Press Roundup: CABARET

“…At the core of this production is the Emcee at the Kit Kat Klub… The role is played by New York City actor Matthew McGloin, and from the moment he came on stage to the final orchestral note, he stole Saturday night’s show. [He] uses every muscle, every garish smile, and every sneer to convey his character. Makeup artist Stephanie Echevarria designed the Emcee’s face, with thick glittering eyelashes, rouged cheeks, and a lipsticked mouth. The result captured all the nuances of who the Emcee is: seductive, charming, funny, sexually fluid, and sinister. The Emcee, at his core, represents the dark forces working to annihilate freedom. In the opening song ‘Willkommen,’ he ‘welcomes’ the audience, but he is anything but welcoming. He is dichotomous in nature. He is life and death, power and weakness, Nazi and Jew all rolled into one… Watching the Emcee change from a man who enjoys freedom to one who is destroyed by Nazi Germany is nothing short of astonishing [and] well worth the price of a ticket.”
Stage Whispers - Greater Boston

“…Matthew McGloin in the role of the Emcee also makes this production a must see. His Emcee flawlessly carries the show, elevating it to a Broadway-caliber production from start to finish. [His] renditions of ‘Willkommen’ and ‘If You Could See Her’ pack a punch, as does his exit…”
Monadnock Beat

“…Another standout of the cast is Matthew McGloin as the Kit Kat Klub master of ceremonies. Spending most of the show in heavy makeup, with a character that calls for an over-the-top performance, McGloin doesn’t get lost behind the makeup or costume. Comparing McGloin’s performances in ‘Money’ or ‘Two Ladies’ to the absolute script-flipping ‘I Don’t Care Much’ shows just how much range McGloin brings to the role…”
Monadnock Ledger-Transcript

“…With unending applause to everyone who brought [Cabaret] to life and without detracting from the team spirit, nonstop curtain calls are due for Matthew McGloin in the role of the emcee. Dazzling and mesmerizing as he was, did he outdo Joel Grey in the original or Alan Cumming in the 2014 revival? From this quarter: absolutely…”
Monadnock Ledger-Transcript

“…The athletic McGloin (who has a background in burlesque) brings the perfect level of camp to the role, and avoids the Emcee-as drag-queen persona that too many productions of Cabaret have inflicted on the role of late, and he exudes despair during the heart-wrenching ‘I Don’t Care Much’…”
Theater Mirror

Photo by Eric Rothhaus

And a few special testimonials…

“Did someone manufacture Matthew McGloin?…I have never seen such a performance as his…How can anyone speak/sing/act/move the way he does? He was the perfect blend of empathy/intrigue/even creepiness. I have no idea how he pulled it off, but he did…Of course, the other characters turned in stunning performances, too, but Matthew was over the top…”

“In a powerhouse performance surrounded by talent in every direction, [Matthew] still managed to steal the show with a hammer!”

“Hi Matthew, this is fan mail, which I hardly ever indulge in. I went to Cabaret with my Mom on Thursday night, and I was so moved by the performance, yours in particular, that I went back last night. So good, all of you. You all are a special company, and you sir, got me right in the heart…”

“In all my years of reviewing theater, I can’t recall ever seeing such a stunning performance…you owned that Emcee role. Every second of it. It was you my eyes were glued to in every scene. I could tell you had studied the character in depth because you had become him. Awesome job…”