Cabaret is a musical deservedly lauded for utilizing a Brechtian Alienation Effect so that book scenes and song-and-dance numbers can comment on one another rather than integrating the entire show into one cohesive whole.
This would seem to make Cabaret an odd choice for an immersive theatre experience. However, a production in London successfully marketed the Kander and Ebb classic as an opportunity to wander around a Kit Kat Club recreating Weimar-era Germany.
When producers tried to recreate the experience on Broadway, they had trouble capturing the same magic, and while the show has been kept afloat by stars like Eddie Redmayne and Adam Lambert, critics were less receptive and ticket sales less robust than in London. Though the Broadway show has its flaws, it's still very much worth seeing, as I discovered when I finally caught up to it last night.
A young man I sat near had seen the play multiple times on two continents, and he assured me that while individual performers had different takes on their characters, the set-up in New York was essentially the same as in London. If that's true, perhaps Brits deal better with crowds, as the downstairs space that featured much of the pre-show entertainment was so packed it was difficult to see and appreciate the performers.
Fortunately, upstairs there were smaller groups of performers, providing music while audiences mingled and enjoyed the atmosphere. There were also plenty of bars available to get drinks, though they had a surprising lack of variety in cocktails. As I took my seat, a floor show had already begun on the main stage, so wherever you wandered there was bound to be something to see and hear. The stage, by the way, is in the round, and features some wonderful turn-table action.
I saw Adam Lambert as the Emcee and Ayla Ciccone-Burton as Sally Bowles. Those roles are frequently considered the leads, while the protagonist Cliff, who is the audience's point-of-view character, is a mostly thankless role of a bland American simply observing life in Berlin as the Nazis are on the rise. Calvin Leon Smith made the role come alive, though, and was perfectly marvelous as Cliff.
The biggest treat in terms of the cast was Bebe Neuwirth, who played Fräulein Schneider, a role originated by Lotte Lenya. Seeing Neuwirth in the late-night cabaret show Here Lies Jenny was an unforgettable experience, and while she is no longer performing the athletic dance moves she had in that show, her voice is still amazing, and her rendition of "What Would You Do" exquisite.
When the show premiered in 1966, it shocked audiences by lulling them into a sense of tranquility with songs like "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" or amusing them with numbers like "If You Could See Her" and then turning on them with those same songs, refashioning entertainment into terror. This production tips its hand, disturbing the audience from the beginning.
Still, the brilliance of the original show shines through, and the immersive aspects are quite enjoyable. If you haven't seen it yet, go.
