| I have seen Auli'i Cravalho and Adam Lambert -- they're great! | |
| Posted by: DistantDrumming 03:03 am EST 12/12/24 | |
| In reply to: Anyone see the new Sally Bowles? - bobby2 12:15 am EST 12/12/24 | |
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| ... a few months ago, earlier in their run, and I thought they were both SUPERB. I was not familiar Auli'i Cravalho before, but I was very impressed. She has a killer voice, she does a very credible British accent, I found she had just the right mix of charisma, charm, bitterness and world weariness for the role. I believe she's quite young, but she never read as "too young" for the role when I saw her. I saw this same production in London last winter. I wish I could tell you who I saw in London, but, of course, they don't provide programs/Playbills. But, it was during Jake Shears' run (though, he was not in the evening we were there.) The London Sally was fabulous. One difference I noted between the London Sally and Auli'i Cravalho was that I felt Cravalho managed to inject a touch more musicality and beauty into her singing without, it should be noted, abandoning the overall tone/conceit of the production. So, yes, for example, Don't Tell Mama may sound a bit more brash than you're used to. And, yes, the title song is incredibly dramatic and much more raw than I've ever heard in previous productions, but Cravalho's singing is never... outright ugly or shrill. Although you didn't ask, Lambert is also fantastic. I knew we'd get superb vocals, but I figured we'd get a bit of a preening performance from an American Idol star and Queen lead singer. But, in fact, Lambert is happily returning to his theatre roots here. He proves a very fine musical theatre performer with just the right mix of charm, naughtiness and, when called for, menace that this role demands. They were great co-leads. I also thought the actor playing Cliff, Calvin Leon Smith, was a dramatic improvement over the Cliff we saw in London. The London Cliff was quite... flat and didn't really justify being the center of this story. The Broadway Cliff is a very fine performer. And, while I understand the skepticism about a Black actor playing a character whom an avowed Nazi befriends, Calvin Leon Smith is so convincing that, in the context of the performance, I never questioned it like I kind of did in London. I guess that's the difference between a serviceable and a very fine performance. I didn't think Bebe Neuwirth or Steven Skybell were as strong as their London counterparts who looked more age-appropriate and were so charming they almost stole the show in London. Bebe's voice is really shot now, too. And, despite her being, technically, age-appropriate, she is still so lithe and beautiful and moves with such dancer's grace, that she never fully convinces as this old German woman. BUUUUUT, it's Bebe, so, of course, she is such a pleasure to watch, still and there is such delight in seeing the original 1996 Velma in another iconic Kander & Ebb show, too. The ensemble and the band were terrific, too. So, long story short, IF you can go with this production's concept/direction (which a lot of people on here did not care for), you should ABSOLUTELY see it with this cast. |
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| Previous: | Anyone see the new Sally Bowles? - bobby2 12:15 am EST 12/12/24 |
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