CABARET at Reprise is EXCELLENT!

[Wicked Fanatic]

Here's the Broadway World review of "Cabaret" at the Reprise in LA. and it's spot on! http://losangeles.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-Reviews-Reprises-Definitive-Traditionally-Brilliant-CABARET-20110915

Here's Charles McNulty's LA Times take on the show http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/09/theater-review-cabaret-at-uclas-freud-playhouse.html

I saw this last night the second show of the two week run and it was GR8. It was the best of any that I have ever seen at Reprise over the years.

Staging was really good with the cabaret setting extending to the left and right sides of the theatre. Look at the photos in the reviews to see the set which had a a red curtained stage at the top which opened to reveal the all women Kit Kat Klub orchestra. The cabaret stage surrounded the red curtain. Then there was a second level below the top stage which had the cabaret guests. A third level was at the bottom of the stage where they performed the scenes in Fraulein Schneider's home or elsewhere. It was really well done.

Actors were all wonderful. Lisa O'Hare who played Gigi at Reprise last year was good as Sally Bowles. It was a different interpretation from Liza's with her having to hold in her magnificent voice on songs to maintain her quirky characterization of Sally. This is the 3rd time I've seen her in plays with major musical theatre roles: Eliza Doolittle, Gigi and Sally Bowles and once again she was wonderful. (Edited to remove the wrong choice of words I made originally.)

Had never seen Jeff McClean before in anything but he was wonderful as Cliff Bradshaw with an excellent singing voice.

Although both reviewers loved Bryce Ryness as the Emcee; I didn't. I liked him better in "Sleeping Beauty Wakes" even though I hated the play. He was good with his singing and dancing but just didn't do it for me as others did that I've seen before.

The stars of the show were Mary Gordon Murray as Fraulein Schneider and Robert Picardo as Herr Schultz. Their songs together, "The Pineapple Song" and "Married" were the best in the show for me.

In other productions at Reprise choreography has been shortchanged probably because of the limited staging area, but not in this production. Marcia Milgrom Dodge's choreography was spectacular featuring between 14 and 16 dancers doing very intricate steps. There were several numbers when I said "Wow" to myself when they ended.

Dodge's masterful direction was noticeable in every aspect of the show and her added touch at the end with the staging of Bradshaw representing Christopher Isherwood writing his book was genius.

Anyone living in the LA area this show is ***** and worth getting out of the house to see!

[luvtheEmcee]

I would love to be able to see this.

and her added touch at the end with the staging of Bradshaw representing Christopher Isherwood writing his book was genius.

Could you describe this more? I'm always eager to hear about interesting ways of staging the ending.

[luvtheEmcee]

Double post. Sorry!

[brettarnett]

I am going to see the matinee tomorrow. I am very glad to hear it was a good production; I have never been to a show at Reprise and I was a little worried it may just be a quick and sloppy presentation of a musical. I am so relieved, as this production seems to be the opposite. Anyone want me to look for anything specific, so I can report back on?

[Wicked Fanatic]

From the Broadway World review...
"the ending with Bradshaw on the train writing his memoir, as all the looming shadows move forward with intensely sharper and brighter focus is yet another ingenious directorial contribution."

Bradshaw has left Berlin for Paris on the train and he's sitting at the bottom of the stage in his compartment on the train with his pencil and notepad in hand. The characters whose stories we've seen are behind him on the second level and they each return to the stage as he delineates them by writing their stories on his notepad in "Finale Ultimo" the last song in the show which represents the looming shadows mentioned above.

ETA photos at http://www.playbill.com/multimedia/gallery/2900/?pnum=1

Look at the last one which should give you an idea of how it was done.

[GlindatheGood22]

Why are awesome productions of my very favorite musical always so goddamn far away?!

[itsahopi]

I wouldn't call that a genius move from the director. That's how CABARET ends. Did he pull out a typewriter? It's not meant to be literal. The last monologue by Cliff, "...it was the end of the world, and I was dancing with Sally Bowles. And we were both fast asleep," suggests that he is beginning his novel

[itsahopi]

I wouldn't call that a genius move from the director. That's how CABARET ends. Did he pull out a typewriter? It's not meant to be literal. The last monologue by Cliff, "...it was the end of the world, and I was dancing with Sally Bowles. And we were both fast asleep," suggests that he is beginning his novel

[redmustang]

One of my top 5 musicals. Seeing it next Friday night in Cleveland by Great Lakes Theatre.

[Goggles]

I can't wait to see this! I can't go this weekend so I am hoping I can go next weekend. I really like Bryce Ryness! I just saw him in sleeping beauty wakes.

[best12bars]

Wish I could see this. I'm a huge fan of Mary Gordon Murray, and I wish she would work more (or at least work more where I could see her!). Such a strong actress and singer.

If the rest of the cast is up to her level, you have a real gem. And I love the description for the staging of the ending.

Which version of the show did they use? I'll assume the Mendes script, but seeing as it's Reprise I have no idea...

And yeah that does sound basically like the original ending--going all the way back to the Prince staging, but I guess having him actually starting to write is new.

[luvtheEmcee]

I wouldn't call that a genius move from the director.

Yeah, I think she's a great director, but unless I'm missing something by just reading about it, that doesn't feel like a big "wow" moment to me. It's just a very visually literal nod to what's underneath the more shocking material in the ending. I like the image, for sure, but it would take my breath away or anything, which is what I want from my finale when I see Cabaret.

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Would love to see it. I love "Cabaret", and the conceptualizations of both the show itself, and the ending especially, that come with each production.

