| re: When the Emcee became the star of Cabaret, it changed; not all for the better | |
| Posted by: student_rush 10:02 am EST 11/14/24 | |
| In reply to: When the Emcee became the star of Cabaret, it changed; not all for the better - Delvino 08:05 am EST 11/14/24 | |
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| Frecknall clearly doesn't understand any of the dynamics that drive the dramaturgy of the show. The continued success in London amazes me, because it's so clearly a worse production than any of the famous ones that reappear or tour etc etc. In London, I saw entirely understudies and found the show dreadful. It's hard to make Cliff convincingly "bi" in such a limited period of time (plus, the addition of the full male-male kiss), so when we get to Act 2 and Sally is pregnant and Cliff says "Could be mine." It's like .... how?? When? Where did the two of them ever show a hint of sexual chemistry? The casting of a black Cliff is also a pretty terrible choice as it OBVIOUSLY undercuts the villainy of Ernst -- he hates German Jews but loves Gay Black Americans? (When people complain about wokeism ruining theatre, it's actually specific complaints like this.) I saw it on Broadway the morning after the election (lol) with understudies in the leading roles: it's hard to build something that is clearly star-central without stars. Marcia Marcia Marcia is fine, but didn't radiate any star quality (had I not known of the Ru Paul Drag connection, I would have assumed this is a talented but random ensemble member). Gabi Campo was fine but nothing popped from their relationship -- unlike the palpable tension radiating between Skyball and Neuwirth (rightly so, the most celebrated part of this revival). The Emperor has no clothing. The Emcee says "even the orchestra is beautiful" so the curtain rises on the orchestra (dressed in regular modern blacks for the most part) and they play their (slow) instrumental while the emcee dashes around onstage to rig up the (dull) reveal of the kit kat girls. Curtain, clip, move, curtain, clip, move, curtain, clip, move. Orchestra sits down. This staging is on Broadway? In one of our most celebrated theatre texts? Outrageous. |
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| Previous: | re: SO TRUE: not all for the better - Chromolume 01:27 pm EST 11/14/24 |
| Next: | re: When the Emcee became the star of Cabaret, it changed; not all for the better - Delvino 02:03 pm EST 11/14/24 |
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