Cabaret

Studio 54
Broadway

I actually flew in intentionally to see this before it was gone. I've never seen the show before. It was new to me, although I had some inkling of what it was about, but I wanted to see what it looked like when an actor owns a role for a generation, namely Alan Cumming as the emcee.

I still think this is an interesting thing: one actor in the same play, in three revivals, in the same part. What makes it a little more interesting is the female lead has changed over three times in just this one run (we saw it on Emma Stone's last day). So, you have a constant and a variable - it is like a good science experiment.

You never know how any play is actually going to be until you see it. You can read all the reviews, see the photos, etc., but until you are there - you don't know. I like that about theater. I like that it is a personal experience that can not be captured by others, either in words or image or even really in video, because of the live element. Most of what I see defies expectation in spite of my research.

I thought this lived up to its reputation. It was, you know, just raunchy enough to still be Cabaret. A certain level of smut is actually necessary to pull this thing off. It was anchored well by the older, somewhat wiser couple who come together and then part because of Nazism. And, then we have the younger couple, Sally Bowles and the American writer who come together and part because of Nazism, but even more because some people, in any bad situation, will want to either go down with the ship or escape. And, these are just two different sorts of people. And, then we have Alan Cumming who represents the last, final, extreme party before it all falls apart. As freedom is jeopardized people respond with an absolute attempt at exaggerated freedom before it is stamped out by extremism. This is interesting, right?

I feel dense, but I was not sure what the moral lesson of the play was, though. It's a bit heavy-handed. You can't say "Nazi" without having a lesson in there. What is the takeaway? What is the audience supposed to do with this information? It felt a bit mysterious, but this was written at a different time for a different time. But, the characters are not fighting extremism. They aren't even fighting for one another in light of what is coming. Extremism defeats love in two instances. So,...I am left with a question mark.

This is a dark musical. I suppose it is for people who don't like huge smiles with their song and dance. But, lots of musicals are dark. This is very dark. It exemplifies well its theme, though. It is playful and dark at the same time. Perhaps it is best to say that it is sinfully dark.

I am trying to think what will be my takeaway six months from now and I guess it is this. It was a special afternoon at the theater, a moment caught in time, which is what the show is about, this moment caught in time, before the theater goes dark.