It's a real testament to the strength of the piece that we still adore "Cabaret" time and time again throughout all of the times it has been reworked, and that now at this point, we look forward to seeing new interpretations.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

I find it intriguing that the person who plays Emcee (Bryce Ryness) is quoted as saying that he's "not crazy about musicals." Yet, he's making a living from working in musicals. I'm reminded of the saying: "biting the hand that feeds you." Thoughts? from RC in Austin, Texas
Not Crazy About Musicals

[mallardo]

Just a thought but should an organization like Reprise - which is Encores, West - be doing a show like Cabaret which is never not playing somewhere?

Their other two shows this season - The Baker's Wife and The Apple Tree - are more like it.

[chewy5000]

As with any organization, they need to be able to ensure bums on seats with popular titles in order for their more obscure stuff to be financially viable.

[mallardo]

I'm sure that's exactly right, Chewy, but Encores doesn't do that and Reprise didn't do it until Jason Alexander took over.

Reprise's mission statement is to unearth old or neglected or overlooked shows and give them a new opportunity to be seen. I know the bottom line is box office, but still...

[chrisampm2]

Mallardo, I think you may be misremembering Reprise history: Company, 1776, Anything Goes, She Loves Me, Pippin, Brigadoon, were all pre-Alexander and not exactly rarities.

[mallardo]

No, I actually saw a couple of those shows - Pippin, Brigadoon - at Reprise. They were rare enough that no one had seen them for quite a while in LA. I had never seen them - and have not seen them since.

Cabaret, on the other hand, was given a fringe production in LA earlier this year that ran for a few months. I would put Cabaret in a different category from the shows you mentioned.

[jacobtsf]

Encores does popular shows that are done often all the time. Finian's, Bells Are Ringing, Follies, Kismet, and Bye Bye Birdie are just a few examples from recent seasons of shows that are done way too much everywhere and Encores still deems worthy of a production. The money they make from those shows, which bring in a crowd, probably pay for the other two shows they do each season.

[luvtheEmcee]

By saying "old OR neglected OR overlooked shows," and not "old, neglected AND overlooked" shows, I think they allow themselves to include revivals of popular shows in that mission and have it still fit. You could make the argument that Cabaret is just "old" and so there you go.

As for that link, Bryce would hardly be the first actor who does musicals but doesn't consider himself to be a card-carrying musical theater nerd.

[rosscoe(au)]

Sorry I don't have a link, but the Variety review was harsh. Bordering on hate for this production.

[brettarnett]

I saw the matinee today, Overall it was a very good production especially since they only had twelve days of rehearsal, and had it blocked in four.

[SPOILERS! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK]

-At the performance I was at most of the audience consisted of older women who had trouble getting to their seats, I thought that correlated to the tepid response from the interaction with the emcee. But by the end of curtain call I'd say around 50-65% of the audience was on their feet.

-Most of the production seemed more true to the original prince staging than the '98 revival. Actually after the matinee there was a talk back with the cast, and the cast stated that they used the '87 (i think, it could be 88 ) revival script. The costumes were much more 1920's then I had ever seen before, there was a lot of flapper influence, in the flapper dresses, and hairstyles. Even though it is set from 1930-31. Let see what else...

-Oh yes, as obviously stated earlier, this production has the glamour that some felt the Mendes revival was lacking. The set was nice, but as the production evolved it had many nice surprises: swastikas (sp?) in the railing around the edges of the stage, and also on the staircase from stage right. They used three equal spaced strips of curtains as the door ways for the hallway and doors of frau Schneiders place.

-The main difference in this production was the combination of 'Don't Go/Maybe This Time' and 'Sitting Pretty/The Money Song.' It was very clear that these two songs don't belong together. At the talk back, the musical director said that the Director wanted both songs on the show. It was like a verse or two of the first song and then it would the melody of the next song would transition into the second song. I don't think it happend with 'Don't Go...' But with 'Sitting Pretty and The Money song' after the dance break in the money song, there was a simultaneous singing of both fine lines, melodies to end the song. I don't think I am explaining it well, but it was odd to someone who is familiar with the show.

-The main set piece which was an arch on the Kit Kat Klub's stage seemed very 'Chicago's World Fair' promenade or old 'Coney Island' architecture.

-The pacing of the show seemed a little slow and sluggish but then again I have never seen the show live so it could just be the writing oppose to the actually production,

-Bryce Ryness as the Emcee was very as he put it sincere, there wasn't much hamming it up or scenery chewing, I thought it would very very well in the serious scenes, but I kind of missed the overt wackiness I had heard on the cast recordings.

-In the opening scene they cut the introduction of the Cabaret boys and girls and sally bowles for that matter. There was also no Mein Herr in this production, but there was 'the telephone song and dance.'

-Jeff Mclean was serviceable as Cliff, but I think it is the role if anything, the role well in this production kind of was the typical lead male role. But Jeff did say that he was quitting acting and starting a new business after this production.

-It seemed as if the true heart breaking love story was the older couple. There was an audible gasp when Frau Schneider came out in the coat w/ a nazi band on her left arm.

-Lisa O'Hare was good as Sally, Right now like cliff the roles or my memory of the roles aren't are popping into my head, I am quite tired after this lengthy post. But my one impression was that the titular song 'Cabaret' came in at the wrong place, it happens before sally gets an abortion. Sally and cliff have their argument after the song, well when cliff yells at Sally for having an abortion without telling him. I thought this occurs right before the song.

Anyways thats all for now, How'd I do?

*Please excuse the numerous mistakes in grammar and syntax.

[best12bars]

I hear next season they're doing Gypsy, West Side Story, and Sweeney Todd!