"Cabaret" - A Review

   It’s never an easy task to explain the delights of seeing a live performance at the theatre. With movies or television you just sit there and soak up the show, but at live theatre there’s a connection between the audience and the performers.

   The best shows make you feel like you’re part of the experience, not just a casual observer. There’s an immediacy, a passion to it that makes each performance a one-of-a-kind experience.

   That was exactly my experience at last night’s performance of Cabaret. 

   The musical, best known for the 1972 film that was a star vehicle for Liza Minneli and Joel Gray, originated on Broadway - and that’s the version being staged by ARTS.

   It’s set in Berlin in 1931 as the Nazis rise to power. We see the story of how life and attitudes change through a most unusual venue - the Kit Kat Club, and the effect a visit there has on a young American and the performer he falls in love with. The show is rich in characters who grow and change as the story progresses.

   The key character is the one we learn almost nothing about - the Emcee of the club, brought to life with great gusto and amazing skill by Michael Naglee. A virtual cartoon character (in the best sense of the term), he sings, dances, introduces acts, juggles, does skits, tell jokes - but we never learn much about him. But as his act changes and seems - at times - downright sinister, we get the sense of the changing tides in Germany. 

   Another key character is Kit Kat singer and performer Sally Bowles, played by the wonderful Andrea Parkins. Sally is a mercurial character - loving and ingratiating at one moment, calculating and distant the next - you can’t take your eyes off her. She’s a terrific singer and nails the title song with a heartfelt and moving rendition.

   Falling in love with Sally is American writer Clifford Bradshaw, played earnestly by Clay McKnight. It’s through his eyes that we see the changing face of politics in Germany, and we feel his heartbreak as he sees the country he has grown to love changing in a dark way. Clay does a great job with the role, creating the sympathetic character that is the key to the story.

   There’s actually another love story at the heart of the show - the one between Fraulein Schneider, who runs the boarding house where Clifford stays, and Herr Schultz, who runs a successful fruit market. They’re brought to life with terrific performances by Linda Reynolds and Rick Fleenor, pros who know how to wring every last bit of joy or sorrow out of their part. They play a couple brought together by love, but kept apart by a dark threat on the rise.

   No cast can succeed without a strong supporting cast, and they have that in spades. Eric Wilson is amazing as Ernst Ludwig, a likeable German who befriends Clifford - but he hides a dark secret. Eric is an amazing actor, and virtually tells the story with his facial expressions and reactions alone.

   Jenn Naglee is a delight as Frauein Kost, a (shall we say) resident of the boarding house who seems to have many friends who are sailors. 

   Owen Reynolds has a small part, but it’s pivotal and includes a wonderful song. 

   Weaving throughout the show are other supporting characters, including Frau Kruger (Sarah Diamond Burroway), Frau Wendel (Karen Kelly Pruitt) and an assortment of sailors, waiters and other roles by Jonathan Maynard, Gregory Picklesimer and Tristan Reynolds (who also gets to show off his dance skills - though he’s well disguised in one scene).

   A special shout out (and a few wolf whistles) to the Kit Kat Girls - Joanna Berner, Sheila Meade, Marnie Riddell and Tiffany Caldwell Trent - for their high-energy performances. They sing, they dance, they flirt shamelessly, but it’s always with a fun, sexy attitude - they’re never sleazy or exploited. Terrific work all around! 

   Oh, and a special tip of the hat to the cast for their work creating appropriate accents for each character - whether German or British, the accents were always spot on - very impressive!

   The show, staged in the ballroom at the Renaissance Theatre in Huntington, uses what director Gene Anthony calls an Environmental Setting. Rather than changing the set between scenes, they have several different sets placed around the room, and the scene plays out to one side or the other (and sometimes between). It’s a very effective and inventive way to tell this story.

   The tech work in the show was excellent, with a clever use of lighting to highlight scenes and songs, and the sound work was outstanding - I could easily hear every word and note.

   Kudos also to the band, who reside on stage and become part of the show (including a great gag early on).

   Of course, you’d expect nothing less than an noteworthy show from the all-star directing team - Gene Anthony is one of the best in the Tri-state and, as always, does an amazing job directing this show, Coni Anthony has created wonderful dance sequences (including a tap number), and technical director Stevie Brigode and stage manager Ashleigh Bills provided a nearly-flawless stage production. 

   Quite simply - it’s a terrific show, one of the best in Huntington in recent memory - you owe it to yourself to see this one. But you only have one chance left - the show tonight at 8 p.m. wraps up the run! 

   Cabaret is dark, it’s funny, it’s touching, and features a tremendous cast bringing the story to life on a unique stage. It’s not a show for kids, but for any adult looking for a show that will draw you into the magic of theatre, this is one that you don’t want to miss. Highly, highly recommended!