Pants Off!

Please note: Lahden kaupunginteatteri offered me a free ticket to see their production of The Full Monty.

I and the Finnish population at large have rather different tastes in musicals.

The higher a show is on the list of Finland’s most-produced foreign musicals (more about that list here), the likelier is that I’ll dislike it. Fiddler on the Roof? Ugh. Sound of Music? Bleh. My Fair Lady? Nah. Just not for me.

So naturally, I was suspicious of The Full Monty. It’s one of Finland’s most-produced musicals of the last decade, maybe even the most produced. A silly show about men stripping. That just cannot be worth watching.

Or?

The Full Monty is a Broadway musical based on the 1997 movie, a comedy about six unemployed men forming a striptease act. The movie was a hit, but the musical only had modest success on Broadway – running from 2000 to 2002 – and an even shorter nine-month-run in the West End in 2002.

In Finland, The Full Monty had its premiere in 2002, titled Housut pois (”Pants Off”). Then another professional production in 2008. Two in 2010. 2012. 2013. Two in 2015. 2016. On top of that, countless amateur productions around the country. It’s a wonder, really, that I’ve managed to avoid it this long!

Last weekend, I saw my first production of the musical in Lahden kaupunginteatteri.

I’m not familiar with the movie, and in my experience, the musical has a light and brainless imago attached to it: they’re blue-collar guys who do amateur striptease, ha-ha. I was glad to find out that’s not everything there is to this. The musical actually discusses multiple serious issues including homophobia, body image, unemployment and a father’s right to see his child.

It also surprised me how three-dimensional the main character Jerry Lukowski is. Played by a longtime personal favourite actor, Tuukka Leppänen... Oh me, oh my.

Jerry is the driving force behind the central striptease act. He is motivated to put up the show because he needs to earn money fast or his ex-wife will sue him over unpaid child support payment, and also because the town’s women are excited about a visiting Chippendales show. Jerry is jealous and convinced the touring male dancers are all gay. So, he reasons, wouldn’t it be way better if the ladies could see real heterosexual men strip?

In short, our hero is a jerk. Homophobic and chauvinist with a side of anger management issues. Despite that, though, you can't help rooting for him. He loves his son, is resourceful and driven. You wish him to succeed. Above all, you hope he will learn some important lessons along the way.

And the way Leppänen portrays his character... I haven’t seen this – how to even describe it – genuine and real, true-to-life musical character in ages.

Musical characters are by nature larger than life. They deal with huge emotions and, when words aren’t enough, resort to singing and dancing. Musical theatre is a very unrealistic medium, so it’s hard to forget the people onstage are acting, even if they’re absolutely brilliant.

Not the case with Leppänen’s performance. It’s not often you encounter a musical character this natural, this real. A 3D real-life person, a complex mix of positive and negative qualities. The performance isn't tearjerkingly touching, or mindbendingly awesome. It's just human, through and through – and as such, thoroughly impressive.

Not to say Leppänen’s Jerry is the only point of interest. The musical is actually full of pretty interesting guys. The rest of the leading six don’t have quite as many songs to sing, but they’re still all three-dimensional and sympathetic, both the way they’re written and the way this production portrays them.

It’s a shame that the women of the musical, then, are shallow creatures. They like to shop and watch handsome men dance, love their husbands, and that’s all we ever get to know about them.

Of course this story is first and foremost about men’s struggles. And sure, women’s place in society is touched upon – most of the ladies we encounter in the show are employed, unlike their husbands. But even so, it doesn’t seem quite right that the only strong female character in the whole show is the striptease act’s pianist Jeanette (in Lahti, played by the charismatic Satu Säävälä).

So. I guess The Full Monty joins Rocky on my list of overly masculine musicals that took me by surprise.

I’m of course not as in love with The Full Monty as I am with Rocky (and not only because it’s impossible for me to be as in love with anything as I am with Rocky). The Full Monty’s music, composed by David Yazbek, is good but not especially memorable, even though Lahden kaupunginteatteri’s orchestra plays it to perfection. The story and the mood of the show, while sympathetic and nice, are not especially earthshattering either.

