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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2017 10:55:09 GMT
There's a Sailor who bounces across the stage in Act 1 with his flagpole hanging out, and then yes at the end everyone is naked (but mainly facing the back wall) Well they do say all the nice boys love a sailor. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Oct 18, 2017 11:42:19 GMT
Im just thankful Wayne Sleep didn’t get his winkle out. It would have pushed me over the edge.
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Post by theatremadness on Oct 18, 2017 11:49:54 GMT
Im just thankful Wayne Sleep didn’t get his winkle out. It would have pushed me over the edge. Didn't realise Mr Sleep was so well endowed! |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Oct 18, 2017 12:16:32 GMT
Stabbing a pin in Wayne Sleep’s winkle.... I can see the merits.
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Post by distantcousin on Oct 18, 2017 13:04:25 GMT
Is it basically the RuNo production? I seem to recall the entire ensemble gets their various bits out, near the end of act one? Ah no, they save the nudity for the very end for the dark 'and this is what happened next' moment. Not entierly sure that works in this version either as I'm sure a good 60% of the audience just got distracted by whether Mr Young was going to slip his robe off or not (not going to lie I did too) Side note: did previous Sallys get naked at that point or not? I'm struggling to place whether that was different or not. Previous Sally's didn't get naked, either on the UK Tour or the 2006 London revival. But the Emcee always did at the end.
The difference in nudity as I remember was that in the 2000's London run, Tomorrow Belongs To Me had naked dancers performing ballet-esque, Aryan movements and poses. That song has now been completely restaged.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2017 13:14:20 GMT
Ah no, they save the nudity for the very end for the dark 'and this is what happened next' moment. Not entierly sure that works in this version either as I'm sure a good 60% of the audience just got distracted by whether Mr Young was going to slip his robe off or not (not going to lie I did too) Side note: did previous Sallys get naked at that point or not? I'm struggling to place whether that was different or not. Previous Sally's didn't get naked, either on the UK Tour or the 2006 London revival. But the Emcee always did at the end.
The difference in nudity as I remember was that in the 2000's London run, Tomorrow Belongs To Me had naked dancers performing ballet-esque, Aryan movements and poses. That song has now been completely restaged.
Cheers! my memory was hazy but I was pretty sure she didn't ever get naked. Which reminds me, I didn't love the Tomorrow Belongs to me puppets either. |
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Post by richey on Oct 18, 2017 16:08:25 GMT
Is it basically the RuNo production? I seem to recall the entire ensemble gets their various bits out, near the end of act one? Ah no, they save the nudity for the very end for the dark 'and this is what happened next' moment. Every time I've seen this, the final nudity has elicited lots of titters across the audience until they realise what is happening, so it's followed by an inevitable awkward silence |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2017 16:15:03 GMT
Ah no, they save the nudity for the very end for the dark 'and this is what happened next' moment. Every time I've seen this, the final nudity has elicited lots of titters across the audience until they realise what is happening, so it's followed by an inevitable awkward silence Yes it was exactly that last night. I like to think some people felt properly awkward for their deliberate loud laughter throughout in inappropriate scenes. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2017 16:44:25 GMT
Ah no, they save the nudity for the very end for the dark 'and this is what happened next' moment. Every time I've seen this, the final nudity has elicited lots of titters across the audience until they realise what is happening, so it's followed by an inevitable awkward silence Seriously, why do they keep this scene in if it gets this type of reaction time after time? It sounds as if it's uncomfortable for the cast, followed by the audience who finally 'get it'... (Strictly speaking it's inaccurate anyway, as everybody would surely have had their heads shaved as well as being completely emaciated...?) |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Oct 18, 2017 19:09:28 GMT
There’s also the awkward “is this the end, do we clap now.” moment.
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Post by mallardo on Oct 19, 2017 7:08:21 GMT
There’s also the awkward “is this the end, do we clap now.” moment.
