New Cabaret London Revival Cast Recording..

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 1:30am

The cast recording for the new London revival of CABARET has been released. It can be bought online and at the theatre. I'm assuming if you buy it online they can ship to the US?

You can hear samples and order it from here..
http://www.cabaret-the-musical.co.uk
https://www.kenwright-shop.com/index.php?case=begin

I think it sounds pretty good. Does anyone own it yet?
Updated On: 2/3/07 at 01:30 AM

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 1:54am

I'm excited, my school just announced their doing this show next year. I might have to pick this up. Any reviews of the show? Is the Emcee good?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 2:04am

It actually is quite a good recording.

Apparently the production is sort of a bizarre S&M, fetishist production of CABARET, but the cast album is pretty straight forward. It doesn't quite have the energy or the fabulous interpretation of the Roundabout Recording -- but its definitely worth getting if you are a fan of the score.

It's interesting because CABARET has had a good track record in the recording studio - of all the many recordings - the only one that is really terrible is the London revival from the 80s with Wayne Sleep. All the others (including this revival) are pretty solid.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 2:10am

Well, I'm trying to figure out how people play the Emcee to get a better grasp on the character. It seems like it's just a free for all, but my favorite interpretation has been Alan Cummings because he brought some humor and wit to the role.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 2:13am

I think I want to get a copy of this.

Rentboy, I'd call him open to interpretation without a doubt, but certainly not quite a "free for all." For me, because of everything the character embodies, represents and signifies, the "best" way to interpret him is probably pretty contingent upon the direction the production will be going on the whole. He has to embody the entire production's feel, IMO, and really fit right into whatever world your director decides to create.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 2:17am

Very true. I think I like the burlesque feel of the most recent B'way revival. I have a book from that production with the entire libretto and whatnot, it has pictures, etc. It seems like it was a really interesting production. Then I got the OBC with Joel Grey and he seemed very subdued compared to Cummings. Also, was the song "I Don't Care Much" put into the new revival, or has it always been part of the show? It seems like on the OBC it was intended for another character.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 2:20am

Oh, I think Joel Grey brought humour and wit to the role, but Alan Cumming's performance was certainly more outrageous and thus more vivid on the cast recording.

The thing is - CABARET, as a musical, keeps receiving raunchier and raunchier stagings: I think we've gotten to a point with this London revival that we are far beyond anything that would have ever been seen in an actual Berlin cabaret in the 1930s, but I digress.

James Dreyfus is a solid Emcee on the recording, though certainly not as unique in interpretation as Cumming.

"I Don't Care Much" was written to be sung by a prostitute outside the club, but was cut before rehearsals. The concept of the show really changed and evolved under Hal Prince's direction: the story became much more pointed. They added the song back for the first Broadway revival in 1987 (sung by Grey).


Updated On: 2/3/07 at 02:20 AM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 2:22am

That book is gorgeous. I have it, too.

I agree, MB, it seems like raunchiness in productions of Cabaret just for the sake of being outrageous, stretching boundaries and outdoing predecessors has gone a little bit overboard, fascinating as I think this particular production sounds.

Updated On: 2/3/07 at 02:22 AM

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 2:26am

Oh, I think Joel Grey is an amazing MC. I actually prefer him to Cummings just because of the fact he is not as outrageous. His MC is somewhat subtler and hence very sinister and mysterious. I believe this probably comes across better in the film that in the Cabaret OBCR. Cummings is great, of course, but I actually believe that he and Grey take the character in completely different and successful directions. However, Grey will probably always be my favorite.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 2:27am

Well, it received some strong notices in the UK so it could be that this production is so outrageous that it crosses over into something akin to surrealism. In some ways, thats probably a more valid approach to the material if you really do want to have such blatant sexuality, nudity, etc. The Roundabout production almost took it too far to still have it set in such a realistic setting.


Updated On: 2/3/07 at 02:27 AM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 2:34am

I bring this up a lot in discussions about the character, but it's always resonated really well, I think. I saw an interview with Joel Grey once where he said that to him, Emcee represented Hitler. I think that accounts for a lot of the differences between his Emcee and Cumming's Emcee -- Grey's was distinctly more sinister, as you said. Cumming's interpretation, more or less passed on to his successors in the revival, had a much more innocent, childlike (yet still overtly sexual), impish demeanor about him. To me, he stood not so much for the force of destruction, but for all that would ultimately be destroyed -- he had a lot of vulnerability, I think. He certainly had his moments of evil, but they were often played as acts of very self-aware mischief. He was a bit more of a chameleon and a trickster in that sense.