And yet, at the very same time, this is one of those rare performances that leave a physical happy little flutter in my stomach.

Pants... I mean, hats off!

Photos by Aki Loponen and Tarmo Valmela.
Other reviews (in Finnish): Teatterikärpäsen puraisuja, Teatterinna

Shrektacle, Shreplicated

Please note: Helsingin kaupunginteatteri offered me a free ticket to see their production of Shrek.

First things first: did you know Shrek, the 2001 Dreamworks animated hit with three sequels, is based on a book?

I sure didn't, but that's true! Shrek was originally written and illustrated by British author William Steig in 1990. The book tells the story of an ugly ogre who meets an even uglier princess and falls madly in love. There is no short-statured lord evicting fairytale creatures out of his kingdom, and the donkey doesn't talk much, but the basic framework of the story we know and love is all there. Who knew!

I learned this tidbit in the souvenir programme for Helsingin kaupunginteatteri's new production Shrek the Musical. So, let's now try to ignore how this fact has turned my world upside down and instead take a look at the show itself...

Shrek the Musical premiered on Broadway in 2008. Written by David Lindsay-Abaire, I think it's a nice adaptation of the movie. It has all the jokes and scenes you remember from the film, but at the same time, it gives the characters new depth. Lord Farquaard's backstory is funny, and acceptance is always a good theme for a family show.

I think the musical's biggest problem is actually the original movie's amazing, effective soundtrack.

I mean ridiculously, absolutely ridiculously effective. The film's use of the song Hallelujah has ruined the Leonard Cohen classic and all its covers for me for good – ever since seeing the movie as a 9-year-old, Shrek has been the first thing I think of when hearing it, and I guess that's how it will be for the rest of my life. And I haven't even watched the movie since I turned 12.

I'm not saying they should've made it a jukebox musical, but it's a bit of a problem that none of Jeanine Tesori's songs are half as catchy as the tunes featured on the movie's soundtrack. The music is easy to listen to and easier to forget.

The musical's pacing is also uneven. The first act moves in fast forward, but when the second act starts, it turns out 80% of the plot has already been told and we enter the Ballad Zone. Luckily, after half an hour of stalling, the pace picks up again. In the end, if nothing groundbreaking, it's still a neat enough show.

And now, Shrek has arrived to Helsinki.

Helsingin kaupunginteatteri's take is not the first Finnish production of Shrek. Jyväskylän kaupunginteatteri called dibs in 2013. 22 000 audience members and three years later, the musical comes to the Finnish capital – again helmed by director Kari Arffman and featuring the very same dragon.

It's a mixed bag.

The characters are all charming. I had the luck of seeing understudy Raili Raitala in the role of Princess Fiona. If you didn't know better, you'd think you're watching the principal perform! Raitala is funny and brash with all the qualities a demure princess should not display... In other words, a perfect Fiona. Matti Leino's bubbly and all-around loveable Donkey is another favourite.

Petrus Kähkönen's Shrek is also a likeable creature, but amongst the other colourful characters, the titular ogre feels almost mundane. It's by no means Kähkönen's fault. It's just that when compared to his eccentric princess and his energetic sidekick, our hero, who mostly just wants to be treated with respect and then be left alone, is not all that enthralling. (Fun fact, though: Raitala and Kähkönen played Alfred and Sarah in a recent Finnish production of Tanz der Vampire. It was fun watching them play such a different sort of couple this time!)

Finally, thumbs up to Antti Timonen for walking, running and even dancing on his knees whole night long as the short and evil Lord Farquaard. His deliriously happy run to get the wedding preparations started was the highlight of the whole night for me!

So far, so good – but where I think the production stumbles is the stagecraft. It tries to be a replica of the big and expensive Broadway original and a much smaller production at the same time.

