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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2022 18:29:23 GMT
I was sat in Stalls row E today. E23 has excellent leg room and view as its between tables in front. E22 and 21 also have good leg room and view, depending on the height of the person in front. I was surprised there wasn't more of a rake in the stalls, bur due to the very high stage, it isnt a problem.
Another excellent show today. There was more ad-libbing/audience participation from Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley during their numbers and it was all good fun. The only bits of staging i noticed that had changed since November, were confetti/glass during the window smashing, that didnt happen when i first saw it, and Frauline Kost no longer sings her verse of 'Married' from the orchestra balcony, she's now on the main stage.
Am looking forward to seeing at the end of March with possibly a new cast.
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Post by budd on Jan 5, 2022 19:13:41 GMT
Caught this today, and just wanted to say, as to the previous discussion, I'd disagree on the pre-show not being interesting actually. It depends on what you like. There are some wonderful design flourishes that I enjoyed taking in and are absolutely worthy of consideration. The pre-show musicians were also pretty great. But of course, it might not be for you, and for me, this theatre felt safer than others, since fewer people were likely to have it in there with lat. flows.
Beyond that, I found the show to be completely engrossing and so wonderfully staged. Wanted to highlight my appreciation for Julia Cheng's choreography, it just elevates the whole piece.
The Emcee gets a great new spin in this one and it is so enthralling. He is such a malleable creation, and it was great to see previous boundaries being pushed even further here. I had seen Eddie Redmayne's stage work in Red, but had forgotten how much stage presence he has. He also completely commits to the choreography, which makes the whole thing very dynamic and arresting. Jessie Buckley is just supremely talented. Apt for Sally, she's charming and heartbreaking, but you also want to shake her a little bit. Maybe This Time is one of the most emotional experiences I've had with musical theatre for quite some while, and it's just all the better for the simple staging and delivery.
Great, inventive staging of some of the numbers. Money is thankfully again one of the highlights. It was one of the most memorable things in the film, while the Mendes version had unfortunately been a very much a forgettable, sloppy version of it. The ensemble costumes for Money have been released as stills, so it's not giving anything away to say that the design on it was great (the best bit not released though), especially how they invoke bonds. Tomorrow belongs to me was another highlight of staging, and it felt apt to have the Emcee sing it in this version, similar to the Hitler youth of the film. It had seemed incongruous with Cumming's Emcee playing it on the machine, since his was much more a mocking commentator than Redmayne's ( he sings it beautifully, and it is thus all the more chilling).
The Fraulein Schneider storyline has been pulled forward, and Liza Sadovy's excellent delivery seems immediately definitive. I hope she's in the run for a bit longer, now that the initial period is completely sold. Elliot Levey, Omari Douglas and Anna-Jane Casey are all great in their parts.
An excellent production, with great command on the piece from Rebecca Frecknall, and with wonderful, inventive flourishes in there.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 6, 2022 20:13:37 GMT
See Noticeboard for a ticket offer.
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Post by alece10 on Jan 8, 2022 11:44:28 GMT
Passed by the box office last night to buy a programme as they were not on sale when I saw Cabaret during previews. The programme/brochure is £15 but it really is beautiful. Much larger than a normal programme but with glorious photos and some good reading material.
Anyway whilst I was there in front of me were 2 people who were doing lateral flow tests. Seems they didn't know in advance!!! So they were doing them at the box office.
The reason I post this is because the box office had given them the tests and I heard the guy saying that they always keep a few tests in case of these kind of issues. So its worth noting especially has I have seen posts from board members coming from overseas to see the show and worried about getting hold of a test. So you should be able to get one from the box office in an emergency
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Post by dnool on Jan 10, 2022 20:32:30 GMT
I live in New York and am planning to be in London in March. I've been keeping an eye on the Cabaret ticket site and they have been releasing tickets for March for the period through the 19th with ER and JB. They have obviously held back all of Row C in the Dress Circle as that opened up across several dates. Now some scattered table seats are also popping up. I'm excited as I have very fond memories of the Broadway production with Alan Cumming and Natasha Richardson which approximated a Kit Kat Club atmosphere but not to the extent this production is. I was very impressed by Rebecca Freknall's Summer & Smoke and look forward to her take on this classic show!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2022 22:56:21 GMT
I’ve got a badge going spare if anyone wants it. I’m having a tidy and I am not going to keep it. Not sure if they are still giving them out. DM me your address if you want it.
