east side story said: "AC126748 said: "How was Billy's attendance in London? "
Don’t ask for exact figures, but he was out semi-frequently. The absences started in his very first week, but allegedly was quite ill. His performance, however, was not particularly well received from what I have heard and read over the last several months. From the snippets available, he played the character as: Billy! Does Cabaret! In LOOOOOON-DOOOON!"
Yes Billy's attendance was pretty difficult, I think he regularly missed matinees. I will never understand the hate for his performance though - he definitely played the emcee as a kind of 'Billy Porter' personality but that's what I loved about it (didn't Alan Cumming just play.a hyper sexualised version of himself?). I see the role as something where a strong personality and stage presence greatly adds to the role (Eddie Redmayne did not have the presence or voice in comparison). I saw it twice to make sure I thought I saw what I saw, and he was even better the second time.
Every note he sung (except when he cracked on a few occasions and 'Money" which didn't sit well in his range) sounded gorgeous in that kind of husky Jennifer Holliday-inspired, deep layered sound. You could hear it immediately in the opening number and it would be shown in spectacular fashion during "Tomorrow Belongs To Me" and "I Don't Care Much". He gave 100% to the dancing, stage movements, talking to the audience/waving to the balcony. For his age, this can't be easy.
The audience seemed to love him both times, and yet online on that west end board or reddit people just didn't seem to like him in the role. Oh well.
I want to see him and Marisha go to Broadway to hopefully show that the London theatre goers are just a bit out of touch - although obviously Jordan knows what he is talking about so I recognise I am in the minority. I kind of loved Billy in Cabaret like I loved Bernadette in Follies. The quirks in personality and voice are part of the charm, but the foundation that makes them both brilliant still there.
Give me claws and a hunch, just away from this bunch.
Updated On: 6/3/25 at 05:39 PM