CABARET, the 1966 Broadway musical with lyrics by Fred Ebb, music by John Kander and book by Joe Masteroff, is a rarity among musicals from Broadway’s ‘Golden Age.’ Unlike most classic musicals that get revived intact, CABARET has undergone several alterations over the years. Songs created for the movie version are now used in the stage musical and the tone of the musical has grown darker as befitting the storyline. Now, CVRep is presenting a semi-immersive version and I am happy to say that the production is nothing short of amazing
Based on the play I AM A CAMERA by John Van Druten which in turn was based on “Berlin Stories” by Christopher Isherwood, CABARET tells the story of Cliff Bradshaw (Marrick Smith), an American writer (based on Isherwood’s own experiences), in pre-Nazi Germany at the end of the Weimar Republic. Cliff is now, as in the original source material, bisexual, a concept that was just a little too extreme for the Broadway audiences of 1966. Having made the acquaintance of Ernst Ludwig (Ben Sears) on the train from Paris to Berlin, Cliff, needing a place to stay, is sent by Ernst to a boarding house run by Fraulein Schneider (Leslie Tinnaro). Ernst also directs Cliff to the Kit Kat Club that evening to celebrate New Year’s Eve. There he meets the eccentric Sally Bowles (Cecily Dowd), a singer at the cabaret as well as Bobby (J Pablo Stewart), with whom he had a brief affair in London. Out of necessity, Sally forces her way into Cliff’s life…. and apartment. His landlady becomes engaged to Herr Schultz (Fred Frabotta), a fellow boarder. At the engagement party, Ernst learns that Herr Schultz is Jewish and wants to leave the party. But a fellow guest, Fraulein Kost (Erin Stoddard) begs him to stay as she begins to sing “Tomorrow Belongs To Me,” a rousing anthem associated with the Nazi Party. Soon, most of the guests join in, leaving only a few as anxious onlookers. Ernst urges Fraulein Schneider to reconsider her upcoming wedding. Shortly thereafter, a brick thrown through the window of Herr Schultz’s shop is all she needs to be convinced that the wedding will endanger her ability to survive the changes that are happening in Germany. Meanwhile, Sally continues on as if everything was the same as before since she believes that politics has nothing to do with her. When the Nazis are clearly taking over, Cliff insists that they leave Germany and return to his home in Pennsylvania. Nothing could be further from Sally’s vision of the future and, despite Cliff’s protests, she resumes performing at the cabaret. Cliff boards a train back to Paris before returning to the United States.
One of the cleverest concepts in “CABARET” is the use of the Emcee, a character who guides us through the story and performs satirical numbers between each scene which reflect the events happening in the real world outside the club. From the opening number where the character welcomes us to the Kit Kat Klub, a place where there are no problems, to the very last scene as the horrors of reality come symbolically crashing through the doors, the Emcee serves as a fun-house mirror of the changes sweeping through Germany. Traditionally, this key role has been played by a man. Joel Grey starred in the original Broadway production, the first Broadway revival and the movie adaptation. Alan Cumming delivered a more sexualized and gender-fluid portrayal in the very successful 1998 Broadway revival. For the current CVRep production, director Adam Karsten made the bold choice of using a woman in the role. Does it work? For the most part the answer is yes although there are a couple of moments where the sex change doesn’t fully work, as in the kick line number at the top of Act II where halfway through the number one of the girls is revealed to be the Emcee in drag. Since the Emcee is now a woman, the fun of the reveal is not nearly as amusing. But due to the very strong performance of Kristen Howe, these are minor negatives in comparison to the vast number of positive moments; notably the opening number, “Wilkommen”, and her haunting rendition of “I Don’t Care Much.”
Everyone in the cast gives a strong solid performance. As Cliff, Mr. Smith shows us a man who is clearly trying to figure out who he is, both artistically and sexually. Ms. Dowd lends the perfect amount of flamboyance and energy to Sally while letting her vulnerability show especially in the second act. Mr. Frabotta’s Herr Schultz exudes a warmth and lovability essential to the role. As Fraulein Schneider, Ms. Tinnaro delivers a powerful portrait of a survivor. She gives a heartbreaking rendition of “What Would You Do?” as she explains to Cliff and Sally why she can not marry Herr Schultz. Mr. Sears, as Ernst Ludwig, the quasi-villain of the musical, is chillingly believable as a Nazi on his way up the political ladder. Erin Stoddard is excellent as Fraulein Kost, a prostitute with a special passion for sailors. She provides comic relief in Act One until she morphs into a Nazi sympathizer who I could see not thinking twice about turning anyone in to better her own position. They are all supported by an extremely talented and hard working group of actors and dancers as performers at the Kit Kat Klub and various other roles throughout the show.
Adding to the immersive experience is the awesome set designed by Jimmy Cuomo and spectacular lighting designed by Moira Wilke. In a show that has scenes in locations as varied as a train, a boarding house, a fruit shop and, of course, the Kit Kat Klub, it is no easy task to make one design function well for all those varied locales but Mr. Cuomo’s set does it without making any compromises in clarity. The design even includes spaces throughout the house where cast members appear from time to time.
Having seen many different productions of CABARET, including the original, this is one of the strongest and most powerful I have seen and should not be missed.
CABARET is at CVRep through Feb. 10, 2024. For tickets or further information visit their website at www.CVRep.org. But hurry, as these tickets will go fast!