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Post by sfsusan on Jan 10, 2022 23:30:32 GMT
I saw the show tonight and was very impressed. The atmosphere is perfect and the performances were all very good, especially Liza Sadovy as Fraulein Schneider who was heartbreaking. But the show is, as has been noted before, very dark (and appropriately so, given the subject matter). But it felt very weird to burst into applause after some of the darker songs because the performances resonated emotionally like a serious drama... but the performances deserved storms of applause. I don't quite understand the stylized physicality of Redmayne's MC, but given his fluidity and range of motion, he would have made a great {Spoiler - click to view}Gollum. I was in F18, which was a very good seat... on the aisle (minor cast interaction at the interval), lots of knee room and foot room, and between the two seats right in front of it so good sightlines. If I were to choose a seat again, I'd look at Row E, just in front of F18. Rows A, B and C are on one level (with tables), then Rows D and E are up one level and have small tables or shelves for drinks. Then F is up another level with shelves for drinks. The only issue with Row E is that people entering their seats in D have to access them through Row E, so even though there is a lot of legroom between E and their drink shelves, people are walking through that space (and risk knocking off glasses and bottles). If you wanted to be higher than the row in front, then D would be better. But there's a good 4 feet or so between the people in Row E and D, so as someone mentioned earlier, with the raised stage, you wouldn't really be looking between heads even from E. (I did have to crane a bit from F to see some of the action on the lower bits of the stage.) D --- drink shelves or tables (can't remember which) D --- seats E --- drink shelves on the back of the Row D seats gap (larger than normal legroom but smaller than a walkway) E --- seats And continuing my theme of being taken in by planned spontaneity, during "If You Could See Her Through My Eyes", did Redmayne and the gorilla seem to be improvising at times? It seemed a bit light-hearted until the end, and Redmayne laughed a couple of times. |
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Post by frankubelik on Jan 11, 2022 8:38:00 GMT
I'm really struggling with the pricing of this. I had tickets in Row F for a final preview costing £75 each (unable to be used due to Covid hospitalization) and I am astonished to see the same seats are now £150 each!!! I understand the rise in price after a production has opened, but to DOUBLE??? I'm now toying with booking £100 seats in Row H (which seems to be second to last row) for a performance in September and am simply wondering if this is worth it? I will not see the first principal cast which does not overly bother me, but there is no way I am paying £250 for a seat and wonder in reality, who is?
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 11, 2022 9:29:08 GMT
I think everyone is on board with paying a bit more for a premium cast, and a bit more again to contribute to recovery but this smacks of exploitation. Sadly, while people keep buying they’ll keep doing it. A dangerous precedent is being set with this.
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Post by crowblack on Jan 11, 2022 15:07:13 GMT
I think everyone is on board with paying a bit more for a premium cast, and a bit more again to contribute to recovery but this smacks of exploitation. Sadly, while people keep buying they’ll keep doing it. A dangerous precedent is being set with this. Yes, I think it's a real shame when the show is being sold on someone who is a star from screen or TV with a younger fanbase. It feels like it's exploiting that fandom and will give people who don't often go to the theatre the impression, or confirm their suspicion, that it is a luxury for the rich. |
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Post by viserys on Jan 11, 2022 15:22:58 GMT
Yes, I think it's a real shame when the show is being sold on someone who is a star from screen or TV with a younger fanbase. But is this true for Jessie Buckley and Eddie Redmayne? I first really noticed Jessie in the BBCs "War and Peace" which is nothing young people would go near and the Fantastic Beasts thing aside, Eddie seems more known for serious parts like The Theory of Everything and The Danish Girl these days too. Neither is in shows that attract a lot of young people hysteria, like, if they'd cast the drippy lead from Bridgerton as Sally or some presently hot Boyband-Star as the Emcee. It IS problematic that they're already selling extremely expensive seats for the later run for which no leads have been confirmed yet, but if people just buy for the show and not for some "name off the telly" then that's even positive, isn't it? I liked it well enough when I finally saw it last week, but wouldn't have wanted to pay more than the £90 I initially paid for my Row E seat. I'd probably enjoyed the show more if I hadn't been so terrified of catching Omicron as I needed a negative test for travelling home a few days later. I couldn't enjoy the pre-show in the crammed lobby at all because I was just thinking of how easily the virus could spread in such a small indoor space with hardly anyone wearing a mask because they were drinking. Depending on casting I may try again once travelling is easier again (and if prices come down). Btw, if anyone considers buying Row E, make sure to buy the seats in the gaps between tables in Row D. Mine was the third seat from the aisle, so the gap was right in front of me and I had an excellent view. The poor lady to my left though (second seat from the aisle) had a tall bloke in front of her with no rake at all, so her viewing must have been quite restricted! |
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Post by fiyero on Jan 11, 2022 16:20:33 GMT
I went for the show, the casting was a bonus. The pricing is getting scary, I so hope I manage to keep my £50 rear stalls ticket that I have coming up! I don't think I'd get downstairs again for so little money.
