Different Cabaret Versions

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 8/17/14 at 10:28pm

So, I was recently on the Tams Witmark website, and they are currently licensing 3 different versions of Cabaret (1967/1987/1998 ). My question is what is the difference between the 3 different versions? I know that the movie songs were put into the 1998 revival, but any other help would be great!

[bwayobsessed]

Posted: 8/17/14 at 10:44pm

Songwise: Act I
"Willkommen" – Emcee and Company
"So What?" – Fräulein Schneider
"Telephone Song" – Cliff and Company
"Don't Tell Mama" – Sally, Rosie, LuLu, Frenchy, Texas, Fritzy and Helga
"Mein Herr" – Sally (replaced "Telephone Dance" in 1998/2012 revival)
"Telephone Dance" – Company (1967)
"Perfectly Marvelous" – Sally and Cliff
"Two Ladies" – Emcee and Two Ladies (Bobby replaces one of the ladies in 1998 revival)
"It Couldn't Please Me More" – Fräulein Schneider and Herr Schultz
"Tomorrow Belongs to Me" – Nazi Youth/Waiters/Emcee
"Why Should I Wake Up?" – Cliff (1967)
"Don't Go" – Cliff (replaced "Why Should I Wake Up?" in 1987 revival)
"Maybe This Time" – Sally (replaced "Don't Go" in 1998/2012 revival)
"Sitting Pretty" – Emcee and Girls (1967)
"Money" - Emcee and Company (mashed up with "Sitting Pretty" in 1987 revival, and replaced "Sitting Pretty" in 1998 revival)
"Married" – Herr Schultz and Fräulein Schneider (Fräulein Kost in German)
"Meeskite" – Herr Schultz (Cut in 1987/98/2012 revivals)
"Tomorrow Belongs to Me" (Reprise) – Fräulein Kost, Ernst Ludwig and Company
Act II
Entr'acte / Kickline – Emcee and Girls
"Married" (Reprise) – Herr Schultz (Cut in 2012 revival)
"If You Could See Her (The Gorilla Song)" – Emcee
"What Would You Do?" – Fräulein Schneider
"I Don't Care Much" – Emcee (1987/98/2012 revivals)
"Cabaret" – Sally
Finale Ultimo – Company

This is from wikipedia (the 2012 revival is from London)

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 8/17/14 at 11:59pm

The 1998 version is actually not licensed, although it should be.

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 8/18/14 at 12:05am

All three are substantially different song-wise, but the plots are the same (of course). The staging of each version during their Broadway runs was also very different, although I guess that wouldn't matter too too much if you're doing the show yourself.

I'm sort of surprised that they license out all three versions (especially the '80s one). A few shows that are licensed through revival versions are irritably unavailable in their original forms.

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 8/18/14 at 12:17am

Tams wit just recently released the '98 the revival. All three versions are available.


The 98 Revival is now available for licensing. Updated On: 8/18/14 at 12:17 AM

[mjohnson2]

Posted: 8/18/14 at 12:43am

This has to do with the fact that a lot of high schools and youth theatres like to put this show on, but the newer versions are not appropriate for them, so they license the original version, which is much more friendly.

[icecreambenjamin]

Posted: 8/18/14 at 7:52am

My school is actually doing the 98 version which should go down incredibly well with administration.
*sarcasm, sarcasm, so much sarcasm*

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 8/18/14 at 10:07am

There was also the 2006 London revival. Not sure if this was ever licensed or not, but there were some additional changes, specifically a medley near the end of act one that included "Why Should I Wake Up" leading into "Maybe This Time". Also, the engagement party was moved to Act Two (Act One ended after the first "Tomorrow Belongs To Me") and I believe "The Money Song" was in the second act as well.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 8/18/14 at 10:10am

Wow, that's great. I guess they finally realized the 98 version is what everyone wants so it's worth their while.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 8/18/14 at 10:42am

I've always wanted to develop a blend of all three.

[Kad]

Posted: 8/18/14 at 10:49am

"I guess they finally realized the 98 version is what everyone wants so it's worth their while."

Not only what they want... but what they do anyway.

[mjohnson2]

Posted: 8/18/14 at 10:50am

comment redacted.

Updated On: 8/18/14 at 10:50 AM

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 8/18/14 at 10:59am

mjohnson2, there were several differences between the '06 version and the '98 version (at least by the time I saw it, which was maybe 6 months after it opened). As I mentioned above, the ordering of the songs was different (as was the place of the intermission) and the whole book was re-written.

[Alix]

Posted: 8/18/14 at 11:28am

^^ Yes. I saw the London production once shortly after it opened in 2006 and again in the spring of 2007 and there were many changes. Some examples off the top of my head: "Tomorrow Belongs to Me (Reprise)" and "Money" were performed back-to-back in the second act; in a largely instrumental song called "Transition" (which was in the first act), Cliff sang parts of "Why Should I Wake Up" and Bobby (I think) sang parts of "I Don't Care Much"; and the scene where Cliff and Ernst meet on the train was inserted into the middle of "Willkommen." There is a cast recording on the 2006 London production that I still very much enjoy. Anna Maxwell Martin, who played Sally in that production, was the best Sally I've ever seen. But, yeah, major differences between this and any previous version of Cabaret. I've heard that the re-worked version of the 2006 production that recently (currently?) toured the UK with Will Young made even more changes....

ETA: Missed Broadway61004's earlier post mentioning some of these same changes :) Updated On: 8/18/14 at 11:28 AM

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 8/18/14 at 12:41pm

I know that the Kenwright tour of the 2006 version plopped "Mein Herr" back in for some reason.

But yes, my vote is for a blend of '67, '87, and '98 any day.

[Alix]

Posted: 8/18/14 at 1:43pm

"Mein Herr" was in the London revival when I saw it at the Lyric Theatre in 2006, before the tour.

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 8/18/14 at 2:11pm

I'm guessing it was just everyone is going to insert Maybe This Time, Mein Heir, and Money into the show illegally, why not make it legal lol.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 8/18/14 at 3:50pm

^ Well, "Money" was technically part of the 1987 revival, which combined it with "Sitting Pretty," but yeah, I get what you mean.

[Kad]

Posted: 8/18/14 at 4:40pm

It's so strange to me that a show as iconic as Cabaret, which regularly appears toward the top of the lists of greatest musicals, has been revised so much.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 8/18/14 at 9:47pm

Well, it keeps getting better, IMO, although I think there are benefits to both the 87 and 98 versions. The 66 version really should not be done at all, IMO. It's still great, but not as great as the revised versions.