A true surrealist approach is something I'd be very interested to see; it's such a striking way of dealing with that time period at all, really.

Updated On: 2/3/07 at 02:34 AM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 2:42am

I don't think Sam Mendes's production at the Roundabout was actually as overtly political as Hal Prince's original was. I think Mendes was more intrigued by the destructive(often self-destructive) behavior of the people in the story.

The Emcee thus became sort of the physical manifestation of that: a large part of Alan Cumming's portrayal was showcasing deviant sexual behavior and increasingly dangerous and degenerating drug abuse. The character was thus really sort of a blatant symbol for Sally's deconstruction - particularly as played by Natasha Richardson (none of the other Sallys on Broadway came anywhere close to what she did with the role).
Updated On: 2/3/07 at 02:42 AM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 2:45am

Well, yes, I think it was very much about destruction and degeneration, and that Mendes presented it very much in personified light; that's exactly what his Emcee stood for. But I do think that managed to encase within that frame a lot of what went on in the political climate, too, though it's probably more along the lines of the sociopolitical, and the implications of the politics than the politics themelves.

Not sure if that makes sense.

Updated On: 2/3/07 at 02:45 AM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 3:28am

a track list would be nice...

[BroomstickBoy]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 4:21am

I have that book that co-incided with the revival as well. It's great, I love the bits in between parts of the libretto where there's little explanations and whatnot on the characters and production.

I'm planning on getting this recording, because it actually does sound rather good. I like the actress playing Sally, there's something about her voice that I find intriguing. Even though she looks like a blonde Bjork.

[mrcacou]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 4:53am

Sam Mendes' version sung in French got released last Monday. It sounds great and was recorded live at the Folies Bergères where the show is packed every night. You should give it a try.

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 8:50am

I wanna buy the French one!!! Im not so sure about this new London one cuz after seeing the show... I just hated this production. I mean, it's ridiculously messy and bad. Singing is OBVIOUSLY not the best part of the show but really I can't think of a gd bit of the show, so don't think I'll be buying the CD!

[algy]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 9:08am

I think it's on my to buy list, it's certainly on my to see list as I've never seen a professional production of the show.

I have a recording (which I love) of the Maria Friedman studio version, but it's on cassette, and I can't find the cd version anywhere.

Any ideas?

[mallardo]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 10:37am

I thought the Cabaret currently running in London was dreadful. Not to be compared with Sam Mendes's take on it in any way. I haven't heard the recording but cannot imagine liking it - there wasn't a decent voice in the cast.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 10:55am

I don't know French, but there's something terribly enticing about Cabaret in French. Where can you purchase that recording?

Updated On: 2/3/07 at 10:55 AM

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 11:05am

algy,
The Maria Friedman recording is on CD, just check out www.dresscircle.co.uk there's even a highlights CD of it! But the full version is NOT cheap at all!

mallardo,
I cudnt agree with you more!

Has anyone seen pixs from the current French production? The theatre looks AMAZING! That wallpaper on the offical site... is a MUST HAVE for any Cabaret fans!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 11:06am

What's the official site?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 11:07am

The French are notorious for hating Broadway musicals, but they do them INCREDIBLY well. French cast recordings are consistantly fine - I'm sure the CABARET recording will be no different.

All of these recordings you can get (or will be able to get shortly) through Footlight.com. Dresscircle is a fabulous shop - but very exspensive for Americans.

EDIT: Here is a link the the French site for CABARET: you can listen to clips of the cd and see some footage of the production. The cd was recorded live - so its probably pretty exciting to listen to.

http://www.foliesbergere-cabaret.fr/extras.htm

Updated On: 2/3/07 at 11:07 AM

[mrcacou]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 11:28am

Here is the link for the French site.

Lion King will be next in October.
CABARET LE MUSICAL

[NS]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 12:52pm

This production of Cabaret is bloody brilliant!! I LOVED IT!!

I hated the film, but this version makes so much more sense. Its more real and not galmorised. Its dark, dirty, sexy and gritty. It feels real, and has isnt as poslished as most other west end shows, it feels like it has an edge. Its very different to anything else in london at the moment. This in my view was the best revival to open in london this year. All the cast without exception are brilliant. With regards to AMM's Sally, they have opted for an actress who can sing, not a singer who can act. Which for this role I feel is the best option. Ive not read the book but i hear this production is closest to the original source material