I agree with Viserys about the lobby. Not sure if it has changed but I couldn't see any signs for the upper circle so had to cross the lobby a few times before I asked for help. By that point I felt I might have a panic attack! (I'm not too worried about Covid overall but that was my first crushy crowd in a long time)
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Post by FrontroverPaul on Jan 11, 2022 23:51:14 GMT
There are currently seats available for tomorrow's Cabaret matinee in stalls rows F and H, and dress circle rows B, C and K. All cost £250.
The single row H seat is next to the one I had booked for a cancelled matinee last month. Price I paid and ATG credited me £70, price to see Cabaret tomorrow £250. Won't pay an extra £180.
I thought there was a chance that returns would go back on sale for the same price. I know it's market forces and theatres need all the revenue they can get but those are crazy prices.
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Post by distantcousin on Jan 12, 2022 9:31:38 GMT
The price gouging on this production has been a low point in the history of the West End, as far as I'm concerned!
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Post by crowblack on Jan 12, 2022 9:41:33 GMT
But is this true for Jessie Buckley and Eddie Redmayne? I first really noticed Jessie in the BBCs "War and Peace" which is nothing young people would go near and the Fantastic Beasts thing aside, Eddie seems more known for serious parts like The Theory of Everything and The Danish Girl these days too. I think Redmayne has a big fanbase, specially from Fantastic Beasts and before that things like the Les Mis movie, and it's not just teenagers into fandom now. Friends who don't normally go to the theatre will make the effort if it's someone famous from TV or film like David Tennant or Benedict Cumberbatch. |
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Post by distantcousin on Jan 13, 2022 8:53:16 GMT
But is this true for Jessie Buckley and Eddie Redmayne? I first really noticed Jessie in the BBCs "War and Peace" which is nothing young people would go near and the Fantastic Beasts thing aside, Eddie seems more known for serious parts like The Theory of Everything and The Danish Girl these days too. I think Redmayne has a big fanbase, specially from Fantastic Beasts and before that things like the Les Mis movie, and it's not just teenagers into fandom now. Friends who don't normally go to the theatre will make the effort if it's someone famous from TV or film like David Tennant or Benedict Cumberbatch. Sadly, yes. And they (the producers) know it know it. |
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Post by sfsusan on Jan 13, 2022 11:32:25 GMT
Was anyone else disappointed that Mr. Redmayne didn't wear the beaded top they show in the advertising photos?
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Post by floorshow on Jan 13, 2022 16:09:47 GMT
I think Redmayne has a big fanbase, specially from Fantastic Beasts and before that things like the Les Mis movie, and it's not just teenagers into fandom now. Friends who don't normally go to the theatre will make the effort if it's someone famous from TV or film like David Tennant or Benedict Cumberbatch. Sadly, yes. And they (the producers) know it know it. Potter and Doctor Who put bums on seats but they don't get this price hike - I assumed the rebuild must be the main factor, not the casting. Shocking they're not letting people rebook at the price they originally paid if their shows are cancelled though, that sticks in the throat a bit. Are they charging the same after the potential recasting? |
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Post by shambles on Jan 13, 2022 16:31:21 GMT
Sadly, yes. And they (the producers) know it know it. Potter and Doctor Who put bums on seats but they don't get this price hike - I assumed the rebuild must be the main factor, not the casting. Shocking they're not letting people rebook at the price they originally paid if their shows are cancelled though, that sticks in the throat a bit. Are they charging the same after the potential recasting? Yeah, I think the refurb is the main cost, since prices are the same post-March as well (plus I'm sure they would have got new "names", if not as big, then big enough). I don't think they have seats left to rebook for this cast, whatever comes up on the site seem to be returns only. But for those who want to go for the show and not necessarily cast, they should allow rebooking at the same price for the post-March run at least. |
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Post by inthenose on Jan 14, 2022 19:00:53 GMT
Rebooking at the same price after March is possible. For the same seat or equal quality? How? My friend is trying to do this. They were offered a terrible seat in exchange sadly |
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Post by A.Ham on Jan 16, 2022 14:48:15 GMT
I saw the matinee yesterday and loved it! Definitely like nothing I’ve ever been to before, from the club atmosphere as soon as I walked in the door, to the staging and costumes.
