Cabaret is a musical theatre stable in anyones collection; its an incredible score and amazing story. After the original production its been remounted so many times in many West End and Broadway revivals and has featured many huge stars including Judi Dench, Teri Hatcher, Samantha Barks, Natasha Richardson, Brooke Shilds, Neil Patrick Harris, Adam Pascal, Norbert Lee Butz, Carole Shelley, Kim Medcalf, Wayne Sleep, Harriet Thopre, Emma Stone and Siân Phillips to name a few! We look back at some of the major productions that include the original Broadway production, the 1993 London Donmar Warehouse proaction, the 2006 London revival, 2014 Broadway revival and the most recent UK tour featuring Will Young and Louise Redknapp. Take a look and share your favourite moments of the show with us on Twitter! @PocketSizeBlog #PocketThenNow
The Emcee
Joel Grey (1966), Alan Cumming (1993), James Dreyfus (2006), Alan Cumming (2014) & Will Young (2017)
Sally Bowles
Jill Haworth (1966), Jane Horrocks (1993), Anna Maxwell Martin (2006), Michelle Williams (2014) & Louise Redknapp (2017)
The premier production of Cabaret opened on Broadway in 1966
with a US Tour and a West End production opening in 1968. The iconic film
starring Liza Minnelli was released in 1972 after the success of the musical. After
three West End revivals and two Broadway revivals the show returns to London,
playing at the Savoy Theatre after a short UK tour. The musical is based on the
play ‘I am a Camera’ which was adapted from the novel ‘Goodbye to Berlin’.
The
story focuses on nightlife at the Kit Kat Club in World War II Germany following
the relationship between English Cabaret performer Sally Bowles and American
writer Cliff Bradshaw. This recent revival reunites the creative team from the
2006 London revival at the Lyric Theatre, however they’ve re-imagined the show and
given it a new life but stuck to the original idea that they put together for
their last production. Rufus Norris really understand this production and what
he wants to give to the audience, he’s presented an intelligent but entertaining
piece which presents the story in a way in which the audience are completely
engaged and the links he has created between the Kit Kat Club and 1931 Germany
is astonishing.