This was also true of the Sam Mendes production, the source of this production's "take" on the ending. Even though the Mendes production did it so much better, there was that strained silence at the end which took forever to break down into applause.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2017 8:13:27 GMT
I rather like that one is unsettled at the end.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2017 8:33:47 GMT
Mother dearest went last night. Big Will Young fan and the partial cause of me seeing more Will Young concerts than I'm sure is healthy (I do love a bit of Will) She enjoyed him and his slightly kooky Emcee. Likewise didn't think much of Louise 'too meek and mild' I believe was the phrase.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Oct 19, 2017 9:51:42 GMT
Is there something “going on” between Louise Redknapp and Daisy Lowe?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2017 9:55:28 GMT
Is there something “going on” between Louise Redknapp and Daisy Lowe? It seems much tabloid gossip would have it so...I mean I love a lesbian tryst as much as the next person, but it's probably utter nonsense. |
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Post by Bickers on Oct 20, 2017 11:04:03 GMT
Oof well firstly there's not been a scrum to get in the New Theatre foyer like that since Tom Jones was a lad. Say what you will (and I will) about erm Will and Louise but they get bums on seats.... It's always a worry isn't it when you find yourself playing 'in your mind' another version of the show you're seeing? In a way I can't help it the Donmar version is SO ingrained in my head, as is Alan Cumming's voice that I have never fully let it go. That said I've seen plenty of productions I've enjoyed of Cabaret, so it is possible. Overall I felt Act 2 hits the mark a bit better than Act 1. Maybe it was a first night thing. Anyhoo. I remember the production being 'alright' at the Lyric and it still is 'alright'. It feels a bit too glossy in places. And I don't know what it is but I remember hating 'Money' 10 years ago and I still loathe it now. I have no real discernible reason for it but I don't like it. I do have discernible reasons for hating If You Could See Her. Someone else said I think it's really played for laughs, loses that sinister vibe and people actually laughed when the girl is revealed wearing the Star of David on her coat and that just really didn't sit right. Overall as well the audience were doing a lot of laughing at things that shouldn't be funny- part of that was the production pitching it wrong combined with the giggling at Will Young factor but it made me feel uncomfortable throughout (side note Cardiff on a Tuesday evening can't handle a penis on stage it seems). As for the leads, Louise was...meh I didn't hate her but she wasn't 'Sally Bowles' for me. Her voice is lovely there's no denying, unfortunately that's one of the few things not required for Sally. There was no real sense of her 'journey' or any real darkness or conflict to her character just coming on singing a song nicely and that's about it. Sally is one who needs to act through song, and well..it wasn't really there sadly. Will was...fine. His Emcee is passable, and I can see what he's doing. I just prefer my Emcee with a bit of a darker edge. The weirdness he brings to it works, and he CAN act through song (I don't care much was very well done I thought) and I think perhaps with a stronger Sally as well he might have been better. The ensemble were great, and there's some I think new choreography there that is really nice. I also hated 'Don't Tell Mama' being changed, but it's not a massive issue. The ending is still powerful, and certainly shocked the New audience into silence, there's a few ways you can get that over and I think this version is pretty effective. Overall it's not terrible, but it doesn't do this great musical justice either. I'm pretty much with you on this. I went last night with my partner and sister-in-law. It's only my second time seeing the show on stage (the first being about 8 years ago, also in Cardiff, with Sleep and Barks and, small niggles aside, I thought the show was pretty great then as my first time seeing Cabaret. I watched the film a couple of nights later just for comparison and have since seen the recording of the Donmar production - my favourite). Will was obviously directed to play up the fun and camp, which he did well and most of the audience responded positively. Like you though, I wanted a darker edge. If You Could See Her also elicited lots of laughter which I found so uncomfortable. Maybe that's what they were going for and, had I not seen the show before, perhaps it would have been more effective to me. But when you know it can be better it's disappointing. Louise, unsurprisingly, was the biggest disappointment of the night. Pretty voice, but lacking any passion or other emotion. Don't wish to be ageist, but she seemed far too old for Sally and I even heard someone mutter that they doubted that she would have been able to get pregnant at her age! The ensemble were fine. I didn't like their costumes (they felt less sexy and more cheap S&M - yes, I know that can cross over for some people but not me!) but they were great dancers and it was a relief to hear them outsing Louise during Mein Herr when her voice cracked a couple of times. I'll go again, but when it's a stronger production. The show is so great and this is just a shadow of what it should be. |
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Post by dgjbear on Oct 23, 2017 9:46:14 GMT
I was so looking forward to this being a Rufus Norris fan, but felt a bit disappointed when I went on Friday in Cardiff.
Set was great but I just thought the Kabaret was meant to be a cheap and sordid dive populated by people with limited talent and interest. Instead we got Chicago with attendant great dancers in figure defining costumes and fab hair.
I'm sure Louise Redknapp is lovely but Maggie Smith has nothing to worry about in the acting stakes. Her voice is also just functional and barely west end chorus. Dancing OK though. Agree with previous poster about her being a bit too old for the part too.
Will Young was a big disappointment. Again not a great actor and seemed to base the character the Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. More slimy than menacing.
