Eva Noblezada and Reeve Carney Open Cabaret

Photo by Wikimedia Commons

Eva Noblezada and Reeve Carney are back in London for a short stint in the award-winning production of Cabaret on the West End as Sally Bowles and the Emcee, respectively. They both opened on the 22nd of September and the show will run until the 24th of January 2026. I was lucky enough to see them live at the Kit Kat Club on their second night. 

Every theatre kid knows Eva Noblezada and Reeve Carney; they’re West End royalty, and musical theatre’s power couple. Eva and Reeve were the original Orpheus and Eurydice in Anaïs Mitchell’s musical Hadestown, winning a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album together. On stage, they are magic. They were recently married, taking their showmance to the next level. Eva Noblezada is a musical theatre powerhouse. She did a stint in Cabaret on Broadway before coming to the West End to reprise her role opposite her fiancé. She brings her charm and wit to the already charming and witty character of Sally Bowles, sporting a new English accent and fur coat that she wears with pride. Noblezada is a two-time Tony Award nominee, and for good reason. She is talented and a pleasure to watch. 

Cabaret follows the boys and girls of the Kit Kat Club in 1929-30 Berlin, with the story juxtaposing the height of the Jazz Age as the Nazi’s rise to power. On a journey to finish his novel, American writer Clifford Bradshaw meets an English performer, the ‘pride of Mayfair’, Sally Bowles. The story is overseen by the EmCee, as he leads the audience through raucous Cabaret performances, and the rise of authoritarianism in Berlin. The music and lyrics were written by John Kander and Fred Ebb, first opening on Broadway in 1966, and winning eight Tony Awards. 

In Cabaret, Eva Noblezada shines as Sally Bowles, singing with depth and playfulness, rivalling any other iteration of the character. Noblezada’s voice is a chameleon throughout the show, moving from bright and playful to raspy and angry as the story reached the title song, ‘Cabaret’. Reeve Carney’s EmCee was bold and electric. His posture and physicality convey every ounce of the stoic narrator, while also moving loosely on stage to dance with the ensemble while in the Kit Kat Club. He moves seamlessly through the characters of the EmCee, while maintaining a level of ‘other’ to maintain the division between himself and the principal cast. Every cast member shone; performances teeming with life, energy, and presence, as the EmCee says, “The girls are beautiful, the boys are beautiful, even the orchestra is beautiful.” The ensemble were energetic and raunchy, with clear characters and personalities. While many shows bury their ensembles' personalities in favour of the crowd, Cabaret’s showgirls and boys all fight for the spotlight. 

Liza Minelli’s version of ‘Maybe This Time’ is hopeful, rooted in the giddy feelings of falling in love. She smiles and dreams of the life she has always wanted. However, Eva Noblezada’s revival takes a tone of despair, almost jaded, before turning to determination. She feels the pain of her past and is cautious of wanting. Eva sings with emotion that does not cloud the clarity of her voice, allowing for clear belts that are skilled and moving. A recording of her version of ‘Maybe This Time’ is available on YouTube. Noblezada’s rendition of the title song, ‘Cabaret’ in Act II was easily my favourite moment of the show, with her guttural and unexpectedly sad performance a shock, her caustic expressions exposing the underlying story; beneath the glitz and glamour lie dark truths.  

Reeve Carney conveyed a new side of his performance skillset as Cabaret’s EmCee. In the past few years, many other stars have approached the iconic EmCee role, such as Eddie Redmayne and Adam Lambert. Lambert’s version of the EmCee was joyous and flamboyant, while Redmayne was puppet-like, with twisting movements, twitching his eyes and face, and moving his limbs in sharp spasms. While both interpretations bring new life to the character, Carney’s EmCee demonstrated a contrast between fluidity of movement and rigidity that added greatly to the story. Carney is provocative and spirited in Act 1, before taking on an almost-scary intensity in Act 2. Reeve can hit high notes that would make a Soprano jealous, demonstrating skill and control in all aspects of his performance.

Grammy Award winners Noblezada and Carney are joined by an award-winning principal cast including Baker Mukasa (Tina), Olivier Award winner Ruthie Henshall (Les Misérables), Olivier Award nominee Robert Hands (Come From Away), and Lucas Koch (Evita). The cast is joined by raucous ensemble dancers Joe Atkinson, Xavion Campbell-Brown, Olivia-Rose Deer, Anya Ferdinand, Danny Fogarty, Manu Sarswat, Tom Scanlon, Eva-Rose Tanaka, Jessica Kirton, Adrian Grove, Ela Lisondra, Hícaro Nicolai, Andy Rees, Alexandra Regan, Marina Tavolieri and Lucy Young. 

Watching Eva Noblezada and Reeve Carney perform opposite each other is a dream; they are wildly talented and have worked hard to cement their status in musical theatre history. If you get a chance, do yourself a favour and book tickets to see Reeve Carney and Eva Noblezada live in Cabaret.