Raul or Adam in Cabaret

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 2:27pm

Which one was a better Emcee. Im aware this is only a matter of opinion but Im curious to hear people's responses.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 2:31pm

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.

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

[Color and Light]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 2:37pm

Most definitely Raul, I'd say. Emcee pretty much summed it up well in her post. Though I absolutely love Adam's "I Don't Care Much".

Updated On: 2/20/06 at 02:37 PM

Posted: 2/20/06 at 3:08pm

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.

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 3:21pm

Raul really WAS the Emcee. He was all-around stellar, and with the exception of "I Don't Care Much" (where I agree with Emcee that his vibrato was too much) I loved his vocals. He dove into the part (as he seems to do with every role) and seemed completely uninhibited.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 4:19pm

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.

[robyn525600]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 4:22pm

I enjoyed them both in the role but if I had to choose, Raul wins - he's a better actor.

Posted: 2/20/06 at 4:29pm

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.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 4:31pm

They are indeed absolutely necessary.

I Don't Care Much is one of my favorite songs in the entire show. I don't really remember having qualms with his acting; I was just like "STOP THE VIBRATO MADNESS." But it does really require subtlty.

[Color and Light]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 4:39pm

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.

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 5:25pm

See though I loved Norberts I dont care much I always remembered Alan Cummings better than anyones. IT seemed like the role was almost written for him.

[jimmirae]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 7:00pm

Raul.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 7:01pm

Well I didn't see either of them (not live anyway), but for me, the best EmCee will always be Matt McGrath, though Neil Patrick Harris outdid him with his I Don't Care Much.

[pattifan2]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 7:11pm

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.

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

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 7:17pm

That picture is eerie creepy!

[pattifan2]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 7:20pm

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

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 7:30pm

ooh. He IS creepy.

PCB, I laugh every time I see your signature! I mean, I don't know how good it is that I laugh at my own joke, but... heh.

ANYway.

[TheaterAddict7652]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 7:33pm

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.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 7:35pm

Other than the makeup and the fact that they look almost nothing like themselves.... not really.

I have no idea why, but Adam was paler than the picture on stage.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 7:38pm

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?

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

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 7:40pm

Well, it's better than purple. In one version, I swear to you he looks purple.

I dunno. He was all nice and pasty in real life!

[CanadianSnowbird]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 9:53pm

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.

[Anne_here]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 9:55pm

I only saw Adam and Jon Secada. So, I'll go with Adam. Jon Secada was a bit "round" for the part.

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 9:58pm

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.

[WickedOne2]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 10:00pm

I didn't see Raul, only Adam and he blew me away. His "I Don't Care Much" gave me chills. I got to meet Adam a few months ago and we talked for a bit about a bunch of stuff, including Cabaret, and he said it was one of his favorite roles. He told me he often got nervous in the beginning of the second act when he had to bring a guy on stage to dance with him because he wasn't sure if it would always work