Helsingin kaupunginteatteri's big stage is currently under renovation. The replacement stage for musical productions, Peacock Theatre, has no space to store sets and minimal stage technology. So, instead of big setpieces and special effects, we get 2D sets, designed by Samuli Halla, and a rather puny dragon (the doll itself is neat, but the dragon's second appearance in the musical's climax... Quite underwhelming).

Taken a bit further and completely divorcing it from the movie, the flat approach could have given the show a nice illustrated storybook look. But as it is, it occupies a weird middle ground in between intentionally naïve and cheap-looking. Combined with costume design straight from Broadway... The combo doesn't quite work for me. It needs more oomph.

I's admirably ambitious for Helsingin kaupunginteatteri to produce Shrek on such a difficult stage. Ultimately, however, I don't know if it's a very good decision to cram a big fantasy musical in such a small space. I believe this fairytale world would have worked much better if the theatre had waited for a bit and produced it on their big stage.

So. The current Helsinki Shrek is an odd combination: a carbon copy of Broadway the original when it comes to costumes, a pocket-sized version when it comes to sets. But would it have been quite perfect if done big, either?

I have railed against replica productions before. I will rail against them again. If you ask me, replicas should never be made. Especially not if the original production is available on DVD and digital download, as is the case with the Broadway production of Shrek.

In a show like this, just a touch of local flavour could do wonders.

Shrek features a group of fairytale creatures who, in this replica form, all look decidedly American. There is, for example, an elf... which I only realised when the character introduced itself as one, since the elves of Finnish tradition do not look like that at all. Maybe Dreamworks Theatricals won't allow any changes, but I think it would be so much more fun if each creative team around the world could give at least the fairytale characters their own designs, drawing inspiration from the traditional stories of their respective countries.

Though actually, there is one local nod in the Finnish production: Mikko Paloniemi portrays Karlsson-on-the-Roof, an Astrid Lindgren character that's also well known in Finland. The 2013 Swedish production seems to have featured Nils Holgersson. Wonder if every production is allowed one local character?

I understand that in a musical based on an animated movie, making the world and characters look recognisable is important. At the same time, I find that approach very limiting. Luckily other projects have chosen a different route: the new musical based on the movie Anastasia shows us it's quite possible to base a musical on an animated feature and still have an unique look.

In short: in its replica form, Shrek a pretty nice musical – but how much more interesting it could be if creative teams all around the world were given free hands!

To finish off, I combined a little Youtube playlist of international Shrek the Musical trailers, starting from Helsinki. Take a look and try to spot the differences:

I wonder if it's a mandatory Dreamworks requirement to use the song I'm a Believer

 (the only song from the movie featured in the stage musical) in all promotional material?

Photos by Tapio Vanhatalo.

More reviews (in Finnish): Jälkisoitto, Lukupino, Paljon melua teatterista, Teatterikärpäsen puraisuja, Varje dag är en dag för musikaler

Treasure Island

Please note: Svenska Teatern invited me to see a performance of Skattkammarön for free.

I have so many things to say about the subject of this review that I figured I might as well start with a tangential confession.

I do not enjoy reading Robert Louis Stevenson's work.

Jekyll and Hyde and Treasure Island are both fascinating stories full of really interesting characters. But were it not for theatrical adaptations... Last time I read Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde took me two weeks (it has 106 pages) and I have still to finish Treasure Island (started last summer). No matter how much I love the characters, there is something in Stevenson's style of writing that really, really does not work for me.

That being said, let's now sail away to Treasure Island. Svenska Teatern's new play Skattkammarön is, for me, as good as they come.

I saw the play this Monday, in a half-empty auditorium with only a handful of other people. It's a shame (everybody should see this), but it lent the performance a very eerie athmosphere. The whole evening felt quite out of this world.

At the same time, everything felt perfect to me.

In the beginning of Skattkammarön, we meet young Jim Hawkins who lives in a small seaside inn with her grandmother. Their life takes an exciting turn when a sailor with a mysterious chest comes to stay at the inn. Once the sailor passes away and Jim finds a treasure map in his belongings, it's time for a big adventure. The local squire hires a crew and they sail away to southern seas, Jim befriends a peg-legged sailor called Long John Silver, the sun is shining and there's not a pirate in sight. Or..?

