Cabaret At Studio 54

Posted: 3/10/07 at 10:37am

Does anyone know if they served food, or have pictures of the actual theatre or when it was the Kit Kat Klub at Henry Miller?

[tazber]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 10:41am

I don't recall being served food, bit we did order some very over-priced drinks!

[mattonstage]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 10:49am

They did have snacks at the concessions. And yes, everything is overpriced, just like the movies. I seem to remember a table near me having some sort of crudite plate or something, as well, but I can't remember if they brought it themselves or ordered it there.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 10:51am

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 11:17am

I miss it.

Posted: 3/10/07 at 11:20am

The theatre had booths also? And a balcony with tables??!?"????

Hmmm.... sounds weird.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 11:28am

The mezzanine didn't have tables; it had regular seats, and the orchestra had tables. There were barstools in the back of the mezzanine, though. It was lovely.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 11:33am

Those barstools were my favorite.

I saw many a performance from those seats. I loved them.

I miss it, too Em. I really do.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 11:36am

They were really uncomfortable, but I loved the leopard-print couches in the middle of the orchestra.

[bwaydoc]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 12:11pm

"The mezzanine didn't have tables; it had regular seats"

I recall the front mezzanine having a little table with a red lamp in between every two seats. Does anyone else remember this? I'm pretty sure it did because the first time I saw it I was in the rear mezzanine and thought it was cute, so the second time I saw it I made sure to get seats in the front mezz.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 12:17pm

Ooh, yeah, the little teeny ones. I meant the big ones with the free-standing chairs like in the orchestra. There were regular seats in the mezzanine.

[WickedOne2]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 1:50pm

I sat at one of the tables and I remember before the show they were bringing out drinks and you could order platters with cheese/crackers and stuff like that.

[kyle.]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 2:59pm

If you go to broadwayposters.com and look at the revival poster with the picture of Sally looking out into the club, that will give you an idea of how it looked.

This is a picture of the current production in France. It looked a lot like this, but smaller and grittier. This looks like its being done in an actual theatre.

[MotorTink]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 3:02pm

The scene in the movie "Loser" (jason biggs) where they sneak into the broadway show, isn't that Cabaret at Studio 54? (haven't seen the movie in a while).

Posted: 3/10/07 at 5:51pm

Looks cool.

Posted: 3/10/07 at 6:01pm

I saw the Cabaret revival at both The Kit Kat Klub and Studio 54. I preferred the first theatre and, of course, Alan Cumming was in it the first time I saw it and without him the show wasn't quite the same.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 6:45pm

The Henry Miller Theatre sported the exact replica set design of what was seen at Studio 54, just smaller and more intimate. Everything (set wise) was identical. At the Henry Miller Theatre, they also had small round tables on the mezzanine level unlike Studio 54 which had regular theatre seats (upholstered in faux leopard fur) -- which were grouped in pairs with a small rest table seperating the seats which contained the same small lamp that the orchestra tables had on them. Behind the orchestra tables were small cushioned banquett couches, but since they were lower that the wooden chairs at the tables, your view was obstructed by those people sitting at the tables. Behind the banquett couches was a seperation, then came the tall bar stools which also had a small round table with a small lamp on it. Behind these were tall bar stools known as 'bar seats'. The rear mezzanine had tall bar stools after the leopard upholstered mezzanine seats. Behind the tall bar stools were the 'bar seats'.

During the run of CABARET, The Henry Miller Theatre name wasn't anywhere to be found outside -- they put the KIT KAT KLUB name instead so this added to the feel that you WERE going to the Kit Kat Klub.

The set design had a raised wooden platform stage and the orchestra level tables surrounded this stage, so the actors had audience members surrounding them at all times.

Waiter/table service was provided before the performance and during intermission -- not during the show. Drinks were available as were some some finger-food (small sandwiches, cheese and fruit platters, etc.). No meals were actually cooked and served, etc. If you ordered a drink and the show started, the waiters/waitress would bring it to your table during intermission.

Also, in order to maintain the theme that you're not seeing a Broadway show, they would not give you a Playbill (Stagebill) until after the show and as you left.


Here's the original CABARET at Studio 54 Seating Chart:

[C is for Company]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 7:57pm

I love this thread! I liked those barstools at 54 too. Now what do we have? Massively cramped seating up there, ugh.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 8:04pm

I remember being at Studio 54 and seeing Cabaret. An absolutely incredible experience. It took that "Cats" approach but in a much mroe effective manor, I thought.

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 9:30pm

The scene in the movie "Loser" (jason biggs) where they sneak into the broadway show, isn't that Cabaret at Studio 54? (haven't seen the movie in a while).

Yes. I really like that scene, so I always think of it when I think of the Cabaret revival. It's interesting because they're supposedly sneaking in after intermission, but what we see performed in the movie is the end of "Wilkommen."

I really, really wish that I could have seen it. I love that the theater itself was designed specifically for the mood of the show.

[Solstrom]

Posted: 3/11/07 at 5:08am

Kyle,
This picture isn't the Folies Bergère where there is Cabaret in Paris actually.
It was the theater in Madrid.
You can see some vidéos and pictures of the Paris Version there :
www.cabaret-lemusical.fr

[Raspberry]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 8:36pm

Was the scene from "Loser" filmed at Studio 54? I haven't seen that movie in a looooong time, but I remember it taking place at one of the earlier "Cabaret" theatres.

[Deannaizme]

Posted: 3/14/07 at 6:36pm

My friend and I sat in the back two seats at table 125 when we were there a few years ago. Neil Patrick Harris was the Emcee when I saw it at Studio 54. I loved that show; I saw it 5 or 6 times in San Francisco and once in New York. I hate that it's closed.

[NJgirl]

Posted: 3/14/07 at 6:51pm

I sat at a barstool on the orchestra level on the left (odd numbered) side the night of the musicians strike in 2003 as we rushed to Studio 54 when we found out Broadway was going dark and we weren't going to see Chicago as planned. I was just happy to have a seat as it was one of the few things running/open that night. I was under the steps/catwalk overhang....one of the actors came over, moved our drinks, put down the prop phone and made phone calls from our counter during a scene. I saw it with Neil Patrick Harris and Debbie Gibson...and I loved it. I love this show in general and miss it. I wish I had gotten the chance to see it more than once.

[Deannaizme]

Posted: 3/14/07 at 6:56pm

Exactly ... that's the show I saw as well. I was there during the musician strike as well, and was happy that I had tickets to Cabaret. I wonder if we were there the same night.