Cabaret is usually my answer to the harmless (yet painfully difficult!) question I’m posed quite often – “what’s your favorite musical?” I first saw Cabaret back in 2016 when the previous Broadway production was on tour in Milwaukee. I was in high school and it was life-changing. Then I saw this current production over in London in 2023, and now recently three more times on Broadway. I’ve seen five different actors interpret the Emcee over the years.

Without a doubt, Adam Lambert is my new favorite. He is absolutely captivating. His celebrity completely disappears on stage, and his charismatically intimate performance makes the world of the show feel so unsettlingly within reach. I was hooked – and I’m certainly not the only one who felt so pulled in, as this was the most lively crowd I’ve seen in the Kit Kat Club to date.

Part of the strength of Cabaret is the way it directly asks the audience to consider their own perspective on the events that unfold, and Lambert’s Emcee is anything but indirect. His interpretation is so human, so raucous, and he feels more in-the-flesh than I have ever seen the Emcee performed. I’ve seen this character done in a more symbolic, distant, almost other-worldly way (which is a valid interpretation), whereas Lambert feels so much more real – I found myself wanting to watch him react to every piece of the action in a way I hadn’t before. And it felt like he perceived the audience in such a deeper way too, forming inside jokes, demanding raunchy reactions, soliciting opinions, and even grabbing a swig from someone’s cup! The way he bonds with us makes the climax of the show feel devastating in a whole new way, so if you’ve seen this show already but not with him, I encourage you to see his performance and see what new interpretations and feelings you leave with.

And I haven’t even mentioned his singing! His powerful voice lends itself to Kander and Ebb’s eerie score perfectly… if you want to take a listen, check out his rendition of I Don’t Care Much released about a month ago.

But it can be tough to say “so what?” to the price of a ticket to Cabaret. There are ways to get cheaper tickets – mainly with the lottery and TodayTix rush. Broadway week is also coming up January 21st – February 9th, which is a 2-for-1 deal with code BWAYWK25.

If you do choose to buy tickets ahead of time, I’d recommend sitting on the side I’ve highlighted below, since I feel the blocking somewhat favors this side of the stage – even though it’s technically in the round. Though I will say, of all the Emcees I’ve seen, Lambert does the best job of evenly playing to both sides and using the entire space effectively. And FYI – (as of the show I saw on December 14th, 2024) they are no longer doing the peach schnapps shots upon entrance, so if you were counting on that be sure to adequately prepare at home!

So, what are you waiting for? “Right this way, your table’s waiting…” – but only until March 30th when Adam Lambert’s contract is reportedly up!

Photo credit: Cabaret on Broadway. (Photo by Julieta Cervantes)
Photo credit: TickPick.com – August Wilson Seating Chart