This version of Treasure Island is dramatised by British dramaturgist Bryony Lavery and had its premiere in the Royal National Theatre in London in 2014. The play is rather different from Stevenson's original story. Most strikingly, our hero Jim is portrayed as a young girl. Stevenson didn't have much regard for women, so I really appreciate this change. There is also another, maybe harder to swallow surprise in store for the fans of the book, but no more about that in this review!

The story has many funny moments, but at heart, oh boy is this a dark tale. Human life has no worth when there's treasure on the table. When put in the right (wrong?) circumstances, everybody can become a traitor, a murderer, a pirate.

I appreciate the grey shades and the questions about morality this play raises. The most thoughtful moments pass quickly to make way for further action – but maybe that's for the best. This way, when the most difficult questions are not answered, they keep haunting you for longer and force you to think for yourself.

Not bad for a pirate story.

Svenska Teatern's production is directed by Paul Garrington, who has among his other credits directed countless replica productions of Phyllida Lloyd's original production of Mamma Mia! all around the world, including Helsinki. I sure like Mamma Mia!, but I'm glad to see Garrington's own style and vision in Skattkammarön. Treasure Island's world is, at the same time, dark, inviting, scary and fascinating.

The production is staged mostly in muted colours, with bright pirate jackets and parrots popping out here and there. Erik Salvesen's sets and Hanne Horte's costumes are both lovely to look at, but I am especially impressed by the lights. Light designer Tom Kumlin creates many incredibly beautiful scenes, be it light shining through an inn's window or stars in a tropical night sky.

I also want to applaud Andreas Lönnquist and Hanna Mikander's sound design. Sounds of waves lapping on the ship's sides and tropical insects flying around surround the audience and transport us right in the middle of the events. The sound mixing during the songs is also strikingly well done.

The casting is spot-on. It's hard picking favourites when you like everybody, but I could mention Misa Lommi's energetic portrayal of Jim Hawkins. When adults don't get the job done, it's better to take matters into your own hands! Niklas Åkerfelt as Long John Silver is just as charming as you'd wish him to be.

I didn't except it, but this play touched me deep. It felt very genuine through and through. It's a sweeping adventure, but at the same time grounded enough for you to see the characters as real people.

Skattkammarön features every single pirate cliché in the book (a parrot on the shoulder, a peg-legged pirate, the black spot, fifteen men on the dead man's chest... all Stevenson's additions to the pirate lore!) but it doesn't exaggerate them. It's all simply a part of the world these people inhabit, very straightforwardly and naturally so.

I can't really find words for what happened in Svenska Teatern on Monday, why this hit me as hard as I did. I couldn't stop my tears during the scene where Jim and Long John Silver stargaze on Hispaniola's deck. One of those moments when everything feels just right.

Shows like this are why I love theatre.

See you on Treasure Island.

Photos by Cata Portin.

P.S. The play is in Swedish but you can request for English, Finnish and Swedish subtitles at the box office, or download them in your phone in advance. Wondering why we have Swedish theatre in Finland? Swedish is Finland's other official language. About 5 % of Finns have Swedish as their native language.
P.P.S. If you really want to hear about that spoiler, the other big thing they changed about Stevenson's original story... Spoilers written in white text in the following space. You've been warned! Why, oh why did they have to kill off Long John Silver?! I kept waiting for him to somehow magically come back to live. He charmed me just like he charmed Jim, my heart was and still is a little broken... LET HIM LIVE!!

Cabarets

Please note: Tampereen Työväen Teatteri invited me to see their production of Cabaret for free.

Let me tell you about one of the theatrical performances that has impressed me the most.

Ensemble from Malmö Stadteater's and Malmö Opera's Cabaret. Photo: Markus Gårder.

The musical Cabaret doesn't need much of an introduction. I'm sure every musical fan knows this show, a disturbing tale set in the 1930s Berlin, written by John Kander and Fred Ebb and celebrating its 50th birthday this year.

