iTunes Exclusive Episode Cabaret

Shh, regret it, whew. Didn't we actually go in until he quit? Not here.

Man! Last time, you were extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra rest of theidan. Greetings, Empire member and or members.

If you are hearing the sound of my voice, it means the following conditions have been met. It means at least once in your life you have listened to the clubhouse podcast, your one-stop shop for all things pop culture live every Sunday, night at 70's turn for Pacific, but it also means you subscribe on iTunes because it is time for another iTunes exclusive. The 210th one of these things.

My name is Rob. I am the executive producer of the clubhouse podcast and I can spell a cabaret. That's about all I got for you.

I am not alone for this particular episode joining me across the desk as he tends to do is a man that believes life is a cabaret, but sometimes it's closed. He is chat. Welcome, sir.

More often than not, it's closed. Also joining us for this particular episode is the official fact checker of this show and a man who's putting on his top hat and tighten up his white tie and that all got good stuff. You may know it was fun, don't go to his mom and even Don Ford.

I'm going to come Don Ford welcome, sir. Speak of that treptrous man. He's a top hat cancel.

Who ended up opening for touch? Jeffrey Jones, Walker, whatever. Jerry Jeff Walker?

Jerry Jeff Walker? Jerry Jeff Walker? Jerry Jeff Walker?

Jerry Jeff Walker? Jerry Jeff Walker? Jerry Jeff Walker?

Jerry Jeff Walker? Not even close. But the scary part is I actually knew where what he was trying to go.

Yeah. Normally when we do one of these things, it is to review something and this is no exception. Today, we are reviewing a staged production that's currently as we are recording this is live at the Windspir Opera House part of the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas.

It is cabaret. Before we start this whole thing, we have to think Cindy Evans, everybody at ATT pack. We love those people.

Cindy, we love it. Beautiful facility. Beautiful group of facilities.

I want to say we visited almost all of them at this point. I believe so. Some are out there.

It is the classic story cabaret taking place in pre-World War II Germany at the Kit Cat Club. I mean, really do we need to go too deep into this thing to really describe it? I mean, there there is.

Because I don't want to give away too much. I mean, there are certain presentations that are when you mention the when you even say Broadway musical. There are certain iconic images that just jumped to mind.

And Fossi's presentation of cabaret Fossi with Fossi, with Liza Manell and her bowler hat and her bow tie is just one of those things that immediately you think of when someone mentions music. Which also has been referenced in many different places in pop culture. Oh yeah, yeah.

It's kind of almost saturated pop culture. But I was unable to attend this particular performance. I was on the road as my job requires me to do it from time to time.

So I'm going to kind of rely on you guys to kind of fill everybody in. Let's talk about because again, this is another one of those productions that's had a number of retellings and number of versions. How was this particular version from a story standpoint?

Well, if you're accustomed to the film version, which don't I don't know if you're familiar with the film version or not. The film version took a lot of liberties with the original stage book. They've completely swapped the nationalities around.

From if you're more because most people are going to be familiar with the the film version rather than the stage version. Because then the film version, he's from England, she's from America. Okay, we're in the stage production that's the exact opposite.

He's cut. Does that change the dynamic? Did it change the dynamic for you or was it kind of even keel?

Well, I mean, I don't really think it had a negative effect on it. It's just kind of jarring for people that maybe, wow, I was expecting to hear him with a British accent, not her. So if if anything else, that may be the one thing that might kind of take you out of it for a second.

But it just through a brief adjustment period, you move on to you barely notice it. But he's basically come to Berlin to research a book that he's working on. Okay.

She's working in a CD nightclub. And here we go. And it's right on the edge of one or two breaking out.

And it's a it's a steam roller that if you're living in Berlin, if you don't see it coming, you've got blinders on. And unfortunately, the majority of the people associated with this story are wearing blinders. They're they're they're fairly oblivious to what's happening around them.

I'll ask sound of music. It kind of guy creeps up on you from the edges. And then the next thing you know, it's all you see.

It's all that they can think about because it's unavoidable. Okay. Everywhere you turn, it's in your face at this point.

You know, it's it's like you can act like it's not happening. But they ain't going to help you none. Because it's happening whether you want to acknowledge it or not.

Okay. But it's it's very well told. I think you will agree with me, Dawn.

Where did you ever? Because I know there have been a couple of productions in recent memory where we just kind of get where we felt like the storytelling gets lost amongst everything else. I agree with you on that because I really got into the story.

Now I know kind of there's kind of two stories in it. One's the story of the group of the people at the boarding house or whatever you want to call it. And then the story of the cabaret itself.

And I love how it's the MC will talk to the people. Yeah. Talk to the crowd.

There is some fourth wall break and going on. He's the dead fool of cabaret. Yeah.

He's talking to the MC will talk to the audience which I really liked and give some music, give some dancing, all that stuff. And then it goes to the story of the basically the people at the boarding house. You could say one great segue.

He's like the segue. He will go from setting up or maybe doing a little bit of exposition on the previous scene and then he'll do a little song and dance number. Next thing, we're on stage again and he's the focal point of the other side.

