First Look: Cabaret in Seattle

http://broadway2seattle.blogspot.com/

Here's a sneek peak at Seattle's new production of Cabaret starring Tari Kelly (Little Shop Tour) as Sally.
Cabaret Video

Too excited over this. Cabaret is my all time favorite musical. Thank you for making my night. Now, excuse me while I go take a Xanax to calm down.

Louis Hobson as Cliff

so excited-one of my favorite local performers

It just doesn't seem like it fits the "period" of the show. I guess they're going ultra-stylized instead of "period" oriented, which I guess works, but it'd be interesting to see how the show plays out, since that was only the opening. If the set got more and more disgusting as the show went on, or something, that would be brillant.

Rentboy, describe to me this period you keep mentioning. What year is Cabaret set and please elaborate on the fact that most productions choose to keep the Cabaret scenes in a fantasy vortex that defies period.

I also saw this production in San Jose and agree mostly with tourboi. I thought the biggest problem was the whole nightclub was WAY too "Vegas" and shiny and respectable, instead of dirty and desperate and a little vulgar (though not TOO vulgar like other recent productions have dipped into). I thought based on the talents of the performers, the story shifted majorly to the Herr Shultz/Fraulein Schneider storyline. Both performers were captivating, especially Shultz in my opinion, which is where I differ from tourboi.

I also thought that Ms. Kelly who's playing Sally was either misdirected or wasn't directed at all, or just didn't seem to get the character, IMO. She didn't seem desperate or wounded at all. And while in FANTASTIC voice, she sounded amazing, I was kind of under the impression that Sally wasn't supposed to be all that talented, so it kind of took me out of the moment. And I really didn't buy her VERY important scene with Cliff at the end (I'm trying not to spoil it ) but I do think she gave it her all, but it didn't quite work for me.

I did, however think that the Emcee was absolutely fantastic considering he had a tough job working with the mostly ancient crowd of subscribers at the performance I went to. He was hilarious, sounded great, and I really thought made the part his own. I also think the actor who played Cliff was nice too in a more or less thankless role and agree with tourboi that the bisexuality thing was just tossed off, basically so diehard fans wouldn't miss it, but so that it wouldn't actually affect the story or anything. it was really odd.

My last comment is that I'm not sure how big the theater it'll be playing in in Seattle is, but I think it will have much more of an impact in a smaller theater and intimate setting than in the cavernous San Jose Center for the Performing Arts where I saw it. that theater is HUGE.

Overall, I really think this production is worth seeing and forming you own conclusions about, I definitely thought it had its problems, but also had considerable stregnths and was a really enjoyable evening. Go see it and report back!

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Updated On: 3/26/08 at 02:34 PM

The entire cast in those costumes look like people I avoid during gay pride week

Eh, I'm still looking forward to is, if just for the cast.

When I wrote the PR person she said they were doing th e '87 version. BUT Mein Herr is not in that version and The Telephone Song is there. I hate that version as I did it in college and it has the horrible "Dont Go, Sally" for Cliff and a weird mixture of the original and film "Money Song".

"Don't Go Sally" is not there, but "Why Should I Wake Up" is.

I also have to add: the act one ending is FAR too in your face than it has to be. The banners look like the first act closer of EVITA. Too much. We get it, already! And the ending of the show wasn't shocking ENOUGH. Weird direction.

Bill Berry DID direct the "west Side" in Seattle last year.