Some great set prices though - Maybe This Time; Tomorrow Belongs to Me and I don't Care Much. Worth the ticket price but not sure the pantomime casting helps especially in a musical that is meant to be as serious as this. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Nov 8, 2017 11:36:50 GMT
God this is disappointing.
Will Young is hamming the accent up so much that you can’t hear the dialogue in many places. I like that distinctive voice he has and it works for this part but some of the delivery and acting choices were absolutely shocking. ‘I Don’t Care Much’ was delivered with what I would call “small voice” whilst pacing around in a robe which I guess was supposed to be bewildered/contemplative/resigned but just came over as underpowered and boring. You could almost hear the audience thinking “what’s he going on about?”
Louise, nice pop voice. Not MT. No belt in any way, shape or form which showed her up in Maybe This Time in particular. I know “she’s not supposed to be able to sing” the problem is Louise CAN sing, shes just totally wrong singing this. Unbelievable and lacking in anything like charisma, filth, sexual allure or interest.
Even Schneider and Shultz appeared bored. My party of 7 certainly were.
One star.
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Post by wickedgrin on Nov 8, 2017 12:25:30 GMT
It is amazing how this production varies in quality depending on the cast/current direction.
I saw this production originally in London with Anna Maxwell Martin (Sally) James Dreyfus (Emcee) and Sheila Hancock - fabulous (Frau Schneider). The production was stunning and I really enjoyed it.
I went back when it was re-cast with Kim Medcalf, Julian Clary and Honor Blackman and although good was not a patch on the original casting.
I then saw the same production later on tour - and I have blotted it from my memory as it was absolutely dreadful - I think it "starred" Wayne Sleep! Just appalling.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2017 18:04:45 GMT
I went to see the show last night at the Lowry in salford. The show has four star plus reviews. No way is that correct. Cabaret the musical was written in 1966. The show is about the loneliness of growing old and unwanted pregnancy to the backdrop of the rise of the Nazis in 1930s Germany. I guess it became famous in its time for the risque scenes and subject matter. However seeing a boob on stage (one boob) and unwanted pregnancy is no longer shocking. The nightclub scenes were similar in sexiness to Chicago.
There was almost no set, we were looking a black walls for most of the time. The main piece of set was large portable stairs that is used a cash-and-carry to take stock down from high shelves. On these mobile steps Louis Rednap was expected to balance and perform in high heels. Will Young played the MC as a slightly overweight Marcel Marceau. The singing was all good, but I saw better on the X-Factor on Sunday night.
The story was not believable. The unemployed male lead who dressed in grey and lived in a bedsit would never be in a relationship with a glamorous showgirl. They had no chemistry. When they were in bed together it looked like Morcambe and Wise in bed together. There was one scene when one character offers to peel an orange for another character. She said `no I will peel it` and took the orange. There is then a long meaningful pause. This was preceded by a song about giving someone a pineapple, really. wtf ? The ending did not make sense as those people would not have been in that situation.
The story is out of date and made no sense. The show could have been saved by some great performances, but not on Tuesday night in Salford. The only good parts I can think of were, a couple of the ensemble members with some spark in their eyes. And the male lead had a brilliant American accent (turns out he is American).
The theatre was almost full. If only the producers had spent some of the money on a set instead of semi-talented celebrities. I nominated Kenwright Co for a WOS award for Cilla, but want to take it back after seeing Cabaret last night. I hope Everton get relegated.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Nov 8, 2017 18:47:51 GMT
You liked it then @time4t? Haha
Where were you sat and did you get all that noise of people talking in Act1? Apparently it was the crew being picked up on some mic somewhere. Very poor.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2017 19:08:55 GMT
You liked it then @time4t? Haha Where were you sat and did you get all that noise of people talking in Act1? Apparently it was the crew being picked up on some mic somewhere. Very poor. Hi, I was in row N stalls. We heard the talking. I thought it was someone talking loudly in the foyet. It only happened once. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Nov 8, 2017 19:11:15 GMT
It was continuous in the circle. Very distracting.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2017 19:13:27 GMT
I just put it down to someone messing around outside the theatre. I would definitly recomend seats near the stage for Cilla the musical in Manchester.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2017 19:16:17 GMT
I'm surprised about the negativity toward Will, especially considering he is a great singer with his own music and got nominated for an Olivier for this role alongside Alex Bourne, Michael Ball and Tom Chambers. Granted I haven't seen him in it so can't judge myself I'm just surprised.  |
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