Raul or Adam in Cabaret

haha, I love that this post comes 3 seconds before I have to leave for class.

Vocally, I liked hearing Adam sing those songs better. Raul's vibrato is a little too crazy for some of it.

Acting-wise, Raul wins, hands down. He's a thousand times the actor Adam will ever learn to be. I don't mean that to be a slam on Adam, even though I guess it kind of is, but.... Raul just absolutely disappears in any part he plays. He was so much creepier and sinister. Adam was awesome, and I was so, so impressed by his performance, because I was honestly like "can he do this?" when I first heard about it. He definitely did it justice. Their takes on it were kind of different, but.... Raul has something intangible, I guess. In Cabaret he had more charisma, more connection with the audience, and he was funnier and all-around way more fearless.

See? I can make decisions! Well. Raul was better. Just don't ask me who I'd rather see.

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Updated On: 2/20/06 at 02:31 PM

I think the general consensus is Adam did an awesome job at playing the Emcee, while Raul WAS the Emcee.

On another note, I'm hoping for Adam to include "I Don't Care Much" in his repertoire of musical theatre songs he'll be playing on his upcoming tour of sorts.

On another note, I'm hoping for Adam to include "I Don't Care Much" in his repertoire of musical theatre songs he'll be playing on his upcoming tour of sorts.

Maybe he'll bring back the dress, too.

ANYway. I think I Don't Care Much is the only song I've ever heard Raul sing where I really find his voice grating and bothersome. Crazy vibrato just doesn't do that song any favors.

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Heh, Em. The hair clips, too?

Regarding Raul's I Don't Care Much: I haven't seen as much of Raul as you have, but it's also the one time where I think his acting was a bit too much as well. His whole performance of the song seemed so over the top while it's a song that really requires an understated performance.

Agreeing with the statement that heavy vibrato kills "I Don't Care Much". It's probably my favorite song in the show, but damn if it isn't really easy to overplay it. Not the highlight of Raul's Emcee.

That being said, Alan Cumming's version is still my favorite. He fills out the dress the best, too.

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Raul.

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Like you, Poppy, I didn't see either. But the best Emcee I've ever seen has to be Andy Serkis of 'King Kong' and 'Lord Of The Rings'. It was a chilling, extremely physical and mesmerising performance. One that I have never forgotten.

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Updated On: 2/20/06 at 07:11 PM

Absolutely...just about sums up the whole performance. Like I said, I've never forgotten it.

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I know they don't in real life, but does anyone else think that Raul and Adam look alike in those pictures? Even thought Raul is paler and Adam doesn't have as much body art.

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Seriously, it's kind of weird that in the production pictures, Raul looks paler than Adam. I thought the whole point was the make the Emcee's all look the same, but in Adam's, in comparison to Alan and Raul, he looks like he just stepped off a Caribbean cruise. Shouldn't they have used the same lighting and everything to make it look more similar to the others?

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Updated On: 2/20/06 at 07:38 PM

I pretty much agree with what everyone else has said. Adam had a great "I don't care much," but Raul was able to lose himself more in the role. I completely forget that it is actually Raul. His performance, especially his finale was more moving than Adam's was.

Hated Adam Pascal and John Stamos. Really despised Jon Secada. Raul was the best Emcee I saw. You couldn't take your eyes off him.

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