Violet and Cabaret at NYU
On Sunday afternoon I attended the final performance of the long-ignored Jeanine Tesori musical VIOLET at Steinhardt. John Simpkins, the director, also helmed the school's absolutely exceptional production of FLOYD COLLINS last year. VIOLET, which is not nearly as important a musical as FLOYD COLLINS, is still a pretty smart and captivating show. And to be honest, I had never seen it before.
Just as in FLOYD COLLINS, Simpkins provided a truly first-class, professional production of this difficult musical about a facially scarred young woman who travels by bus in 1964 to find a televangelist who she believes can heal her. Caitlyn Caughell gave a fierce yet vulnerable performance in the title role that ranks among the best I've ever seen from a student actor. Gregory Williams and Rich Krakowski were also excellent as the two soldiers who accompany her on the journey. It's worth noting that the Steinhardt program specializes in vocal performance; however, the acting and shared understanding of dramatic style among the entire cast was excellent.
Then on Monday night I attended the Tisch mainstage production of CABARET. Whereas VIOLET is a little-known show that I was very anxious to see for the first time, CABARET is an extremely overdone show that I hardly wanted to see again. The production, directed by Jean Randich, used the revival script, cutting "Why Should I Wake Up" and adding "Mein Herr" and "I Don't Care Much."
Tisch, which does far less musicals than Steinhardt, only tends to produce shows that are overtly sexy and dangerous. The last musical that it produced was an experimental, rather bad version of HAIR in which the entire cast shaved their heads, and the orchestrations underwent Philip Glass-style revisions.
With the exception of some added nudity, this was a pretty standard production of CABARET, which is already a graphic, gritty musical. Jessi Trauth, who possessed baby doll looks, was a fiercely giddy Sally Bowles, absolutely refusing to wake up out of her Berlin slumber party. I was particularly impressed with the very physical choreography of Tony Stevens, who is credited with several national tours, and apparently served as the inspiration for A CHORUS LINE. Well, that's at least what his bio claimed.
Though the rest of the CABARET performances are sold out, there will be a "concert presentation" at the larger Skirball Center on Oct 17 and 18. I'm not sure what exactly this means. Will there still be a set? Will they do the book scenes? And if not, will there be more than merely four orchestra pit members?
Remember: Saying that you've seen an NYU show, particularly a musical, could mean a lot of different things. Let's explore the different performing arts branches at NYU:
Tisch Drama Department - This refers to a mainstage show produced by the Tisch Undergraduate Drama Department, comprised of students from all the studios. These shows are held at 721 Broadway. Recent productions include HAIR and GALILEO.
CAP 21 - This is the musical theater studio of the Tisch Drama Department. Though I've seen many productions done by the company, as of late, it has lost the necessary funding to present productions separate from its acting classes. Recent productions include URINETOWN and INTO THE WOODS.
Steinhardt Musical Theater - This is not Tisch. It is a separate musical theater program located within the Steinhardt School on Washington Square Park and 4th Street. Recent productions include FLOYD COLLINS and THE GONDOLIERS.
GAP shows - These are student productions organized entirely by Tisch Drama students. Recent productions include HEDWIG and THE LAST 5 YEARS.