Cabaret has been staged in many, many different ways. In the 2014 Swedish production of the musical, produced by Malmö Stadteater and Malmö Opera and directed by Hugo Hansén, we met a very brash and desperate Sally Bowles, a very young and obviously homosexual Cliff Bradshaw and a very imposing, creepy, out-of-this-world MC. The action was set simultaneously in the 1930s and in a modern day voguing house. The world portrayed onstage was fast, feverish, cruel, and very clearly on its way towards complete destruction.

I wrote a short review about the production right after seeing it, but as is often the case, I didn't understand the full impact of the performance immediately. It's only when something keeps haunting you for a long time that you feel the full impact. It's been two and a half years now, but I still keep returning to the Malmö Cabaret in my memories.

I saw the production because Lindy Larsson's MC intrigued me, and that's the image that comes back to me most often, too; a tall, imposing, scary yet gorgeous creature quite out of this world.

But it's not just Larsson's performance that I have fond memories of.

Before watching the show, I didn't know anything about vogue style dancing or ball culture – but that's a part of what made the production so interesting to me. It was a journey to not one but two unfamiliar realities. It worked on many levels: the voguing inspired choreography suited the cabaret setting well, introducing distinctly modern elements to the story made it feel more relatable and therefore way scarier, and, as a whole, the combination of historical and modern made for a very fresh and unsettling experience.

It was not easy to watch, but I don't think Cabaret is meant to be.

The Malmö Cabaret was by no means a perfect production (the way they finished with a two-minute-long scene of interpretive dancing meeting senseless violence left a weird aftertaste), but it was a fresh, eye-opening, fascinating one.

Happily, the production team uploaded some songs on Youtube. They're all great, but here are two of my favourites:

Meine Damen und Herren, mesdames et messieurs, hyvät naiset ja herrat!

The most haunting orchestration of Kickline you're ever going to hear.

I had seen a disappointing production of Cabaret before watching the show in Sweden, a production that made me think Cabaret is not a musical for me at all. But since returning home from Malmö, Cabaret has sneakily become one of my favourite musicals. It has so many of the elements that fascinate me: a historical setting, an enigmatic narrator, strong feelings, and a very unhappy ending.

I'm thinking about Cabaret today because last week, I saw a new Finnish production of the musical in Tampereen Työväen Teatteri, on one of the country's biggest stages.

Ensemble from Tampereen Työväen Teatteri's Cabaret. Photo: Teppo Järvinen.

The production had a fantastic cast, a great look, a good sound... In short, all the elements of a fantastic show. Still, watching the premiere, I didn't feel much. Director Tiina Puumalainen (who is, by the way, going to direct The Phantom of the Opera in Sweden's Göteborgsoperan next year) had chosen a glitz-and-glamour approach with big sets and a large ensemble of dancers in lacy pants, beautiful but rather empty on the inside.

I couldn't help returning to Sweden in my mind. And compared to the Malmö production, the new Finnish show felt way too safe, way too feel-good, way too boring. (Read my review in Finnish.)

I'm not saying Cabaret can't be done well in multiple ways. It can be modernised, it can be staged as a traditional period piece, it can be done really big or with a small ensemble. In theory, I'm open for all sorts of interpretations of this classic. Yet, memories of the Swedish production coming back to me every five minutes when watching the Finnish show made me wonder... Am I being so open-minded after all, or am I letting a past favourite define what I think about new versions?

Whatever the case, I'm sorry to say felt hardly anything watching the new Finnish Cabaret. Other reviewers have praised it. I'm almost sorry I cannot see what they are seeing, since it would have loved to feel really excited to about this.

But I guess that's, once again, a part of the magic of live theatre. Unlike movies, you get countless interpretations of the same story. If you don't like this version or that, there might be another production coming up soon that's just right for you.

And with that, onwards to the new theatrical season. I feel way more alive now that it's getting colder... and I have a new musical to look forward to every week!

