| In Defense of Bebe('s Ovation) | |
| Posted by: DanielVincent 11:02 pm EDT 08/05/24 | |
| In reply to: re: Memories of Lotte Lenya and Other Schneiders in Cabaret? - AlanScott 06:11 pm EDT 08/05/24 | |
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| Firstly, let me agree with the general sentiment that is frequently expressed on this board--and certainly seems to be an undercurrent in this thread--that today's audiences are often overly enthusiastic to a distracting and disruptive extent. As has come up before, the de facto standing ovation at the end of a show seems, to me, to be a way that audiences can confirm for themselves that their experience was well worth its extreme cost...or, perhaps less cynically, that they were part of something special. While little is more exciting to me than a genuine communal response, it concerns me that I'm seeing more and more midshow standing ovations in New York, most of which don't strike me as worthy of such a reaction. I worry that, because standing ovations during bows are now commonplace (and people are increasingly aware of it), the midshow standing ovation is creeping in as the new means of confirming a worthwhile experience. I don't want the unmerited interruption. I'll also add to this lengthy prelude that I consider myself something of a Cabaret superfan. I saw the Mendes/Marshall production around 20 times across its two iterations at the Roundabout. Although "What Would You Do?" did sometimes elicit applause, for the most part, the audience did not get the chance. The direction seems to have been similar to the approach that others have described Prince as having taken: there was little to no breathing room between the end of the song and the ensuing dialogue, which forced us to sit in the sad surrender of Fraulein Schneider's decision. The air in the theater felt dense with sorrow and, more often than not, Fraulein Schenider's exit line ("I regret everything") was crushing, especially as delivered by Carole Shelley, who conveyed better than any of the other excellent performs I saw her character's understanding that she was giving up her last chance of happiness for a guarantee of survival. While I also consider myself a big fan of Neuwirth's, when I started reading reports that "What Would You Do?" was stopping the show, it made me nervous. I wondered if she was somehow sacrificing humble Fraulein Schneider's domestic tragedy for the showbiz razmataz of Velma, Nickie, Roxie, Lola, and even, in an odd way, the grandmother in The Bedwetter. (We won't discuss Morticia.) In other words, I worried she was chasing applause rather than being true to the character. I was extraordinarily wrong. Neuwirth's performance is seemingly devoid of ego, and certainly devoid of the ego we often associate with aging sexpots. In her delivery of "What Would You Do?," she delivers a masterclass in acting through song. In the hands of every other performer I've seen in the role, the song's title question has seemed rhetorical--but SHE ACTUALLY ASKS IT. Sometimes it's a challenge. Sometimes it's a plea for counsel. But it's always an attempt to solicit something from Cliff. Whether or not they know it, I think audiences are so moved by the song because, in a production that is oppressively weighed down with style and concept and technique with no humanity, it is a rare and desperately raw moment of human connection. (And not raw in the Gayle Rankin "who can scream the loudest?" kind of way.) The audience responds with such huge emotion because they are finally feeling huge emotion. Her ability to translate the lyrics into genuine communication might alone have made it a tour de force. But the song becomes especially powerful because of the moment when history is meeting this production. Never in my life would I have ever believed that we are as close to the rise of fascism in America as we are now. While I don't think the merits of this production are even a tiny fraction of what the Roundabout revivals had to offer, it is, sadly, infinitely and disturbingly more relevant. Whether or not it's Neuwirth's intention, at some point, her Schneider is not just asking Cliff what he would or is going to do about the social and political crisis they're facing, she is asking the audience. The audience erupts because they feel inspired to act by her indirect address of them. More than any other moment in the production, the song is a call to action for everyone sitting in that theater. I hope her question continues to ring in their ears in the coming months. (Incidentally, I first saw this production in London a couple of years ago. Though the staging was the same, "What Would You Do?" did not have the same effect.) And, in case anyone was wondering, yes, a smattering of people did stand up after the song. I did not. It was incredible, but, for me, to earn a midshow ovation, a performance has to be so incredible that standing up is practically a reflex. I did, however, contribute to the copious exit applause Neuwirth earned. Because she really did earn it. I doubt she'll be talked about with the same reverence as Verdon or Rivera because she hasn't had the chance to create great roles in great musicals from the ground up the way they did, but I believe her performances will be rapturously and deservingly praised for decades to come. She is one of the greats and, in the moments after what was--for me--the superlative rendition of "What Would You Do?", we all felt it. |
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| Previous: | re: Memories of Lotte Lenya and Other Schneiders in Cabaret? - NewtonUK 09:00 am EDT 08/06/24 |
| Next: | re: In Defense of Bebe('s Ovation) - huskyital 12:33 pm EDT 08/07/24 |
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