Cabaret revival stunt casts?

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Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/14/09 at 11:08pm

I was just wondering which actors/actresses in the Cabaret revival were actually good and which ones were completely miscast (if any). I was reading on the revival, and I hadn't quite realized before exactly how much stunt casting had been done with the various roles.

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 12:06am

Hmm I never saw the Cabaret revival but I believe Jennifer Jason Leigh and Molly Ringwald, possibly Gina Gershon got good reviews. You could do a search on nytimes.com to see what articles come up.

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re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 12:07am

Neil Patrick Harris was magnificent.

John Stamos was dull.

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re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 12:36am

Seeing Jon Secada was also not a pleasurable experience either.

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 12:40am

Debbie Gibson was terrific.

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 12:44am

Molly Ringwald was an interesting choice but her performance was enjoyable.

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 12:49am

i was quite disappointed with Teri Hatcher...

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 12:50am

Brooke Shields was kind of "ehh." Not the best, but much better than Jane Leeves.

Molly Ringwald was very good.

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 1:07am

Gershon was fantastic. And I thought Teri Hatcher was pretty solid, if nothing incredible. (Their respective Emcees, Raul Esparza and Norbert Leo Butz were both wonderful - of course.)

And I wanted to boo Jon Secada.

#10

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 1:19am

Teri Hatcher premiered the 1st US Nat'l Tour. Joely Fisher replaced her and later played the role on Broadway. Others who did the US Nat'l Tour were: Lea Thompson, Kate Shindle and Andrea McArdle.

Sally Bowles replacements on Broadway:

Jennifer Jason Leigh (replaced Natasha Richardson), and sported the black dutch-boy hairdo later adopted by most of the other actresses.
Mary McCormack
Gina Gershon
Joely Fisher
Molly Ringwald
Jane Leeves
Kate Shindle
Deborah Gibson
Lea Thompson
Brooke Shields
Melina Kanakaredes
Susan Egan (final Sally)

Replacement Emcees:

Michael Hall (aka Michael C. Hall - replaced Alan Cumming)
Matt McGrath
Raul E. Esparza
Neil Patrick Harris
John Stamos
Jon Secada
Adam Pascal (final Emcee)

Other Broadway replacements:

Blair Brown (Fraulein Schneider)
Tom Bosley (Herr Schultz)
Polly Bergen (Fraulein Schneider)
Victoria Clark (Fritzie/Fraulein Kost)
Carole Shelley (Fraulein Schneider)
Alma Cuervo (Fraulein Schneider)
Boyd Gaines (Clifford Bradshaw)
Larry Keith (Herr Schultz)
Mariette Hartley (Fraulein Schneider)
Michael Hayden (Clifford Bradshaw)
Dick Latessa (Herr Schultz)
Rick Holmes (Clifford Bradshaw)
Hal Linden (Herr Schultz)
Laurence Luckinbill (Herr Schultz)
Martin Moran (Ernest Ludwig)
Tony Roberts (Herr Schultz)

#11

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 1:25am

Wow, I didn't know Boyd Gaines and Carole Shelley were in this...I would've loved to see Carole Shelley as Fraulein Schneider, she must've been hilarious.

#12

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 1:36am

I love Melina, Jane, and mostly...Susan Egan. She was amazing. I HATED Molly, and Deborah. Also, Heather Laws was the most amazing Sally I ever saw. She was the understudy for a VERY long time and she was just beyond brilliant. I'm so glad she got a chance to come back to Broadway with Company.

As far as the guys, my favorite was of course Raul. But NPH, Vance Avery, Michael O'Donnell,and somewhat even Adam Pascal all were great. I wish to god I coulda seen Norbert Leo Butz, Jon Peterson, Alan Cumming, and Michael C. Hall. In my opinion Stamos and Secada were the worst of the worst, but its no surprise there.

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#13

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 1:40am

Were there any notable replacements for Ludwig?

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#14

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 1:45am

Notable in the fact that he was amazing, was Peter Benson. Although he wouldn't be qualified as "stunt casting". I know he was part of the show for a good long while.

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#15

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 1:53am

well, I'd consider him mildly notable, love his work in The Pajama and Wonderful Town.

I also remember an old Seth Rudetsky interview where Manoel said he was a replacement in the show, though just as a swing.

#16

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:17am

As far as the guys, my favorite was of course Raul. But NPH, Vance Avery, Michael O'Donnell,and somewhat even Adam Pascal all were great. I wish to god I coulda seen Norbert Leo Butz, Jon Peterson, Alan Cumming, and Michael C. Hall. In my opinion Stamos and Secada were the worst of the worst, but its no surprise there.

John Peterson was the Emcee in a production of Cabaret I worked on a few summers ago. He was absolutely brilliant (not to mention quite nice as well). His 'adlibs' were pretty good, too. It was always fun to see him choose a [male] dancing partner for the entre'acte.

Raul Esparza would have to be my favorite Emcee, though. There was a certain gruffness he posessed that made the character all his own.

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#17

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:43am

so looking at the understudy lists from ibdb, it looks like i saw Molly and Raul.

#18

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 6:38am

Not trying to be stupid but I always thought Susan Egan played Sally before playing as the final Sally?

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#19

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 7:44am

Egan did the show in 1999-2000 and then returned off and on throughout.

Thompson was by far my favorite of the Sally replacements. Her "Cabaret" was beyond magnificent. Granted, Milena is the only one I haven't heard so I can't say for sure.

Leeves, considering she's actually British, was probably the weakest of the lot.

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#20

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 8:43am

My brother and sister-in-law, who are not Musical fans by any stretch of the term, saw NPH and still rave about his performance (and the show) to this day.

They said his banter and rapport with the audience was hysterical. Someone yelled "Hey Doogie!" at one point in the show and, still in the accent, yelled back "Ya, never heart dat one before!"

#21

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 9:06am

I saw Teri Hatcher on tour while on business in Chicago, and it was...unfortunate.

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#22

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 9:14am

If only Raul was on the recording... :/

#23

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 9:20am

^ Raul, while a passable Emcee was nowhere NEAR the talent or quality of Alan Cumming or Neil Patrick Harris.

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#24

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 9:23am

I'm sure its different live, but I listen to the cast recording and I just don't like Alan Cumming that much, although, when I watch videos, he does fit the role of the Emcee very well, I just don't care for his singing that much

#25

re: Cabaret revival stunt casts?

Posted: 1/15/09 at 9:27am

A lot of people seemed to be impressed by Joely Fisher's portrayal.

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