China Moses in Cabaret, currently touring France. Picture: Patrick Riou
Cabaret was performed at the Odyssud in Blagnac, near Toulouse, France and continues to tour France until the summer.
Star rating: 3 stars ***
Only two years after the second and last run of the Sam Mendes revival of Cabaret at Theatre Marigny, comes this touring production at the beautiful Odyssud auditorium in Blagnac, near Toulouse, where the New York Harlem production of George Gerswhin’s Porgy and Bess is due from 17 to 22 March.
Whereas the Stage Entertainment presentation of the Broadway revival was entirely spoken and sung in French, this version deliberately makes the choice of having the songs in English while the book is acted in French. This may seem odd at times but still works in the context of the cabaret.
The interesting choice this production takes is to turn the book songs such as ‘So What?’ into cabaret numbers, much in the way that Chicago tells its whole story through vaudeville songs.
This also works to show off the talent of French singing star Nicole Croisille, portraying Fraulein Schneider, with such panache that she easily overshadows Sally Bowles as the central character of the piece.
In fact, the very good jazz singer and performer, China Moses, turns out to be just as miscast in the role of Sally Bowles as her mother Dee Dee Bridgewater was when she played the part in the Jerome Savary version of the show at the Mogador more than 20 years ago.
As Clifford Bradshaw movie actor Samuel Theis is thoroughly convincing, as is Patrick Zimmermann as Herr Shultz (his doomed romance with Fraulein Schneider is truly believable).
As the Emcee, Eric Perez lacks some charisma, but the ensemble as choreographed by Glyslein Lefever – though not West End calibre – works well within the frame of the ingenious set design by Patrick Gouron. brilliant costumes by Jean-Michel Angays and clever direction by Olivier Desbordes.
All in all, an interesting and unusual take on a slightly overdone masterpiece, maybe not as political or as divinely decadent as the recent London revival, but which still makes its point and generously entertains.
It feels so good to have the ‘Telephone Song’ and the original ‘Money’ song back where they belong. Only for that and Croisille’s performance is this Cabaret well worth a visit when it visits the Massy Opéra (11 and 12 April), as part of an extensive national tour. It’s good news that there seems to be a French touring circuit for musicals at last.
Patrick Honoré
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