I would say that. He's kind of like, hey, but I mean just like the rest of the kind of role he plays. Kind of but it's but he's not so he's in your face but he's not that kind of anything.

He said MC not a storyteller. Yeah. Exactly.

That's what he's the MC not to say. Yeah. He doesn't come across like, you know, a what's his name from, from little John and Robert Hood.

He'll walk it through the floor. He's not that kind of a guy. But he does his job extremely well, both in the context of the story and the actor portraying his role.

And one thing I loved. Well, back to that though. Yeah.

In this storyline is how the the set itself is two levels. It's the main set with just like three doors. Which is my love the way it's whenever they set a stage up like that.

And then the top of it above that's another level where the orchestra plays, which you see them play through the whole thing. The orchestra is plainly visible in full costume. I mean they're not dressed in tuxes.

They are playing in the cabaret. And the thing I love is how they will, which I put my written view at www.cobasplacast.com. That's our website.

I put on their how I love how these dancers will come down in dance and I love the outfits because you had some cuties up there. I was my I was a gleaming ladies, but then they'll go up and start playing in orchestra again, which I'd never seen. I cannot think of what it reminds you a lot of like the way they did it in once.

You could kind of see that. Yeah. But a little bit different style, but I mean, yeah, they did full bore acting, singing all that and they go up and start playing in the orchestra again.

Not once how they kind of went just to the side. No, they went up, sat down, did they were back as band members again. I know the one you were watching.

I know the one you were watching. Yeah, you were the one playing the viola. The viola, the viola.

Well played, sir. Thank you. I don't get to do that very often.

And see what's some of the men in the in that too. I've like the sax player come down and see. Oh my god.

He got like almost a standing ovation. They did like what didn't write at the beginning of the second act. They had like a full on jam session.

Nice. Like it was just them. I guess we kind of need to explain the way that riser is set up.

It's like you're looking at the top center of the riser and it looks like you're looking into a window that's slightly skew with light bulbs peppered all around the frame. But besides the frame, there's something. Yeah, I saw the picture that you got.

Okay. Okay. But they're centered in the frame.

The whole orchestra is crammed into that frame and they are jamming. There's no dialogue. They're just playing it.

And that sax player hit a solo. And everybody's like, I mean, he got a rockus round of a wall. How will go to them playing a solo?

Then he go back to the story. Yeah. I really love that.

This thing flowed like everything I can recall that we've seen in recent memory. Yeah, it goes from back and forth. But they did it right.

And there's some other review we just recently did. You know, it's night and day. They did it right.

So from a technical standpoint, everything on the floor. Wow. Okay.

Yeah. Sound wasn't credible. Singing wasn't credible.

And I want to say one of the two you and your written review at www.theclubhousepodcast.com. Which is our website. Said something on the order of one of the best that you've done.

Do you've seen since we've been reviewing these things? That would probably be. I guess that was you because I didn't say that, but I definitely I definitely echo that sentiment.

It was, well, don't, yo, I did say this was one of the finest Broadway shows I've ever had the opportunity to attend. So that would be me. That was, that's a code directly from our website.

I was kind of like me reading. I was like, wow, because for those of you don't know, we can pull back the kernel, but I actually am the one that handles all the website stuff. So I am the one that reads through all the reviews to make sure they go where they're supposed to go.

So by by de facto, I read every review that we have. Yeah, you don't have a choice. Any criticisms of this thing?

I can't think of one. Don't. I'm thinking.

I, I just cannot find something because I loved that the setting was was incredible. It was kind of simple, but they did it right because he had two sets. And how often can you think of the stairwells that went across?

Yeah. On each side. How often can you think of when we talk about these things, where we always can find one actor that just didn't fit?

Oh, no. The MC was, I got to give it out. My shout out has to go to Randy Harrison.

How's the MC? I mean, he and for fans of queer assaults. That's the guy that was on queer assaults.

Yeah, he's a regular, he was a regular on Showtime's Queer's Folk. And he crushes this thing. And he is a constant presence throughout the entire production.

So there's no avoiding him. And for those of you that don't, I mean, you may or may not know, this is the role that was originated on screen by Jennifer Gray's dad, Joel Gray, he got an Oscar for the thing. This kid, I know we've talked, again, we talked several times about people that were born to play certain roles.

He owns this role. If they do, if they do a retelling of this on screen, you better get Mark to play this to play this guy. I mean, I'm not Mark Randy.

I'm looking at another character. Mark Nelson who played her shults, who I absolutely adored. That guy, he was so lovable.

You couldn't help but cheer for the guy. And also a drink, Ross, when she's saying, oh, yeah, your lead, Sally. Yeah, when she did, there's a couple of solos she kind of did in man that she belted it.

I mean, she's doing one like in the apartment and another one in the cabaret itself. I mean, she belted it out. The one at the end.

Yeah, the truck, the mic moment. Yeah. Yeah.

I mean, they acting, they fed off each other. They had great chemistry between the two. The lighting.

