As I was working in London last weekend took the opportunity to see a show. Cabaret at the Lyric. The set was dark as it closely followed the doom and grit of the original story rather than the glamour of the Kit Kat club. I found this slightly boring as I want a great visual experience when I go to see musical theatre. But the decadence of the scantily clad cabaret performers, both homoerotic and perverse, made up for it.
The production did not grab some of the moments that were there to grab. In particular one of the most chilling and fascinating songs which capture the start of the Nazi youth movement, Tomorrow Belongs To Me, was very watered down only to be slightly reprised in Act 2 which diluted the the impact the song should have had altogether.
Kim Metcalfe also did not grab her moment as Sally Bowles. Great voice but no danger, excitement or evidence of the cocaine addicted mess the character is. Honor Blackman, beautiful and as graceful as she is, is so lightweight. BUT it's James Dreyfuss as the Emcee who is magnificent. From the opening moment he never lets it go, his presence is the embodiment of the utter sleaze the play is all about. You just wait for him to return on stage when he's not on.
If it was not for his performance I would have easily forgotten that I had been.