Theatre Review: Cabaret

Pre-Theatre Meal: Rosie O'Gradys
Accompanied by: Nana & Donna

Shockingly, I have never seen a production of Cabaret. Not a high school production, not the movie, nothing. That's because I was unintentionally saving myself for Alan Cumming to be my first. Soooo worth it. There is something just absolutely mesmerizing about him. You just can't keep your eyes off of him, which is especially problematic in his role as the Emcee because he tends to always be off to the side and a little distracting, but in the best possible way.

Speaking of brilliant performers, Linda Emond was fantastic as Fraulein Schneider. As for Michelle Williams' Sally Boyle though, I just wasn't getting the choice. She's a great actress, so she really committed to it, but I found it to be whiney and infantile. I got the feeling that Sally is meant to a vivacious, larger than life character which explains why Cliff can't help but be drawn in to her world. However, Williams played her with a quivering voice which made her always seem on the edge of a breakdown.

Curious to see the contrast, when I got home I immediate rented the Joel Grey & Liza Minneli film version. While I wasn't drawn in by that Sally Boyles personally, it was definitely more what I expected of the role. And now I've seen Cabaret two times!