CABARET sets closing with Porter and Wallace to star- Page 2

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 1:09pm

tacotheatrelover said: "Jordan Catalano said: "Marisha was fantastic. Billy was Billy. Like said earlier, it’s a shame this isn’t closing with the Orville, the best Emcee."

I counter your Orville Peck card with my Fra Fee card"

Ok that’s TOTALLY fair. In my original thoughts right after I saw Orville here I wrote he was ALMOST as good as Fra but I’ve seen him more than once now and love him so much he’s at least tied with him, now. F*ck it’s a shame they couldn’t get Fra over here. 

[saxpower]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 1:18pm

The small balconies on the August Wilson would work quite well fpr Evita if they try to squeeze in at end of the season.  It will take some time to put everything back how it was originally (if Cats isnt comng) so it won't be available for a while.

One other thing for Evita- wherever it plays, the actress need to be able to get onto it during intermission without having to tangle with crowds.bathroom lines, etc. 

[60'splayoff]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 1:26pm

TheatreFan4 said: "IdinaBellFoster said: "60'splayoff said: "Aw yeah happy for Marisha- what an emotional homecoming.

I've heard this is where Cats is going."

I hope they keep some version of the current configuration."

If Cats is going there theres literally no reason not to. I imagine they'll just get rid of the stage seating so they can put the windows in."

This is such an interesting conversation in terms of recognition and compensation. That transformation was part of the Cabaret design so while it might work and be utilized for Jellicle Ball, would they share credit with Tom Scutt & Co?

[DaveyG]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 1:27pm

60'splayoff said: "I've heard this is where Cats is going."

I heard the same a few weeks ago. 

[FolliesCabaret]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 1:40pm

I'm very excited to see Marisha!

[raddersons]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 1:45pm

I’m not sure even Broadway fans know who Marisha Wallace is

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 1:51pm

I guess like when Redmayne was there, I'll go on a scheduled absence.

Or just go back one more time for Orville. He's superb.

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 1:53pm

This production certainly had all hype die very quickly (and I’m a fan of it). The London production was able to get much more interesting casting. None of the pairs worked especially well on Broadway, nor were they that interesting. Lambert and Peck faired the best in my eyes, whereas the none of the Sally’s even registered for me. 

[tacotheatrelover]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 1:58pm

Jordan Catalano said: "tacotheatrelover said: "Jordan Catalano said: "Marisha was fantastic. Billy was Billy. Like said earlier, it’s a shame this isn’t closing with the Orville, the best Emcee."

I counter your Orville Peck card with my Fra Fee card"

Ok that’s TOTALLY fair. In my original thoughts right after I saw Orville here I wrote he was ALMOST as good as Fra but I’ve seen him more than once now and love him so much he’s at least tied with him, now. F*ck it’s a shame they couldn’t get Fra over here."

I haven’t seen them live, but I’ve seen videos of all emcees and Sally’s this production and the London production has had, and Fra was the scariest and most beautiful emcee this production had.

Fra’s emcee was warm and welcoming, yet sinister in the beginning. He knew how to make the audience laugh, gasp, and be so utterly uncomfortable you can hear the discomfort and silence. No other emcee in any other bootleg I’ve watched did that, Fra made me feel everything I felt seeing the show live 10x more on a video.

He gave a performance so hauntingly beautiful, it made me see what made the show special, and how if this production had opened with them instead of Freddie Fazmayne, it might’ve made a whole difference.

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 2:02pm

saxpower said: "The small balconies on the August Wilson would work quite well fpr Evita if they try to squeeze in at end of the season. It will take some time to put everything back how it was originally (if Cats isnt comng) so it won't be available for a while.

One other thing for Evita- wherever it plays, the actress need to be able to get onto it during intermission without having to tangle with crowds.bathroom lines, etc."

I think the prevailing thought is Evita won't come next year because ALW doesn't want it competing with Cats for awards, etc. I feel like this feels pretty natural for Cats to go into unless they want to wait until Circle in the Square is open (which will probably be whenever Groff's contract is up)

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 3:13pm

60'splayoff said: "TheatreFan4 said: "IdinaBellFoster said: "60'splayoff said: "Aw yeah happy for Marisha- what an emotional homecoming.

I've heard this is where Cats is going."

I hope they keep some version of the current configuration."

If Cats is going there theres literally no reason not to. I imagine they'll just get rid of the stage seating so they can put the windows in."

This is such an interesting conversation in terms of recognition and compensation. That transformation was part of the Cabaret design so while it might work and be utilized for Jellicle Ball, would they share credit with Tom Scutt & Co?"

Well I mean, they'd not be keeping the design but more so the construction of the auditorium. The entrance and front of house would be converted back of course. 

[Kad]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 3:29pm

Yes, if Cats is keeping anything similar to its PAC configuration, which was essentially a three-sided thrust  with a runway, they will still need to revert basically everything on the stage side of the theatre to its original state. 

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 3:32pm

I know there’s been so much back and forth about CATS finding a venue and I guess I don’t understand why they wouldn’t just wait for CITS? That set up seems more than ideally suited for this specific production, unless I’m missing/forgetting something…

[JSquared2]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 3:41pm

WiCkEDrOcKS said: "I know there’s been so much back and forth about CATS finding a venue and I guess I don’t understand why they wouldn’t just wait for CITS? That set up seems more than ideally suited for this specific production, unless I’m missing/forgetting something…"

 

CITS doesn't have nearly enough seats -- especially after they inevitably re-design the space.  They'd have to charge over $999 a seat to have even a chance of breaking even.