I love the light. Oh, yeah. Oh, gosh.

Yeah. I mean, when it starts off in the first scene, there's actually black lights going for the first 10 feet in the audience. Yeah.

It was faint and like a purple black light. Like a black light kind of purple, you know, but I I can't find something I didn't like. Oh, I think we'd almost be remiss if we didn't mention that Randy Harrison, the MC actually goes into the crowd and pulls him into the aisle to start dancing.

That's them. Yeah, right up the intermission. And you better not ignore him because he will make you pay for it.

Oh, yeah. I show you some final analysis then. I, yeah.

I don't want to stop talking about this production because it was it was just that good. Now I will go to the ending. Yeah, I mean, I mean, and I will, if you want me to do this, boy, I will not spoil this for anybody, but I will tell you this.

Once again, if you're a custom to the film portrayal of this story, you are not prepared for how this thing ends. You do not see this ending coming, and it will leave you slack, John. I didn't know, I didn't know, I was like, we didn't know how to react.

And I don't say that this is not a negative thing at all. This is not bashing it. It was so stunning and surprising the way this thing ends.

You're shocked. I mean, you're literally shocked out of out of your skull. One kid's how the set is during the whole thing and then all the sun boom.

Yeah. And then it takes a, it takes a form that you haven't seen throughout the entire thing. Just, you don't see it coming in number two.

We're leaving. And I'm just saying, did that happen or what did that happen? Yeah.

I was trying to get confirmation because I was just trying to go, oh my, oh, I was, because I was just blown away by the ending. That it's the ending. That, I mean, there are so many talking points about this thing with with Andre Goss and Mark Nelson and Randy Harrison that just turned in just captivating performances.

But it's the ending that will have everybody buzzing. Yeah. I promise you that we have to warm the empire.

There's some scenes in there. Don't bring the kids. Yeah.

This is on a on a pippin level of of boring the lines between you. Yeah. Yeah.

You, you heard people go, okay. Wouldn't expect that to happen on stage. But I'm not seeing that come.

I mean, it is called cabaret. Yeah. Now we're going to say is the curtain scene.

That's all. Yeah. Yeah.

The curtain with the, the silhouette behind the, yeah, the shadows behind the curtain. Yeah. Oh, oh, yeah.

So yeah, not for the kids, but still in very Austin powers. Whether you're really timid in in your, or very conservative or whatever, still I, you would enjoy this thing. Yeah.

This, you know, and it'll, it'll give you something to think about. All right. So ready for final analysis.

Absolutely. I do do the final analysis on this show. We're not going to give you thumbs up, thumbs down, letter grades, numbers, stars, anything like that.

Our audience whom we affectionately refer to as the empire. They expect us to go deeper than that. So we're going to.

I'm going to ask these gentlemen to questions. Question number one is, would they see this production again? If the answer is no, then we're done here.

The answer is, yes, since it's a stage production, things are a little bit different. I'm going to ask them where they want to sit to see it again, because that'll judge on how much they're, how much they're willing to invest. Chad, would you say this again?

Absolutely. Where are you sitting? I, I'd want to sit about maybe four, five rows back from the edge of the stage.

Okay. I don't want, I don't want my view obstructed, and I want to get as close as I can. Would you see it again?

Oh, definitely. Where are you sitting? Anywhere.

Sitting on the roof. Yeah. Yeah.

I'd be happy to be in the raffers just to watch from behind the stage. It's that good. Yeah.

And again, this goes through the Winspir Opera House on June 5th. Very short run. Yeah.

Very short run. It's the way you can, man. And you don't want to miss this one.

And again, we have to think Cindy Evans, every T, everybody at ATT pack in the course of Winspir Opera House. That was one heck of a night that I did not see coming that off so surprised. Unforgettable.

Yeah. Absolutely unforgettable. See this thing.

All right. Anything else for we do the plugs? It is cabaret.

Visit our website. The aforementioned www.theclubhousepodcast.com. Find out everything you need to know in some stuff you don't.

Check out our Facebook page and like it, please. Look up the clubhouse podcast on Facebook and Instagram. Same both ways with the word podcast on the end or something completely different.

Follow us on Twitter at clubhouse show. You can follow me on Twitter if you would like. I am a guest at Rob Irvin, which is also on Instagram that is spelled E RV.

I am on Twitter at chat in BG69. I'm at fondong. Go and you can email me at dawn at theclubhousepodcast.com.

Email dawn for information on how we can come to a live show for you. We love doing live remote shows and hanging out with the empire. You can email me if you'd like questions, comments, concerns, tell me to go out and say, and I am Rob at theclubhousepodcast.com.

I am chat at theclubhousepodcast.com. Charlotte Parker is on Pinterest because we are morally obligated to say that. Jules Wormick, I'm assuming she loved this as much as you did.

Absolutely. Our normal show every Sunday night seven Eastern for Pacific is your one-stop shop for all things pop culture. Or just keep subscribing on iTunes or you get everything.

So until next time, for Don, for Chad, for the Empire, I'm Rob, clubhouse is closed.