Cabaret Tour

[Thparkaly]

I got a chance to see the tour on it's opening night in Chicago. I found it to be a really wonderful production, especially given how early in the run they are. I was only familiar with Randy Harrison from Queer as Folk, but I found his voice to be really gorgeous. Andrea Goss was more than serviceable as Sally, but nothing incredible. Lee Aaron Rosen was wonderful as Cliff.

Having seen this revival before, I still found a lot to enjoy in these performers' approaches and the staging of the piece. Everyone I went with had not seen the show previously and were all hit very hard emotionally. No complaints from me or anyone else.

[jimmycurry01]

I saw this production on Saturday. I thought it was perfectly wonderful. The cast was really very good. I do have to say that Andrea Goss'  voice was a bit to good for the role, but she really did shine as Sally. Randy Harrison turned in a very solid performance as well. The audience really seemed to enjoy him. The production really is in great shape. 

To answer an earlier question, there is nothing projected on the back wall, it is just lit in a very harsh white light as the show comes to an end. 

[Mr. Nowack]

I liked what someone earlier in this thread said about Sally, that she wasn't moving forward because she didn't really want to leave the Kit Kat. I thought that came through very much so in this particular performance.

[Sertzo19]

"Has anybody rushed for it in Chicago? How many tickets have been sold. Where are the seats and how many people have been trying to get tickets?"

 

Have you looked for tickets on the Hottix site? I've seen tickets for every show since it opened on there and they have a few orchestra tickets at about $43. I'd definitely check the site out every morning/early afternoon to keep track of the tickets they release, that way you don't run the risk of rush tickets not being available if you make the trek out to the theater. I also discovered the other day that the TodayTix app is finally also featuring Chicago Theater! Download it and Cabaret is on there as well. 

I saw the show last Wednesday and I thought it was in great shape. I saw Emma Stone and Alan Cumming during their run together on Broadway. Obviously, Randy will never measure up to Alan, but he was pretty good. He did have a fantastic voice but I get the feeling that he's still struggling maintaining his German accent while singing and acting, especially in the first act. He definitely improves in the second act, and as previously mentioned, his I Don't Care Much is stunning. Andrea as Sally was great. She was a very powerful singer and played a very shrewd Sally in comparison to Emma's more manic and wild creature characterization. While Emma was not the best singer, she succesfully acted her way through every single song and really sold the lyrics and there was always a deep sadness to her Sally that made you just want to reach out and hug her. With Andrea as Sally, you really understand the context behind Mein Herr in every single scene she's in. She's manipulative, powerful and almost fearless in her control of other people. She was actually kind of scary. The set was almost identical to the Studio 54 stage with minor changes to the upper stage. As others also mentioned, the show doesn't feel as intimate as it did on Broadway and the Emcee's audience interaction sometimes feels hollow and always scripted, whereas Alan's interaction always came off as natural. I'd definitely catch the tour! Especially if you've never seen Cabaret on stage, this is definitely the next best thing to seeing it on Broadway. 

[Call_me_jorge]

I will definitely check the hottix site.

[Call_me_jorge]

mpd4165 said: "Call_me_jorge said: "Has anybody rushed for it in Chicago? How many tickets have been sold. Where are the seats and how many people have been trying to get tickets?

 

 

 

"

 

I rushed for the afternoon performance today. Was able to get three no problem and I was in the mezz center. Really excellent view. 

 

I think it's a very solid tour, even with the shadow of Alan Cumming still looming in my mind. Randy Harrison is a worthy successor of Emcees and I saw Andrea Goss when she was in for Michelle Williams, but her performance her came off stronger now. I also feel spoiled with the Frauline Schneider's I've seen in productions: First Hollis Resnick, then Linda Emond, and now Shannon Cochran. Her What Would You Do landed with such a punch.  "

What time did you get to the theatre? I'm trying to rush for tomorrow's matinee and I'm wondering if getting there at 1 would be too late.

[Call_me_jorge]

Is anyone at the private bank theatre currently? Is there a like for rush tickets?

[Call_me_jorge]

So sorry about earlier and spamming this thread. Well I'm not done. I saw the show today and got rush tickets in a very easy fashion, it was my first time getting rush tickets and I was extremely nervous. I've never seen a production of cabaret prior to today and I'm extremely grateful this one we my first. This show is just so remarkable and sandy Harrison and Andrea goss exceeded my expectations. I have no other actors to compare their performances, but they were perfection to my eyes. Also I saw that Leeds hill was in the ensemble and I was extremely surprised that they wouldn't have bumped him up to lead for the tour. The thing I loved most about the show was it was so versatile throughout from when you find out who the friend is to the end is an entire different tone from the rest of the show.One last thing, that ending brought chills and tears running down my spine and face. I just can't help but compare many of the things in the show to what trump is saying and how many are treating Muslims in both American and Europe. It's very in the moment.