P.S. I wonder if it's necessary for the MC to always be played by a man. In Malmö, actress Laila Adéle understudied the role – and while Lindy Larsson's MC haunts me to this day, I would have been very excited to see her, too. The MC is often portrayed as sexually ambiguous and experimenting with gender expression, so I see no reason why people of any gender couldn't perform the role. Casting a woman as the principal MC would give the musical an interesting new twist!

Se oli maailmanlopun aikaa?

Dear international readers: I also wrote about Cabaret in English. Read my thoughts!
Huom. Sain bloggarina ilmaisen kutsun musikaalin ensi-iltaan.

Tampereen Työväen Teatterin uusi Cabaret on kaunis katsoa ja kuunnella, virheettömästi roolitettu ja taidolla esitetty.

Mutta.

John Kanderin ja Fred Ebbin musikaali Cabaret täyttää tänä vuonna 50 vuotta. Kirjailija Christopher Isherwoodiin omaelämäkerrallisiin tarinoihin perustuvassa musikaalissa eletään 1930-luvun alun Berliinissä. Amerikkalainen kirjailija Cliff kohtaa kabareelaulajatar-Sallyn, juutalainen hedelmäkauppias Herr Schultz kohtaa kristityn asuntolapitäjän Fräulein Schneiderin, ja Seremoniamestarin isännöimällä Kit Kat Clubilla todella juhlitaan kuin viimeistä päivää.

Hiljalleen Cabaret on hiipinyt suosikikseni suomalaisesta Broadway-suosikkien kaanonista (Viulunsoittaja katolla, My Fair Lady, Sound of Music...) ja oikeastaan yhdeksi suosikkimusikaaleistani ylipäätään. Käydään siis ensin läpi Tampereen Työväen Teatterin uutuustuotannon hyvät puolet.

Musikaalin roolitus on tasavahva, täynnä hyviä valintoja. Itseäni kosketti erityisesti Jaana Oraviston ja Auvo Vihron rauhallisen aidosti tulkitsema, erilaisista uskonnollisista taustoista tuleva pariskunta. Vaan on Emmi Kaislakarin Sally Bowleskin hyvä, kaikessa vimmassaan ja ilossaan, kivussaan ja epävarmuudessaan.

Teppo Järvisen lavastus on valtavan kaunis ja muodostaa Juha Haapasalon suunnittelemien valojen kanssa näyttävän maailman. Puvustuksen puolella hieman ihmettelen Järvisen Sally Bowlesille suunnittelemia arkivaatteita – miksi pinkkitukkainen sähikäinen pukeutuu ruskean sävyihin? – mutta Seremoniamestarin johtama ensemble on vaikuttava näky korseteissaan ja hepeneissään.

Erityinen hatunnosto vielä C-Stone All Stars -orkesterille. Kahdeksan hengen bändi tuo musiikkiin eloa ja tarpeeksi paljon omaa otetta ilahduttamaan musiikkia puolelta tusinalta levytykseltä väsymykseen asti kuunnellutta fania. Etenkin kapellimestari Pekka Siistosen pianonsoitossa on vauhtia ja potkua.

Mielestäni TTT:n Cabaret'ssa on oikeastaan vain yksi iso ongelma: ohjaus.

En yleisesti ottaen ole Tiina Puumalaisen ohjausten fani. Kaikkia Puumalaiselta näkemiäni musikaaleja vaivaa sama ongelma. Kohtaukset liittyvät toisiinsa vain hatarasti, suuri tarinan kaari tuntuu olevan kerrasta toiseen kateissa.

Aina Puumalaisen teosten hajanaisuus ei ole haitannut (Evita esimerkiksi on paperillakin kollaasimainen kokoelma kohtauksia, joten fragmentaarisuus ei lavalla juuri pistänyt silmään), mutta Cabaret'ssa kohtausten irrallisuus alleviivaa tekstin heikkouksia.

