Cabaret – Location, Tickets, Reviews
Roundabout Theater Company revives the Tony Award winning 1998 revival of the musical Cabaret. Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall return to the director’s and choreographer’s seats (respectively), and Alan Cumming reprises his award winning performance as the Emcee. Oscar nominated actress Michelle Williams (film: Brokeback Mountain, Blue Valentine) plays cabaret singer Sally Bowles in her Broadway debut.
Cabaret by Fred Ebb and John Kander is based on a novel by Richard Isherwood and set in Kit Kat Klub, a dingy cabaret hall in 1930s Berlin, as the city’s hedonistic, liberal, and loose atmosphere gives way to the rise of Nazism.
Maxamoo
Alan Cumming is a pleasure to watch (seriously, the man doesn’t age), and it’s no surprise that this revival of Cabaret is enjoyable and haunting. Michelle Williams’s strong performance as Sally Bowles might come as a surprise to some. Williams, who often projects a fragile and melancholy image, steps out of her comfort zone for this role, and it pays off. While clearly not a professional singer, she sings in a strong, smokey voice, and her Sally is appropriately eccentric, pathetic, and heart-rending.
But for all its pluses, the redundancy of this production is conspicuous. There is a cynical crowd-pleasing element to this revival that puts its artistic value in question. All that being said, Alan Cumming is fantastic and this show is fun.
Recommended if…
You haven’t seen Cabaret performed live;
You missed the original 1998 production;
You’re a fan of Michelle Williams; or
You’re a fan of Alan Cumming.
Public Opinion
@TimFederle: Hanson. “Armageddon.” My senior portraits. Nothing from 1998 holds up quite like the revival (of the revival) of “Cabaret” at @RTC_NYC.
@Seeyatemba: Loved @Cabaret_Musical last night! Definitely what Broadway has been missing! Michelle Williams was good, but Alan Cummings stole the show!
@rachelstyne: @Cabaret_Musical, THAT is what a musical is supposed to be! Deeply moving & incredibly entertaining with so many layered performances.
Critics’ Reviews
New York Times
Old Chums Return, Where Club Is Home
Variety
‘Cabaret’ Starring Michelle Williams and Alan Cumming
TheaterMania
Like a fine wine, this revival has only gotten better with age.
New York Magazine
Michelle Williams and Alan Cumming Come (Back) to the Cabaret
Theatre Is Easy
A direct revival of the 1998 Broadway run that lacks freshness and originality.
TICKETS
$42-$162 (click here for tickets)
DATES
Performances through August 31, 2014
LOCATION
The Kit Kat Klub at Studio 54
254 West 54th Street
New York City
RUNNING TIME
2 hours 30 minutes, 1 intermission
NEWS
New York Times
Life is an Audition
New York Magazine
The Newbie and the Emcee: Alan Cumming Welcomes Michelle Williams to Cabaret
CAST & CREW
(partial list)
Book by Joe Masteroff
Music by John Kander
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Directed by Sam Mendes
Co-directed and choreographed by Rob Marshall
Featuring Alan Cumming, Michelle Williams, Linda Emond, Danny Burstein, Bill Heck, Aaron Krohn, Gayle Rankin, Will Carlyon, Kaleigh Cronin, Caleb Damschroder, Benjamin Eakeley, Andrea Goss, Leeds Hill, Kristin Olness, Kelly Paredes, Jessica Pariseau, Dylan Paul, Jane Pfitsch, Evan D. Siegel, Stacey Sipowicz, Kristie Dale Sanders, Phillip Hoffman