater so much - it’s a living and evolving thing. She’s very deserving of what I’m sure will be a forthcoming Tony nomination.
Posted: 4/19/24 at 11:49pm
I also caught this tonight and thought Gayle was incredible. Perfectly unhinged, funny, and vulnerable.
One recommendation would be to sit on the "East" side. Several big moments faced the East side.
Posted: 4/20/24 at 12:16am
I was there tonight as well. I enjoyed it. But I didn’t find anything earth shattering about anyone’s performance. Eddie Redmayne could have been anyone up there. The leg space in the mezz is a killer. Loved all the drinking before the show. But it was a well behaved crowd. Lots of well dressed handsome men everywhere. Was there a group thing? Just finished answering the survey they sent out. Interesting questions including stuff about the different bars and drinks .
Posted: 4/20/24 at 8:24am
Jordan Catalano said: "Just back from tonight’s show and oh boy, what a difference 3 weeks makes. My take on the show at first preview was that Gayle was a very disappointing Sally. I didn’t get anything from her and was really let down. Well I’m very happy to say she had found her Sally and it’s really quite excellent. This is why I love theater so much - it’s a living and evolving thing. She’s very deserving of what I’m sure will be a forthcoming Tony nomination."
Loved reading this! I hoped she would find her footing in previews, and perhaps she has. My last Sally in NY was a let down (2014, Williams) but I was absolutely blown away my Buckley in London. I look forward to seeing Gayle in a few days.
Posted: 4/20/24 at 9:05am
I absolutely loved this. The Sam Mendes revival remount in 2014 with Alan Cumming and Michelle Williams is one of my all time favorite theatre experiences I have ever had. I was a little wary going into this new Cabaret last night. I was doubtful Rebecca Frecknall's direction could touch Mendes'. While her production may not necessarily be BETTER, I certainly do think it is as good and a fresh new and very creative take on a beloved classic.
Eddie Redmayne's Emcee is the glue that holds the show together. He is hauntingly eerie, and I love the arc from playful and mysterious at the beginning to more sinister and scary as the evening progresses. It's a very realized performance with a lot of unique mannerisms. Gayle Rankin's Sally is very gritty, and it works great for this production. She is a lot less girlish than Michelle Williams was. Bebe Neuwirth is heartbreaking as Fraulein Schneider.
The transformation of the August Wilson is very impressive. The pre-show is a nice added bonus that enhances the overall experience. I loved the ambiance - just really, really cool.
Between Cabaret and Merrily We Roll Along, it's going to be a tight race for best revival of a musical. I think cases could be made for either show to win the big award and for multiple performers from either show win acting awards. On one hand is a creative and new production of a beloved classic, and on the other hand is a (finally) great production of a historically problematic show with a rocky history. I can't wait to see how it all plays out.
Updated On: 4/20/24 at 09:05 AM
Posted: 4/20/24 at 9:14am
MemorableUserName said: "If you don't like looking down, you still might not like the mezzanine for this, but if you sit in one of the lower rows in either mezzanine you won't feel like you're that high up, I think.
People aren't supposed to take photos, but of course they have, if you want an idea what it's like.
https://aviewfrommyseat.com/photo/271744/August+Wilson+Theatre/section-Mezzanine+3/row-A/seat-2/
https://aviewfrommyseat.com/photo/272898/August+Wilson+Theatre/section-Mezzanine/row-F/seat-106/
"
Thank you, Mezzanine Row A looks pretty good!
Posted: 4/20/24 at 10:48am
LOVE this show but hated this production.
Why do directors think they have a pee on a masterpiece?
Posted: 4/20/24 at 11:03am
DAME said: "The leg space in the mezz is a killer. "
Were you in the new "west" mezz or the old "east" mezz
Posted: 4/20/24 at 1:59pm
Old East . And the arc is in the writing . Not in Redmeynes performance. Which is good .. but let’s not get carried away.
Posted: 4/20/24 at 2:24pm
I’ll also chime in that the leg space in the old mezz is awful. I had to use a booster cushion so my knees would hit above the seat back in front otherwise I couldn’t sit normally (don’t worry, no one was behind me.)
Posted: 4/20/24 at 2:43pm
How come the Rufus Norris production never made it to Broadway?
This new version is constantly compared to the Sam Mendes one, but where does Norris fit in? I’ve read that this current run is the darkest iteration of the show yet, but also that the Norris one ended with the cast stripping naked and heading onto a gas chamber.
Posted: 4/20/24 at 3:57pm
Jay Lerner-Z said: "...the Norris one ended with the cast stripping naked and heading onto a gas chamber."
That sounds incredibly heavy-handed.
Posted: 4/20/24 at 4:53pm
Well... perhaps I described it too bluntly.
I’m just wondering if that production had any influence on this one. It had a long life over there, revivals and tours. Perhaps it sank into the Cabaret psyche as much as the Mendes Marshall one, at least in that part of the world.
Updated On: 4/20/24 at 04:53 PM
Posted: 4/20/24 at 5:25pm
Jay Lerner-Z said: "How come the Rufus Norris production never made it to Broadway?
This new version is constantly compared to the Sam Mendes one, but where does Norris fit in? I’ve read that this current run is the darkest iteration of the show yet, but also that the Norris one ended with the cast stripping naked and heading onto a gas chamber."
I saw that production. Other than the ending, it was a pretty pedestrian production of Cabaret. I have not yet seen the new production, but I have seen other regional productions that were darker than the Prince and Mendes versions. About 18 months ago, there was a production directed by Josh Rhodes in Sarasota that had the most chilling ending I have seen yet in any version of Cabaret. Unless the director is changing the script, it is ultimately a visual image that they are looking for...the visual image in Sarasota was shattering, and I do not remember the closing music being different from other versions I have seen.
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