Kun katsojan jo synopsista lukiessa on vaikea ymmärtää, miten muutamat Seremoniamestarin kappaleista liittyvät jutun juoneen, kaipaisi ohjaukselta jämäkämpää otetta ja tukevampia aasinsiltoja. Nyt Kit Kat Clubin tanssikohtaukset, vaikka Osku Heiskasen koreografia komealta näyttääkin, pysäyttävät toiminnan monta kertaa täysin paikoilleen. Hahmot tuntuvat olevan tarinassa eksyksissä.

Minua vaivaa myös se, miten pintapuolisesti tarinan synkkiä puolia Tampereella käsitellään. Natsiteema on kyllä läsnä hakaristikoreografiassa ja liekehtivissä SS-kirjaimissa, mutta tilanne ei missään vaiheessa tunnu katsomoon asti uhkaavalta. Monissa tuotannoissa musikaalin viimeinen kohtaus viittaa yhtään kaunistelematta keskitysleireihin ja kaasukammiohin, ihmiskunnan kaikista kauheimpiin tekoihin. Siihen verrattuna lavalle putoava lentokone, vaikka komealta näyttääkin, on kovin kesy ratkaisu.

Myös Puumalaisen valinta tehdä Kit Kat Clubista yläluokkaa huvittava haavemaailma, jossa juhlavieras todella pääsee todellisuutta pakoon, vie mielestäni pontta tarinan vakavalta aiheelta. Omasta mielestäni kiinnostavampi ja loogisempi tulkinta on useimmissa tuotannoissa nähty epämääräinen kapakka. Uskoakseni tässä kabareessa ei loppujen lopuksi ole tarkoitus viihtyä.

Toisaalta nostan peukut pystyyn, että dialogissa mainitaan Cliffin miessuhteet. Vihjaukset lisättiin musikaalin käsikirjoitukseen Broadwaylla jo 1980-luvulla, mutta aikaisemmin Suomessa näkemissäni tuotannoissa aihetta ei ole käsitelty. Cliffin seksuaalisuuden nostaminen esille tuo kiinnostavaa särmää Cliffin ja Sallyn väliseen suhteeseen.

Kaiken kaikkiaan ohjaus tuntuu kuitenkin aivan liian nähdyltä ja tylsältä. Juuri nyt olisi mahdollista tehdä vaikka mitä viittauksia nykypäivän populisteihin, mutta tarina jää menneisyyteen. Natsien uhka ei tunnu uhkaavalta, tunteen palo ei korvenna, Seremoniamestarin hahmon merkityskin jää hämäräksi. Mikään ei tunnu oikeasti pahalta, tai oikeastaan juuri miltään.

Minä haluan nähdä Cabaret'n, jossa on painavaa sanomaa ja todellista, kaoottista, ahdistavaa maailmanlopun meininkiä. Joku toinen haluaa nähdä Cabaret'n, jossa tytöt ovat kauniita ja jopa orkesteri on kaunis, on laulua ja tanssia ja näyttäviä kohtauksia. Toinen meistä poistuu TTT:n katsomosta täysin tyytyväisenä. En lopulta voi puhua kuin omasta puolestani, kun väitän, että ensiksi mainittu vaihtoehto olisi kuitenkin se parempi.

Luulenpa, että Tampereen Työväen Teatterin tulkinta toimii parhaiten ensikertalaisille. Seurueessani muisteltiin väliajalla Heikki Kinnusen painajaisiin asti tullutta Seremoniamestaria Tampereen Teatterin vuoden 2008 tuotannosta. Omaan mieleeni palasi Malmössä näkemäni Lindy Larssonin karmivanupea tulkinta samasta roolista (lisää tästä englanniksi). Myös keväällä Rauman kaupunginteatterin intiimillä näyttämöllä näkemäni pienen kokoluokan tuotanto raapaisi syvemmältä.

Harmittaa vähän, etten osaa pitää tästä Cabaret'sta sen enempää. Vaan kun ei kolise, ei kolise. Musikaalisyksy todetaan kuitenkin täten avatuksi. Nyt suunta kohti uutta ja ihmeellistä!

Kuvat: Teppo Järvinen
Lue myös Katrin ja Lauran arvostelut!