Cabaret Tour- Page 3

[broadwaysfguy]

Posted: 7/16/16 at 6:34pm

hi Dame

As i said from the beginning i enjoy reading your posts because they are thoughtful, knowledgeable and courteous.

I respect your opinion on touring casts and will need to think about where my own biases may be kicking in.

Since Im only in new york once a year its certainly possible I may be weighting or biasing the OBC casts a bit as part of my excitement factor for being in New York, seeing a show for the first time, and being able to enjoy the broadway energy and experience which is still palpable compared to watching in SF.

I do have a great deal of respect for everyone on the stage and behind the scenes for national tours, and get the difference between who's on stage in NYC vs San Francisco is often about a lot more than just talent

Im going to cabaret tomorrow for the final show and excited to see whats the same or different from a few weeks ago

cheers!

[sm33]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 12:16pm

I looked around the internet for info about the Today Tix lottery seating at the Pantages and came up empty, so I decided to take a chance and check it out for myself. I entered the lottery about five times for Beautiful (the most recent show at the Pantages) and didn't win, but won on my second try for Cabaret. The email saying that I won instructed me to pay $25 per ticket via the app (the same price for Beautiful) and to pick up the tickets from the concierge outside the the theater. 

We picked up the tickets from an easy-to-spot woman in a Today Tix red tee outside the Pantages about a half-hour before the show started. Our seats were in the LC Mezzanine section, in Row B. The face value of these seats was $36 + a $3 facility fee, and I am sure there would have been more fees tacked on had we bought through TM. Though I've gotten considerably better seats from lotteries, these seats were not bad. 

Fair warning, though - I didn't realize how far away the mezz is from the stage at the Pantages, since I have only seen shows there from the orchestra. When we saw this production in NYC at Studio 54 (with Emma Stone), we were front row mezz, and we were probably twice as close to the stage as we were at the Pantages due to the sheer size of the place. I think it makes a difference in the enjoyment of this particular show, as I missed being able to see facial features. 

Overall, we enjoyed the production, though I prefer the NYC edition over the touring one. Andrea Goss sounded fantastic, and Randy Harrison was almost surprisingly good as the Emcee, but the secondary characters were nearly all better on Broadway. 

[LesWickedly]

Posted: 7/23/16 at 7:41pm

Just picked up tickets for tomorrow! Anybody in LA seen it yet? 

[sm33]

Posted: 7/23/16 at 7:51pm

Strangely, my post from yesterday afternoon did not show up in this post until LesWickedly posted a minute ago, but I saw it in LA & enjoyed it!

[LesWickedly]

Posted: 7/23/16 at 7:57pm

sm33 said: "Strangely, my post from yesterday afternoon did not show up in this post until LesWickedly posted a minute ago, but I saw it in LA & enjoyed it!

 

"

Oh did I miss that post! My bad! But great review! I have seats much closer so that's nice to hear. 

[PepperedShepherd]

Posted: 7/24/16 at 3:03pm

Saw this last night at the Pantages, after having seen the Mendes production originally on Broadway with Cumming & Richardson (stunning), and then again a few years ago with Cumming & Williams (meh).  Unfortunately, this touring production falls towards the lower end of the scale....

I actually quite liked Andrea Goss as Sally. She was far better than Michelle Williams.  (At least her accent remained in place throughout). And most of the supporting cast was fine.  Even Lee Aaron Rosen as Cliff (who has to be one of the blandest protagonists in the history of musical theater).

The problem -- for me -- was with Randy Harrison.  Now, I never watched the U.S. version of QAF, so had no pre-conceived notion of him as an actor/person/persona.  But he just came off as lightweight, superficial, and far too young & pretty. There was no edge to him at all.  Sure, he snarled & leered & groped & prowled -- but he just came off like a little boy playing dress-up for Halloween.  (There was, however, a huge ovation for him at the curtain, so make of that what you will...)

I don't know. Maybe I'm just over the Mendes CABARET.  There are hints that Celebration Theatre will be doing their own version next year here in L.A.  If it's half as good as their current THE BOY FROM OZ, it should be worth seeing.  One of the best CABARETs I've seen was done recently by the Crown City Theatre Company in Studio City. With an excellent 11-person cast, the director found a new approach to the material which was different & imaginative -- until he blew it by having "Maybe This Time" sung by both Sally and Fraulein Schneider (which I could handle) and placing it at the end after "Cabaret" (which I couldn't). Still, up until then, it was perfectly marvelous.  If interested, you can check out this short clip reel:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svhIQjeDIW8 

[hork]

Posted: 8/8/16 at 1:56am

PepperedShepherd said:
The problem -- for me -- was with Randy Harrison.  Now, I never watched the U.S. version of QAF, so had no pre-conceived notion of him as an actor/person/persona.  But he just came off as lightweight, superficial, and far too young & pretty. There was no edge to him at all.  Sure, he snarled & leered & groped & prowled -- but he just came off like a little boy playing dress-up for Halloween.  (There was, however, a huge ovation for him at the curtain, so make of that what you will...)

I just saw this tonight, and I couldn't agree more. I hated him right away, because, on top of being too young, he was so clearly playing a role, as opposed to inhabiting it. But I did kind of warm up to him eventually.

And the huge ovation is meaningless. This is America, where everyone gets a huge ovation.

[Wildcard]

Posted: 8/8/16 at 1:49pm

I thought Randy and Andrea were great in their roles. The husband and I agreed we preferred his interpretation to Alan's Emcee. 