[gleek4114]

I was able to get a rush ticket to the final matinee in Louisville yesterday, and I can say I wasn't disappointed. I have obviously heard the big "hits" from the score, and I knew a bit about the storyline, but I had wanted to go in mostly blind as to what I was about to see. I can honestly say (as someone who has never seen a production of Cabaret), that there weren't any weak links in this stellar cast. Randy Harrison turned in a beautiful performance. His list moments on stage were extremely haunting. Andrea Goss was a great Sally. She didn't play the role very vulnerable, which I liked. I got the sense that she is scared of being tied down. She closes her eyes to things around her, and does what she wants. Sharron Cochran gave in incredibly layered performance, almost bringing me to tears. Mark Nelson, was equally as heart breaking. Their final scene really gutted me. Lastly, I wanted to mention a personal standout: Allison Ewing! She was so incredibly funny in her scenes with Shannon, that her decent into the Nazi party is that much more devastating. She didn't get to sing very much, but when she did, I thought she had an incredibly strong voice. As I was looking at my playbill, I noticed she understudies Sally (something I'd love to see). Does anyone know if she has been on yet? Anyway, I highly recommend catching this when and if you can. 

[Fantod]

Saw it today and was....mixed. The show could never lose its power even if you put it in a blender, but this production felt really low wattage. Shannon Cochran was fantastic, but everyone else felt like they were just walking through their roles. Andrea Goss was the biggest perpetrator of this for me. Her Sally Bowles seemed like it was going for the style of Michelle Williams's performance, but she lacked the sensitive texturing and physical confidence to make it all actually work. 

The show is, as always, a highly impressive piece, and even if Mendes's production is heavy-handed, you're allowed a certain lack of subtlety when it comes to Nazi Germany. 

[hork]

I'm seeing this next month, I'm very excited. I got an amazing seat -- sixth row orchestra, dead center -- for 50 bucks. Can't beat that.

[broadwaysfguy]

i saw the show in SF on july 5th, after seeing the revival in NYC with michelle williams and  Alan Cumming

I loved the production and staging. I was very close 92nd row of pit), and that helps you feel like you are more "in the cabaret" watching like the round tables they had on the floor of the roundabout.

Randy Williams was a powerful and compelling emcee, copping a lot of alan's interpretation, but also making it more his own emotionally especialy in the second act. I was really concerned about the emcee having seen Alans incredible peroformance and Randy really did a great job

Andrea Goss-i did not get excited about her during the first act. She played sally light and flighty without accessing or sharing what was going on beneath the surface. Good performance of maybe this time, and her accent was consistent and not all over the road like michelle williams was.

In the second act, she dug in more deeply emotionally appropriate to the script, and came out from the curtain to start singing the song cabaret already in tears (i thought they were fake at first), and continued to cry while singing during her performance, which was the most emotional, sad, and heart wrenching version of cabaret ive ever heard...absolutely astounding performance....

Rest of the cast was fine, particularly lee aaron rosen as clifford and shannon cochran as schneider

the band was top notch 19 pieces in total) and the girls were entertaining and appropriately sultry although not at the level of performers i saw at the roundabout

Anyone who says tour casts are as good as broadway with due respect just havent seen enough broadway shows and the accompanying tours  There IS a major difference and I encourage anyone who can afford to to go see the OBCs and original revival casts whenever possible. Occasionally you get lucky like the first book of mormon tour that had gavin creel, but as you go member by member though the cast its just not comparable.....

This tour cast was strong enough imo that i will probably take a second look before it moves on.

get up close if you can

discount tix r available on goldstar

 

[Petralicious]

They were lucky to get Miss Goss.  She played Sally under Michelle, Emma and Sierra. I will say has a better voice than all of them

 

[DAME]

"Anyone who says tour casts are as good as broadway with due respect just havent seen enough broadway shows and the accompanying tours  There IS a major difference and I encourage anyone who can afford to to go see the OBCs and original revival casts whenever possible. Occasionally you get lucky like the first book of mormon tour that had gavin creel, but as you go member by member though the cast its just not comparable....."

I disagree with this generalization.  I am lucky and privileged that I get to see most Broadway and touring productions.   And the fact is that with most first rate national companies.. the tours are smoother and the casting is beyond  top notch.  What sometimes does not translate on tour is the over the top euphoria that New York audiences bring to the shows; especially during the first months of a run.  

 

 



 


 

[broadwaysfguy]

hi Dame

I enoy and respect your insights and omments and musical theatre expertise and observations

i'm very curious

What musicals in the past five years did you see both the OBC and the first tour and found the first tour to be as strong or better (you implied such in your post) than the OBC?

[blm2323]

Saw the show tonight in San Francisco after having seen the recent revival twice with both Michelle and Emma. 

Andrea Goss was very powerful in her performance. Her take on the title song was stunning. 

Only big drop in quality I noted from the NYC production was the two ladies number. The actor playing Bobby was weak vocally, but perhaps he was sick? Apparently he never once missed a show in the recent revival. That's impressive!