Last night I a dream Ive had since I was 14 came true and I got to see the brilliant Alan Cumming (one of my all time favorite actors) reprise his Tony winning role as the Master of Ceremonies in the utterly spectacular Sam Mendes (who is the modern Orson Welles in my opinion) production of CABARET at Studio 54. Ive like the film Cabaret since I was 12, and when one day, when I was 15 and at my job at the Main Public Library in downtown Columbus, I came across a book about what was then a new revival of Cabaret on Broadway....I read the script and saw all of these photos of Alan Cumming as the MC and I was so gutted that I would never be able to see this groundbreaking new vision of Cabaret. Alan Cumming would of course end up becoming one of my favorite actors after I saw him play Emperor Saturnine in the Julie Taymor film Titus. Fortunately, the Mendes Cabaret has been revived by the same theater company that put it on in 1998, Roundabout. Mendes is back directing, Cumming back as the MC, and Michelle Williams is playing the famous Sally Bowles. I got to enjoy this brilliant piece of theater with non other than my very dear friend Bob Wood. Bob has been one of my closest friends for many years and when I was in college trying to figure out if I should go to Chicago or NYC, it was Bob who really encouraged me to move to New York. My life trajectory as a musician/artist/overall human being might be very different if Bob hadnt always been pushing for me to go to NYC. I think those of you that know Bob know what a great human being he is. I will say this: Alan Cumming is nothing short of demonically brilliant in this show, and Michelle Williams gives us a much more human Sally than has been previously seen. This production is well acted by all...and it is really, really powerful emotionally and visually as it shows the rise of Nazism in 1931 Berlin. The ending sent chills down my spine, and I cried. I didnt cry when watching the Bob Fosse film version of Cabaret (made famous by the performances of Liza Minelli and Joel Grey)..but I cried during this production, which is, for me, superior to the film. Fun fact: A young Alan Cumming would be one of my two choices to play me in a film. My other choice would be a young Gary Oldman.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 18:59:40 +0000
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