 

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 4:30pm

The Circle in the Square becomes the be all end all name on this board when discussing shows with “unique” staging, and zero concept of economics are ever taken into account. There were some in this board who insisted the Cabaret revival should play there as well…

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 4:34pm

BroadwayNYC2 said: "The Circle in the Square becomes the be all end all name on this board when discussing shows with “unique” staging, and zero concept of economics are ever taken into account. There were some in this board who insisted the Cabaret revival should play there as well…"

 

Being that it's the only Broadway theatre in the round, it's pretty easy to imagine why people would suggest it for productions with less traditional staging. Cabaret spent an arm and a leg transforming a whole theatre for their needs on Broadway and look how that turned out.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 4:35pm

Why’d I even ask? I’ve been on BWW long enough to know I’d be talked down to. 🙄 

[MB124]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 4:40pm

BroadwayNYC2 said: "The Circle in the Square becomes the be all end all name on this board when discussing shows with “unique” staging, and zero concept of economics are ever taken into account. There were some in this board who insisted the Cabaret revival should play there as well…"

Well, it didn’t and it still flopped. 

…At a much larger financial loss than it would’ve at The Circle in the Square. And that wasn’t the question that was posed  

there’s a way to have a discussion and make a point without being rude/condescending. 

[Timon3]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 4:41pm

This must’ve burned a tonne of dollars. I would’ve thought there was little chance of recouping any of its $28m investment and this show isn’t going to tour, where there is a second chance of making some money back.

[ER765]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 4:50pm

JSquared2 said: "WiCkEDrOcKS said: "I know there’s been so much back and forth about CATS finding a venue and I guess I don’t understand why they wouldn’t just wait for CITS? That set up seems more than ideally suited for this specific production, unless I’m missing/forgetting something…"



CITS doesn't have nearly enough seats -- especially after they inevitably re-design the space. They'dhave to charge over $999 a seat to have even a chance of breaking even.

"

What redesign? Wasn’t cats staged on a thrust, similar to just in time, which is currently playing at circle in the square ? 

also confused by the math here re: ticket prices. Cats is not exactly a lavish, over the top production. The flip side of your argument is that they’d become a sold out SRO hit, given the smaller venue/fewer seats to fill. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 4:56pm

You'd have to think about cast/orchestra size. "Just in Time" is a very small show. Cats, the original, ran at the Winter Garden or the Neil Simon, which are both bigger houses. It's not a small show. Not sure what this current revival would require, but I'd think they'd want more seats. 

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 5:11pm

“Being that it's the only Broadway theatre in the round, it's pretty easy to imagine why people would suggest it for productions with less traditional staging. Cabaret spent an arm and a leg transforming a whole theatre for their needs on Broadway and look how that turned out.”

 

that’s exactly my point—it’s isn’t hard to picture it. But we need to think a bit more strategically than “this show is staged in a circle therefore it must play the circle in the square.” Can it fit the orchestra? Can its seats support the production costs. Can its backstage space support it? Can it support the increased salaries of off broadway v. Broadway? 


There’s a reason why almost every non-traditionally staged musical has NOT played there, yet is seems to be forgotten each time. 
 

I don’t mean to be condescending. I really don’t. But this is a conversation that happens OFTEN. We love to dream book shows into theaters on this board. I get it, it’s fun. But Cabaret never could have played here. Here lies love couldn’t have played here.  Cats (in its current form) won’t either. 

[ER765]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 5:13pm

RippedMan said: "You'd have to think about cast/orchestra size. "Just in Time" is a very small show. Cats, the original, ran at the Winter Garden or the Neil Simon, which are both bigger houses. It's not a small show. Not sure what this current revival would require, but I'd think they'd want more seats."

But this isn’t the original…

And if I’m counting correctly, this production has only 8 people in the orchestra.

Updated On: 6/18/25 at 05:13 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 5:30pm

I agree that not every non-traditional production should play CITS, but in the case of Jellicle Ball, the setup for Just in Time is very similar to the PAC staging, just on a smaller scale. Swap out the center table section for Just in Time with a runway, and you've got Jellicle Ball (though, just by eyeballing it, you would lose Jellicle's own table seating in order to have a sufficiently wide runway). So I understand why people would initially think CITS would be a good fit. What I am not sure about, though, is if CITS is able to accommodate a cast that size. 

Wherever Jellicle Ball ends up, it is going to be hard to make the numbers work, that's for sure. It will take eliminating a lot of seats to fit into any other Broadway house. 

[MB124]

Posted: 6/18/25 at 5:39pm

ER765 said: "RippedMan said: "You'd have to think about cast/orchestra size. "Just in Time" is a very small show. Cats, the original, ran at the Winter Garden or the Neil Simon, which are both bigger houses. It's not a small show. Not sure what this current revival would require, but I'd think they'd want more seats."

But this isn’t the original…

And if I’m counting correctly, this production has only 8 people in the orchestra."

And looks like the cast is roughly 20? No clue what the theater can accommodate but that number is not far off from the cast count for Oklahoma, Romeo and Juliet, an enemy of the people, etc