“Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome…”
Those opening words and its accompanying melody in John Kander and Fred Ebb’s seminal 1966 musical “Cabaret” promise entrance to the debauchery, the danger, the politics, and the sex at the heart of the Kit Kat Club and its slick, multilingual Emcee. On March 29th, at the Center Stage Theater in Atlanta, a solo pianist played that melody, announcing the entrance of an icon.
Alan Cumming strode out from stage left in a pristine three-piece suit, evoking all of the gravitas and magnetism of his signature role, the radically bisexual reinvention of the Emcee, originated by Joel Grey. From stage right came his cohort, his partner-in-crime: Ari Shapiro of NPR’s “All Things Considered” fame, in matching uniform.
As the applause dipped in the hazy room, the duo launched into a medley, showing off renowned journalist Shapiro’s secret second talent as a singer and inviting the audience into the dynamic of the self-proclaimed “Bosom buddies,” jumping between unabashed flattery and lightly prodding competition:
ARI: I can’t believe I’m sharing the stage with you, it’s so surreal, I’ve been a fan of your’s my entire life. Since I was this tall, I’ve been watching you in TV and in movies-
ALAN: So you grew up watching me, is that what you’re saying?
ARI: Since I was in diapers.
ALAN: Well, you know what Ari Shapiro? You’ll probably still be watching me the next time you’re in diapers, because I’ll still be f–king working darling!
As the medley switched to a rendition of “Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better),” comparing their singing talent and higher education, it was clear that any competitiveness was unnecessary: they had nothing to prove to the audience.
This stop in Atlanta was among the latest in their joint tour titled “Och & Oy! A Considered Cabaret” (named for Cumming and Shapiro’s respective Scottish and Jewish backgrounds), originally beginning in 2019 and continuing into this year. The “Considered Cabaret” is less in reference to Kander and Ebb and more to the structure of these performances. A cabaret combines various disciplines – such as song, dance, drama, or recitation – and melds them into a theatrical performance often aimed for adults; and in practice here, unites an entertainment odd couple for a banter-filled night of songs and stories.
As Shapiro explained, following completion of the first number, “We wanted to give the kind of deep, thought-provoking conversation you might expect to hear on public radio, along with the slightly bawdy, entertaining song-and-dance numbers you’d come to expect from an Alan Cumming show.”
While their differences in profession and history are apparent, much was made to illustrate the similarities between the two, from small brief stints in each other’s chosen professions (Cumming was a journalist prior to his acting career taking off, and Shapiro has been a regular guest singer with the band Pink Martini) as well as sharing their respective stories of coming out as queer men, transitioning between the hilarious and the heartfelt in equal measure.
Amongst the conversation and revelry, the draw of the show was the chemistry between two friends, sharing stories as if the audience were sitting in at their dinner parties, who nonetheless are consummate entertainers who never forget to play to the crowd.
An earnest ambition of the tour, in conception and particularly in continuing following the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has often led to delayed or indefinitely postponed shows for the pair, was made clear when Shapiro solo sang a cover of Bette Midler’s song “Laughing Matters”, featuring the refrain:
“Time bombs tick,
People keep on getting sick.
And a nickel’s not worth a cent,
Wickedness and greed abound.
Just as peace is gaining ground it shatters.
Hate is here to stay.”
“You know, that song was written in the early ’90s, and I did not change a single word of it,” said Shapiro. “That song was written before 9/11, before the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, before the global financial collapse, before the insurrection, before the pandemic.”
The song ends with the plea, “Keep your humor please, ‘cause don’t you know it times like these that laughing matters most of all,” and with the conviction of his delivery, it seemed that Shapiro meant that plea as much for himself and Cumming as he did for the audience.
The show ended with a showstopper as Cumming, Shapiro, and their pianist tore off their coats to reveal sleeveless dress shirts, with Shapiro putting on a dog collar and the crowd descending into hollering cheers and breathless laughter.
Alan Cumming and Ari Shapiro’s tour continues in New Jersey on April 24th.