Was Liza too talented for Cabaret?

The Broadway Maven, David Benkof, interprets Broadway

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Shalom!

This week, The Broadway Maven looks at Cabaret and Hairspray:

• On Monday, February 7 at Noon and 7 pm ET, there will be a FREE Zoom class exploring Fosse’s remarkable 1972 musical film. It’s the best-received class The Broadway Maven offers. Register here.

• On Thursday, February 10 at Noon and 7 pm ET, there will be a FREE Zoom class on Hairspray. Register here.

• This Weekly Blast:

A) looks at whether Liza Minnelli was too talented a singer to play Sally Bowles in Cabaret;

B) links a YouTube Gem about talented teens playing Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray;

C) RAVES about a dual biography of Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber; and

D) links to a YouTube GEM with the shot-by-shot reproduction of Cabaret’s “Mein Herr” in the TV series Fosse/Verdon.

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A common complaint about the 1972 film version of the musical Cabaret is that Liza Minnelli is too capable to play the eager but only modestly talented Sally Bowles.

I disagree.

It’s true that the Bowles we get from director Bob Fosse shares a name with the character from the stage musical. But Liza’s Sally is different. An American rather than a Brit, she is brasher and blunter. Why can’t she also be a better singer?

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Which high school Tracy Turnblad does the best job? Put your answer in the comments.

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I recently read Sondheim & Lloyd Webber: The Musical by Stephen Citron, a dual biography from 2001 that traces the long careers (well, all but the last two decades) of those leading lights of musical theater composition. The book provides lots of fascinating backstage details on lesser-known shows like Pacific Overtures and Starlight Express as well as fresh interpretations off more-popular shows like Gypsy and Into the Woods.

I would have liked more comparisons between the careers and work of the two masters. But the side-by-side chronology was still a helpful, fresh perspective on the history of musical theater.

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The television series Fosse/Verdon triumphed with several of its recreations of the choreography of that dancing team. Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the movie version and the TV version of Cabaret’s “Mein Herr.”

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Bob Fosse’s Cabaret is a near-perfect musical film filled with images and symbolism that underscore his themes of decadence, delusion, and despair with the rise of the Nazis in Weimar Germany.

What does the Cabaret symbolize? What’s the real topic of “Mein Herr”? And who is Elsie? (“I used to have a girlfriend known as Elsie…”)

It’s the best class offered by The Broadway Maven. Give it a try.

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For your Cabaret homework, watch this one-minute video about symbols like the names in the film Cabaret. What does the Kit Kat Klub represent in the film? Explain your answer in the comments.

For your Hairspray homework, watch the video with the lyrics from Hairspray. Which two lyrics are your favorites? Explain your answers in the comments.

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Note: links to register for ALL classes are ALWAYS available at TheBroadwayMaven.com.

• Monday, February 7: Bob Fosse’s Cabaret (FREE, Noon and 7 pm ET)

• Thursday, February 10: Hairspray (FREE, Noon and 7 pm ET)

• Monday, February 14: Gypsy (FREE, Noon and 7 pm ET)

• Thursday, February 17: West Side Story (FREE, Noon and 7 pm ET)

and save the dates for classes with special guests (registration opens soon):

• Monday, February 21 Next to Normal with Pulitzer Prizewinners Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt (FREE, Noon ET ONLY)

• Monday, March 21: Ain’t Misbehavin’ with Tony winner Murray Horwitz (FREE, Noon ET ONLY)

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The Broadway Maven, David Benkof, helps students further their appreciation of musical theater through his classes, his YouTube Channel, and his Weekly Blast. Contact him at DavidBenkof@gmail.com.