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 8/21/16 at 8:49pm

Finally saw this this afternoon in Costa Messa , Harrison was superb , funny, touchy, scarily good. But Andrea Gross singing Cabaret was a thrilling spectacular moment of theatre. 

If I didn't have a flight back to Australia later today, I would have got a ticket to see it again tonight 

A brilliant production 

[ElphabaGoodman]

Posted: 1/17/17 at 12:52am

Goss' contract is up in February and a Broadway vet who has never played the role before will be replacing her 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 1/17/17 at 6:21am

Like a famous broadway vet? 

[cknick]

Posted: 1/17/17 at 10:12am

Side note: PepperedShepherd, I would argue that Cliff is not bland but is often played very bland.  I played the role in a regional production a few years ago and think there are so many layers to explore, especially if you read Isherwood's writings. I get why Sally and the Emcee are the "stars" of the show, but by being so they sort of push Cliff off to the side :)

[Petralicious]

Posted: 1/17/17 at 10:43am

ElphabaGoodman said: "Goss' contract is up in February and a Broadway vet who has never played the role before will be replacing her 

 

" She had the best voice by far of any of the Cabaret stars on Broadway. 

 

[GottaHaveAGimmick]

Posted: 1/17/17 at 11:27am

Saw the tour in Ft. Lauderdale yesterday. The show is in great shape. I believe Harrison is leaving in 4 weeks. His singing is quite a nice surprise and different than Cummings. He seemed to be enjoying the role. Goss is a strong singer. The stunning ending really took the audience by surprise.

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 1/17/17 at 12:43pm

Anyone know how long Benjamin Eakeley is scheduled to remain?  I'm considering catching the tour in Columbus, Ohio the last week of March to see him.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 1/17/17 at 1:22pm

She had the best voice by far of any of the Cabaret stars on Broadway. 

It always amuses me when people rate the singing voices of the actresses playing Sally.  She's supposed to be a third-rate performer working in a seedy Berlin club.  She's NOT supposed to have a great singing voice.  This criteria is why non-singing actresses successfully appeared during the original run of the Sam Mendes/Rob Marshall Broadway revival in the late 1990s to 2001.  They weren't required to have incredible singing voices as that isn't a requirement for playing Sally Bowles.  

[Petralicious]

Posted: 1/17/17 at 1:28pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "She had the best voice by far of any of the Cabaret stars on Broadway. 

It always amuses me when people rate the singing voices of the actresses playing Sally.  She's supposed to be a third-rate performer working in a seedy Berlin club.  She's NOT supposed to have a great singing voice.  This criteria is why non-singing actresses successfully appeared during the original run of the Sam Mendes/Rob Marshall Broadway revival in the late 1990s to 2001.  They weren't required to have incredible singing voices as that isn't a requirement for playing Sally Bowles.  

 

"Yes, I  know this. But hasnt that changed since Liza did the movie?  In any event, I know I may be minority and that is OK, but when I (or my date) is spending alot of money at Theatre I want to hear great pipes!!!!

Goss>Emma>Michelle>Sienna in my Opinion (vocally)

[broadwayboy222]

Posted: 1/17/17 at 1:34pm

While it might not be a necessity for the role, I would much rather hear someone belt the heck out of Maybe This Time and Cabaret than just whisper-sing/speak-sing their way through it. For example, I found Barrett Wilbert Weed to be an absolutely stellar Sally in the Signature Theatre production. Not a fan of the non-singing Sally's. However that is a matter of personal taste. 

[HunterK]

Posted: 1/17/17 at 1:39pm

Seeing the matinee on Saturday in Fort Lauderdale. I'm hoping Randy and Andrea are both in. Getting excited!

[barcelona20]

Posted: 2/3/17 at 9:02am

Leigh Ann Larkin is taking over for Goss for the remainder of the tour starting next week.  Incredible choice!

[Valentina3]

Posted: 2/3/17 at 9:29am

barcelona20 said: "Leigh Ann Larkin is taking over for Goss for the remainder of the tour starting next week.  Incredible choice

"

That's exciting. Any news on who's taking over for Randy? Someone above mentioned his contract's up soon too. I'm catching the show late March 

Updated On: 2/4/17 at 09:29 AM

[maxkko]

Posted: 2/3/17 at 11:55am

barcelona20 said: "Leigh Ann Larkin is taking over for Goss for the remainder of the tour starting next week.  Incredible choice!"

Oh. My. God. She is such a good choice.

 

[downhillskier]

Posted: 2/3/17 at 1:27pm

Has any one seen it recently?

Boston Globe Review:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater/dance/2017/02/02/cabaret-delivers-timely-jolt/FhKwsKqiZWZZ9cBZYXNdxN/story.html

Looking forward to seeing it this weekend!

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 2/3/17 at 6:07pm

I saw it really recently and thought it was absolutely fantastic.  Keep in mind that I've never seen any other production of it, though.

[yellibean2]

Posted: 2/7/17 at 12:38pm

I wasn't planning on going but won lottery tickets for this past Sunday and I'm really glad I went. This was my first time seeing a professional production of it and I'm glad I didn't miss this production. Randy Harrison was fantastic - definitely stole the show, especially with his "I Don't Care Much." I wasn't sure about Andrea Goss at first but by "Maybe This Time" she had totally won me over and her "Cabaret" was flawless. I also caught her last show - I'm really curious to hear what everyone thinks of Leigh Ann Larkin.