Cabaret burst onto the Broadway scene in 1966, winning multiple Tonys. It defied musical theater traditions with heavy drama and few laughs. The piece illustrates how a society allows itself to be overtaken. It is currently on the boards at Patio Playhouse Community Theater in Escondido.
Placed in a decadent Berlin in 1929 and 1930, Cabaret looks at the assent of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi movement. Much of the action takes place in the Kit Kat Klub, a less than desirable joint where working girls and boys rent by the hour. A third-rate singer, Sally Bowles (Kelli Harless), and the Kit Kat Girls and Boys are the entertainment. A young writer, Clifford Bradshaw (Jonathan Rossall), finds lodging at Fraulein Schneider's (Lee Donnelly) rooming house and within hours finds the Kit Kat Klub and Miss Bowles.
Cabaret begins with the emcee (M. Tomas) setting the scene with the Kit Kat ensemble, exuberant and a bit seedy. Director Deborah Zimmer has cast a female in the traditionally male role of the emcee. While Tomas offers a very good interpretation of the role, the casting leads to a new interpretation of "If You Could See Her Now" and "Two Ladies."
The Kit Kat Klub dominates the stage. It's ringed with tables, including some for the audience. Fraulein Schneider's parlor and Bradshaw's bedroom are effectively created by slide-in backings and furnishings. We meet Schneider as she rents Bradshaw a room.
Donnelly's rendition of "So What?" is a delight. Her second act "What Would You Do?" is eerie as well as being an excellent example of the general attitude about the rise of the Third Reich.
Back at the Kit Kat Klub, Harless sings "Don't Tell Mama" with the K K Girls and "Perfectly Marvelous" with Rossall. At this point, both of their characters' relationship expand, though more for him than for her.
Just past mid-point of the first act, the texture of the production changes with a recording by Christopher Andrews, Jared Fuller and Lorenza Gilette of the heart-stopping "Tomorrow Belongs To Me." Rudolf Schultz (J. J. Rowley), a Jew, proposes to Schneider. Their duets, "It Couldn't Please Me More" and "Married," feature Donnelly, while Rowley, an excellent actor, speaks most of his lyrics. The act ends with Fraulein Kost (Gretchen Pili) reprising "Tomorrow Belongs To Me" with Ernest Ludwig (Nick Bonacker), a Nazi, and the cast.
Act II opens with the Emcee and the K K Girls in Kick Line Dance, their faces each featuring a Hitleresque mustache. The number is in subdued light. The effect would be much scarier had the lights come up bright so the audience could recognize the horror of the girls.
Harless's "Cabaret" at the close of the show is shattering, capturing the irony of the musical. It's a show-stopper, sending a crawling sensation down one's spine.
Steve Storc's musical direction calls for more anger. Romeo Pasquariello's choreography is very good. Judy Conlon's set proves inspired, although I'd have liked to see the Kit Kat Klub just a bit seedier. Zimmer and Rick Ashcroft's lighting gives a nice texture to the production. David Farlow's sound design works well, especially the Hitler speeches during intermission. Costumes, hair and makeup (Miranda Porter, Vesta Gleissner and John Aviles) complement the production.
Cabaret is a big show with a large cast. It is also a difficult story, and the director here softens its horrific effect. With the exception of Harless's passionate rendition of the title song, we don't see the ugly underbelly of the beast of the Third Reich. The Emcee isn't evil enough. The delusions of Bowles, Schneider and Schultz don't strike chords of fear. In a word, it's not as dark as it could have been.
