CABARET at the Kit Kat Club Previews — Page 7

The sticker did leave a sticky residue on my phone case, which is slightly raised above the lenses themselves. When I got home, I had to take my phone out of the case and wash the case with soap twice to ensure the sticky residue washed off. When I see the show again on May 2, I will just leave my phone in my pocket the entire time to avoid having to use the sticker.

The show itself was fantastic, by the way, as was the entire experience, and I'm looking forward to seeing it a second time.

Updated On: 4/3/24 at 01:57 PM

WithoutATrace said: "The sticker did leave a sticky residue on my phone case, which is slightly raised above the lenses themselves. When I got home, I had to take my phone out of the case and wash the case with soap twice to ensure the sticky residue washed off. When I see the show again on May 2, I will just leave my phone in my pocket the entire time to avoid having to use the sticker.

Just curious: aren't all SeatGeek tickets to this mobile ones that have to be scanned on the device, so at least one of the party has to display their phone? Or is it possible to print the ticket to be scanned?

dramamama611 said: "How "mood enhancing" do you feel the pre-show is? We're slated for a 75 minute early entry point, but that sounds like a bit much to me - but I can be swayed.

"

You paid for the experience, you might as well an enjoy the entirety of it. I loved it in London, so I say give it a shot.

Never wash off the evidence! You could have sued!

/s

WithoutATrace said: "The sticker did leave a sticky residue on my phone case, which is slightly raised above the lenses themselves. When I got home, I had to take my phone out of the case and wash the case with soap twice to ensure the sticky residue washed off. When I see the show again on May 2, I will just leave my phone in my pocket the entire time to avoid having to use the sticker.

The show itself was fantastic, by the way, as was the entire experience, and I'm looking forward to seeing it a second time."

AJ88 said: I haven't logged into or been on BroadwayWorld in quite some time, but I did get a chance to attend the Invited Dress that happened this past Saturday so I figured I would hop on to share my thoughts.

First of all, I am definitely a huge fan of Cabaret. I saw the original cast of the '98 revival on my very first trip to NY. It was the first musical at a very young age that made me realize that so much more could be done in terms of darker material. I ended up seeing various incarnations of that production 3 more times, plus I saw the 2014 revival with Emma Stone...and various community and regional productions. It is a musical I am very fond of and for the longest time, I considered it my favorite.

Seeing something so early on in the process could be slightly detrimental as things could very well be fixed in the next couple of weeks, but on the whole, I was very pleased with this production.

The whole atmosphere of the Wilson is glorious and it was nice seeing the various performers sprinkled throughout the space. And yes, this did make for some long lines and crowding around but I do think some of this will be smoothed over in the coming weeks. Offering a complimentary shot of Peach Schnapps at the door was also a nice touch.

The space is quite impressive and it is hard to believe that it is the same theater I have seen stuff like Jersey Boys and Slave Play in. I sat in the original mezzanine in the center and it was a glorious view. I did get the sense that there were times that our side got more of the focus in terms of blocking but maybe that is something that will be tweaked as well. Regardless of those little glitches, I was very fond of the round stage and how the space reflects something of a crazy sensual Art Nouveau circus.

Performance wise, I can see why some would not take to Eddie Redmayne but I think his distinct vocal style works very well for the MC and I found him to be a lot of fun....and creepy when he truly needed to be. I actually found his rendition of "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" to be very chilling and beautifully arranged. I do think he will be win-competitive for the Tony.

I wouldn't be shocked if Bebe Neuwirth actually WINS the Tony. I found her to be a wonderful Fraulein Schneider and her rendition of "What Would You Do" is certainly the best I have seen anyone do live...and the audience responded very well to it. To go along with that, Steven Skybell didn't disappoint as Herr Schultz. Considering that character is the bittersweet heart of the show, it is hard not to like whomever plays him but I still think Skybell is luminous. I feel like "Married" is such an unsung moment from the show and he absolutely breaks your heart with it.

Nastascia Diaz gets the task of playing Fraulein Kost, who comes in and out of the show so quickly that in the wrong hands, the role can basically end up being nothing. Thankfully, she has a glorious presence.

Ato Blankson-Wood...I have to admit, he was the weak link here. Now, there is no denying that Cliff is a difficult role considering he is basically the, ahem, straight man...but I still just feel like he hasn't found the hooks to it yet. That nature definitely affects his scenes with Rankin.

Speaking of Gayle Rankin, I think there is ENORMOUS potential here. There is no doubt that she is a great actress and singer and she had some truly wonderful moments, particularly with "Maybe This Time"...which I found on par with that of Natasha Richardson's. This might seem like an odd nitpick, but I do wish she would work more on making her voice sound less "good" in her singing moments. In the grand scheme, it is simply a role I think she needs to grow into a little more but the framework that is already there is quite good.

I do think this production may lack a little bit of the emotional punch that others have managed, but I would argue that I found it a bit more chilling at times. In fact, I got literal chills in quite a few moments.

So yes, I was quite pleased with what I saw. In many ways, it might be my favorite production of Cabaret that I have seen.

I agree with almost everything you said! The only quibble I have with your post is your desire for Rankin's voice to not be as good. I realize Sally is not supposed to be a great singer but it has always irked me when actresses are cast over actress-singers in this role. It is a musical, after all, and I want to hear good (at least!) voices.

Updated On: 4/3/24 at 05:01 PM

Speaking of Nastascia Diaz, is she understudying Sally?

dramamama611 said: "Speaking ofNastascia Diaz, is she understudying Sally?"

According to Playbill Vault the Sally understudies are Gabi Campo and Paige Smallwood. Natascia is listed as the Fraulein Schneider understudy (which makes sense considering she’s now in her mid 50s).

dramamama611 said: "Speaking ofNastascia Diaz, is she understudying Sally?"

lol seriously she's too old 54 to u/s sally

Whereas to me, she’s more tragic when played older. Again, this is why I just love the character so much. She can be almost anything and it works in completely different ways.

Cory Schimmoelelr said: "Those who've been. Did security take a notably long time with the different procedure. My ticket says arrive an hour early"



Has nothing to do with lengthy check in. There is a preshow if you go early happening throughout the theater.

CoffeeBreak said: "Wow. Ato Blankson-Wood is highly overrated but this is a new miscast. He's not good as Cliff. The creative should recast CliffNOWbefore reviews. The director should have thought this through better. Wow. The weakest of the bunch."

This is interesting to hear from everyone so far that has seen the show this week. Even a couple of our friends said same thing thing that he was terrible and just not Cliff and had absolutely no chemistry with Sally!

The Distinctive Baritone said: "CoffeeBreak said: "Wow. Ato Blankson-Wood is highly overrated but this is a new miscast. He's not good as Cliff. The creative should recast CliffNOWbefore reviews. The director should have thought this through. Wow. The weakest of the bunch. He almost ruined the reality of the evening."


What exactly is so bad about his performance that he has gotten so many negative reactions in the role so far on this board? It’s a tricky part but not exactly challenging. Is he over-acting it, or…? Keep in mind also that the fault in a bad performance always lies at least partly with the director."

It's partially with the director but the choices are odd. From Slave Play to Hamlet (Central Park) he has NOT come through.. Where are are other actors - who could handle this better?

Jordan Catalano said: "Whereas to me, she’s more tragic when played older. Again, this is why I just love the character so much. She can be almost anything and it works in completely different ways."

But SPOILERS

she gets pregnant, so she can't be too old. Makes more sense when she is under 30.