Sienna Miller in Cabaret

I'll be there Saturday -- will report back.

I'm More excited about seeing her than any of the others so far. I think this is insanely brilliant casting.

Saw the matinee today. I thought she was terrible. She said on GMA that she had a dream that her boyfriend came backstage and told her that her performance was 'underwhelming'... her fears of being "underwhelming" are far from unfounded. I couldn't have been less moved by her performance. Her singing was far below par (even having prepared myself for her to be 'not the best singer' as she put forth in interviews ahead of her debut,) and was nearly inaudible in the lower range. Her dancing was clumsy and unsure. And most disappointing was her acting which was so 'meh' that even the dramatic scene where Cliff slaps her, I felt bad for her co-star who had to muster up the emotion to slap her when she gave him *no* motivation to do so. Her throwing of the microphone at the end of the title song felt like the ultimate in "I did it because the director told me to." There was way too much other talent on that stage, so I still enjoyed the performance overall, but her extreme lack of skill is an insult to the actors who worked so hard around her. So sad

I don't know what performance the other poster above saw, but I just got home from seeing Sienna tonight and thought she was extraordinary. Now I didn't see Emma Stone (two failed attempts, off both times) but I did see Michelle Williams. Sienna inhabits Sally in a way that I've never seen before. I find all too often the melodramatic nature of the character means that a lot of actresses end up "schmackting" and end up being hammy.

It's almost like the Sally from Isherwoods story is lifted right off the page. Her "Cabaret" felt like it was being ripped from the darkest depths inside her - it was brutal and primal. Is she a good singer? She can hold a tune. I don't go to Cabaret expecting a brilliant vocal performance, I want an actress and boy is she a darn good one.


I've been a fan of Sienna ever since seeing her in the West End in Fight Path. She's capable of such great things and I'm thrilled she's finally getting more opportunities.

Updated On: 2/19/15 at 12:02 AM

Then you're gonna love her Jordan. Overheard the couple next to us say "who'd have thought she was capable of acting like that!" And for th record her dancing was great... Lord help me if I didn't question my sexuality at some points , she really is one of the most beautiful women in the world.

My mom and I are hoping to see her on March 14th, we wanted to go when Emma was still there but because of our schedules being hectic, it wasn't possible. I'm glad to hear she's finding her bearings. I've read Isherwood's book, so to know she's portraying Sally true to that makes me happy. I only know her from a few things, and my parents loved her in American Sniper (for what it's worth, I guess she was good in it, that movie isn't my cup of tea).

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I met her after the show last night, I was with my partner and were so enraptured by her performance we decided to stage door which I never do. She came out after about 20 minutes and was incredibly sweet and seemed legitimately thrilled by the response from people at stage door. She was signing for everyone and was gladly posing for photos. A true class act.

I was not at all familiar with Miller's work when I saw her Friday night, and I thought she was wonderful! I had previously seen this production with understudy Andrea Goss, who was obviously a better singer, but I thought the show itself worked better with Miller's less impressive vocals. Her acting was excellent and not at all underwhelming, even from the rear mezzanine!

She's a good actress, and probably the best type for Sally of the three who've played the role in the past year. Her book scenes are good. There is certainly nothing wrong with them. Her singing, however, is not at all distinctive. The songs are so magnificent, you just wish for more punch from her. She doesn't have to be a great singer, but she should own the songs. I hope she gets there, because her acting is solid and the production is terrific. Too bad it is closing soon.

Updated On: 3/13/15 at 07:09 AM

^ I was wondering that too. I'm assuming they covered it with make up for today's show.

"Her singing is not at all distinctive. The songs are so magnificent, you just wish for more punch from her. She doesn't have to be a great singer, but she should own the songs..."

These comments in this thread point up the paradox, the trap, the irony, however one wishes to nail the dilemma, built into the role of Sally: the character has been given a handful of the most exquisite musical comedy songs ever written for the stage, and yet she's supposed to be an identifiable mediocrity as a performer. Now, a percentage of the audience routinely expects, if not legendary Minnelli vocals, at least someone who will land the songs in a (traditionally) satisfying way.

This complexity dates back to well before Liza put her stamp on the role. Jill Haworth, originally cast to suggest the very Sally that Isherwood described, had a passable voice but a sexy, gamine presence. Yet even when the show was first produced, many audiences entered the theater having heard the upbeat (and irony free) Marilyn Maye pop hit version of the title song. Like "Mame" and "Hello Dolly," these songs were given pop covers prior to the shows' opening, and audiences knew them and expected vocals that on some level might thrill. And and then along comes the now iconic performance in the film. Yet the milieu is a decadent second-rate environment where a runaway British girl can land a job in a seedy nightclub. If she's genuinely gifted -- and understandably ambitious as a result -- she's not the potentially pathetic child-woman Cliff stumbles on and all too briefly rescues. That She's a broken bird, and if she were a great talent, she might not be so (potentially) broken. Part of the tragedy at the end is this girl left behind, left with very little to her name, not a recording artist-powerful singing voice.

So the casting challenge is to satisfy both the demands of the story and the expectations of the audience. Natasha Richardson, so remarkable, was unique in her ability to do both. I'll never forget what she brought to the part. Apparently (I didn't see her) Emma Stone came close. But this part is a bitch to grapple with, because the show makes a case against the very qualities audiences pay top dollar for. Maybe it's helpful that Cumming is now the first tier event. It allows Sally to be introduced via her character, not her "presence." Maybe Stone, a star (if still halfway on the rise, though her Oscar nomination, like Williams's two, certainly gives her street cred) also captured some of Richardson's perfect blend.

Miller comes along, and based on my cinematic knowledge of her, maybe (?) comes closest to the Hal Prince decisions when he cast Jill Haworth. The role remains a fascinating study of contradictions.

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Updated On: 3/8/15 at 08:58 PM

Seeing her next Saturday, very excited! Are the rear side orchestra seats good? I saw Michelle and Emma from the mezzanine though I'd splurge before the show closes.