I watched the film many years ago but didn’t love it and so hadn’t remembered much of the plot, beyond the 1930s setting and Sally being a singer in a nightclub. I think the way they’ve dressed the venue and the performers you pass and mingle with on your way in really made it for me. The lighting and the music, and the free drink from the window in the corridor immediately set the scene. The auditorium too looked amazing and the way they used such a simple (and really very small) stage was brilliant.
All my comments should be taken in the context of being a first-timer to Cabaret, so I had no comparison against presumably more traditional previous productions. I assumed this one was a bit more out there than others, but I thought it was great. For an hour and 40 minute first half to hold my (and pretty much everyone else’s) attention was good going. Thankfully there were no particularly drunk or annoying audience members around me this time. I enjoyed Eddie as Emcee, and thought he was good, but Jessie was the star of the show for me.
The scenes with Omari as Cliff were brilliantly acted by her (I was particularly moved by the scene when Cliff is telling Sally they have to leave Berlin), and her Cabaret was wonderful - completely different to the Liza performance we’re all familiar with, but the emotion and meaning of the lyrics really came through for me. Eddie came alive when he performed bare-chested in the first half with the entire ensemble on stage with him, and his ‘madames et monsieurs’ was great. I’d loved Omari in It’s A Sin and also thought he did a great job in this. Also great to see Anna-Jane Casey as Fraulein Kost - the sailors proved a moment of much needed light relief (no pun intended!). My favourites though, and their story really moved me, were Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz - not knowing the story meant I was surprised and saddened by the warning given by the Nazis. Knowing a little of the period from school, I felt they really captured the sense of fear and foreboding.
I was sat in the centre of stalls row O (the first row behind four rows of table seating) and was really pleased with how close the stage was and how clearly I could see everything, with a step meaning the row was elevated above the tables in front. Feel very lucky to have grabbed a seat when it first went on sale as there’s now no way I could afford/justify the cost of going. I’d definitely be interested in seeing it again once the new cast members are in place (I assume it’s just Eddie and Jessie leaving rather than any of the others), but still no word on who those replacements will be. Any ideas or rumours? It’s only a couple of months now until they’ll be taking over.
It was also great to meet fellow board member Mark - thanks for the company!
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Post by theatreliker on Jan 16, 2022 15:34:31 GMT
Very much enjoyed this production last weekend. It's not a musical I love having previously seen the Rufus Norris tour with John Partridge a few years ago. But from when you enter the theatre, you're submerged into a 1930s Berlin cabaret here. It's decadent rather than seedy like some productions have gone far. Performances and direction all great but it's the whole approach and what they've done to the theatre which is what you leave talking about.
Nice to have free shots when we entered the theatre even if the £15 programme covers the cost of them.
Looking forward to seeing how Brian Conley and Bonnie Langford do when they take over from Redmayne and Buckley.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2022 16:04:37 GMT
Speaking of Brian and Bonnie, are there any rumours about who is taking over?
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Post by scarpia on Jan 16, 2022 16:48:04 GMT
Speaking of Brian and Bonnie, are there any rumours about who is taking over? I heard Bradley Cooper had been in the audience but whether that's because they're wanting him to take over or because he's just there for fun I have no idea, and it could well be the latter given this show has welcomed quite a few celebrities in the audience already. What I do know is that the two leads have already been recast. But the producers are naturally keeping this under wraps and haven't even told the current cast/crew as to who it'll be, as obviously if they did it would immediately leak. |
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Post by shambles on Jan 16, 2022 16:53:51 GMT
They seem to have people lined up before reviews had been out. Either the people they got saw the show and were smart enough to anticipate a good response, or they are possibly not as starry as these two? And I'm guessing Omari Douglas will also be leaving, or at least not going to be in much longer after March. His star seems to be rising, and he must have other offers knocking
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