"I Don't Care Much" from CABARET — Page 2

Yes. But then it turns into "What does No Good Dead really mean?"

/tangent

True, but at the same time we laugh AT him. He is creepy - yes. Even scary at times. But we laugh AT him.

Then, when he says that line, at least for me, we realize we were not laughing AT him, we had been laughing WITH him.

Enticing, yea. That's TOTALLY the point. But, I'm just saying the auidience should have their doubts about the dude pretty early on in the game... I mean... the Jewish line does not really come as much of a shock in the Mendes production.... it's just sort of the next step.

kmc

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KJ - yes, the line is sort of expected.

BUT, by that time the audience is laughing and he says it so abruptly and then dances off as if nothing happened.

Hell, there IS a reason the line was changed to, "She isn't a meeskite at all" in the original...

Yea... but in the original... it WAS shocking. The vulgarity was entandre and almost aristocratic. It was subtly evil, slyly seductive. In the original production... that IS the turning point... it's when the Emcee really shows his cards... and at the end of the first act... up until then the auidience is sorta on the fence I think... and the Emcee in the original doesn't really lose control... doesn't have much vulnerability... which makes that element more intense and scary. If there is a weakness of the Mendes production I think it's that it plays it's cards to early...the auidience knows where it stands pretty much from the minute the Emcee strips.

kmc

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I don't think so.

The Emcee is always vulgar, creepy throughout Mendes' production. He's even sinister.

But we never expect him to say that line.
Remember, Schultz and Schneider just split up because Schultz is Jewish.

The Emcee is the Master of Ceremonies - he's supposed to be running everything - not really taking sides. By saying this line, "she wouldn't look Jewish at all" he almost separates himself (and thus the production) from Schultz, the Jew.

Remember, he danced around with Schultz during "It Couldn't Please Me More" (he also revealed a swasticka on his tuchas at the end of Act One). He was never on one side or the other.

Of course we later find out that he isn't necessarily against Schultz...but the Emcee is a rather amorphous shape, changing with the times until the times leave him behind. I think that is what happens between "If You Could See Her" and "I Don't Care Much."

I'm just tired.
The tone of the line IS expected....
The actual words are not.

If that makes sense? My brain is slowly shutting down for the night.

"more to do with him reflecting the times"

That's sort of what I mean. He is changing based on the times - maybe what will get him ahead...?

He isn't anti-semetic, nor is he a Nazi. He just changes sides to suit his needs. In the end, neither side wants him...or, rather, he doesn't take a side.

Totally correct! It appeared on the second Barbra Streisand Album... which came out in 1963... and I don't think they knew anything about Cabaret until at least 1965... which was about when Flora: the Red Menace happened... so... totally! Thanks!

kmc

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