Fred Ebb - Cabaret (Original Broadway Cast)

This original cast recording of Kander & Ebb's Cabaret is tough to beat: Jill Haworth as Sally Bowles, Joel Grey as the Master of Ceremonies, and Lotte Lenya as Fraulein Schneider all turn in classic performances that set a high-water mark for future reinterpretations. Lenya's "So What?" and "It Couldn't Please Me More" hark back to the dark cabaret work composed by her late husband, Kurt Weill, while other tunes ("Telephone Song," "Two Ladies") are much more upbeat. One of the best surprises found on this version--featuring liner notes by author Ken Mandelbaum--are the four previously unreleased (and fascinating) Kander & Ebb demo cuts and four brief intros for songs. The eight rarities are all low-fidelity but highlight the songwriting process of the pair nicely. --Jason Verlinde Amazon.com

Je suis enchanté!

Get a group of baby boomers together and ask each what vinyl album he or she played to near extinction. In my case, I wore out my "Cabaret (Original Broadway Cast)" with the bright yellow album cover.

I cannot tell you how many hot tears fell upon that spinning black disc, how many times I sang the title song at the top of my lungs "alone in my room" along with Jill Haworth as Sally Bowles, a wondrous affirmation of life. Every scratch on that vinyl is like a groove on my heart.

I was thrilled to find this 1998 rerecording on audio CD, released the same year as the Broadway revival. Like memory itself, some of the tracks are different from the 1966 vinyl release. Much to my delight, it also included four previously unreleased Kander & Ebb demo cuts with brief intros. Although one cannot dispute that the Bob Fosse-directed movie with Liza Minnelli deserved its eight Oscars, the original Broadway cast recording is definitely worth exploring!

What's more, both the original Broadway production and film share the incomparable Joel Grey, who won both the Tony and the Oscar for his role as the Master of Ceremonies. Whatever version, Joel beckons to us, "Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome! Im Cabaret, au Cabaret, to Cabaret!" October 20, 2007

a great original cast recording........

I have never seen the film version of CABARET, nor the stage version. Yet, when I first heard the vinyl version of this original cast recording, I felt like I was in the audience, watching the creepy Master of Ceremonies (the wonderful and understatedly sleezy Joel Grey), beautiful British Sally Bowles (Jill Haworth), and her American boyfriend, Cliff (Bert Convy), from my seat on at mezzanine level, with a pair of field glasses on opening night!

The plot of CABARET is a bit elaborate, so, I won't go into details, here. What's more, giving away too much plot will ruin your experience. This is a musical that you just have to experience for yourself. Set during the height of Nazi occupation, the cabaret is the one venue people go to escape war and pain. The sleezy underworld of the cabaret runs rampant with sexual innuendo, dancing girls and hedonism. The Master of Ceremonies (Grey) presents sexy dancers, a dancing gorilla and welcome everyone to the venue in three languages ("Wilkommen"). Due to fate, he encounters Sally Bowles (Jill Haworth), a free spirited performer who falls in love with Cliff, an American (Burt Convey).

Okay, no more plot. I will tell you this. The music is catchy, wickedly bawdy and full of entendre. Written by John Kander and Fred Ebb, it examines the ins and outs of cultural clash, identity and human violence. The instrumental is deceptively peppy, as if to conceal a reality that the performers are desperately trying to hide. I reccomend this as an engrossing period piece, as well as a great example of the musical theater repertoire. May 14, 2007

A Classic

If you want to hear Cabaret well sung, get the film soundtrack. Liza Minelli is sublime, and adapting the role of Sally Bowles to suit her talents was a stroke of genius, and part of the reason why so many consider the movie (arguably) a masterpiece.

If you want to hear it performed in the true spirit in which it was written, get the OBC. Not for Jill Hayworth as Sally, or even Joel Grey as the Emcee, both are excellent, but get it for Lotte Lenya as Frau Schneider. Her throaty, raspy, accented singing style is totally captivating. Her duets with Jack Gilford (also perfectly cast in the best role of his long career) are charming and bittersweet. But the real reason, and I think the core to Cabarets story, is the song, What Would You Do? It is gut wrenching, her delivery is full of pain, yearning and bewilderment. She asks the question that I'm sure thousands of Germans asked, pre-WWII, in the event of having to sacrifice or face painful consequences. No easy or pleasant answer, and what Cabaret is really about, the sacrifices each character must make, and the choices they have to choose. July 22, 2006

A LANDMARK IN THE HISTORY OF MODERN MUSICALS

This is one of those musicals that you may perfectly describe as a landmark in the History of Musicals. It helps to define the transitional period between the Golden Age of the fifties and the musicals that came right after. Impossible to classify it as a musical comedy, since it deals with most dramatic issues, as WEST SIDE STORY did it before. It's rough, dramatic, violent staff but so wonderfully conceived! If you have the movie soundtrack (who doesn't?) and you think that's it, you're wrong. The musical play differs a great deal from the movie, which was "remodelled" to stress Liza Minelli's talent. She certainly did a wonderful job in the excellent movie adaptation, but the musical play contains some songs that were cut out or replaced to fit Miss Minelli's leading performance. Even the story line suffered some changes once translated into the silver screen. Both the movie and the play are excellent, but different. So, if you have the movie soundtrack, get this one as well, and you'll be surprised to find some different material from the movie recording. June 29, 2006

The Original "Cabaret"

While the 1972 movie starring Liza Minnelli is probably the most well-known version of "Cabaret", this 1966 Broadway version is where it all started.

Led by a talented cast, including Jill Haworth (Sally Bowles), Lotte Lenya (Fraulein Schneider), and the incredible Joel Grey (Master Of Ceremonies), this Kander & Ebb musical is excellent and contains a classic score.

Best tracks include:

Wilkommen (Mr. Grey's signature song)
Two Ladies
It Couldn't Please Me More
Tomorrow Belongs To Me
The Money Song
Married
If You Could See Her
Cabaret

One should note, however, that two classic "Sally Bowles" songs were added for the movie: "Mein Herr" & "Maybe This Time".

This is a great cd! ... but if you want a version that includes these songs, try the movie soundtrack or the 1999 Revival Cast (which also includes "I Don't Care Much"). July 14, 2005

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