The androgynous smile of the Master of Ceremonies welcomes us into the dark world of "Cabaret," set in prewar Berlin. Inside the Kit Kat Klub, a young British singer, Sally Bowles, performs. Outside the club’s facade, Nazism is infiltrating Weimar Germany, and life is changing.
The 1972 film is riveting, yet "Cabaret" is a stage-born musical of the highest rank. The show earned eight Tony Awards in 1966 and is periodically revived on Broadway and in London, with another opening due next year.
Joe Masteroff’s book provides a substantial plot and engrossing characters. John Kander and Fred Ebb provide a brilliant score of love songs and cabaret tunes sparkling with cynicism, and delightfully executed by the band.
Diamond Head Theatre is offering an updated version of "Cabaret" stemming from a production in the 1990s by British director Sam Mendes. Homosexuality and promiscuity are brought to the foreground alongside the motif of anti-Semitism.
The action alternates between the Kit Kat Klub and a boarding house where the narrative unfolds. Two romantic relationships are at stake. The first involves Sally (Samantha Stoltzfus) and an attractive, bisexual American writer named Clifford Bradshaw (David James Bachler), whose living space Sally has invaded. The second is a friendship between the boarding house’s German owner, Frāulein Schneider (Shari Lynn), and Jewish fruit seller Herr Schultz (Jeff Schmidt) that blossoms into a marriage engagement.
Stoltzfus dives into her role as the outwardly ebullient diva, coming into her own when the character’s true feelings finally surface. Bachler is consistent and authentic in a role loaded with sexual ambiguity. The missing element is the feeling of mutual intrigue that holds them together. Without it, their emotional scenes later in the show don’t make sense.
Lynn and Schmidt succeed in creating a feeling of intimacy, especially in their duet "Married," and we care when their plans go awry as a result of the distressful political situation.
As the enigmatic Emcee, Drew Tandal is perfectly cast and delivers a mesmerizing performance. Well-staged by director John Rampage, Tandal appears from every possible direction and serves as the unifying force for the production.
Many in the ensemble have performed leads in recent productions and exemplify the show’s level of talent when executing Rampage’s dynamic choreography.
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‘Cabaret’
>> Where: Diamond Head Theatre
>> When: 8 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays; 4 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 20; 3 p.m. Saturday and Oct. 12
>> Cost: $15 to $35
>> Info: 733-0274 or www.diamondheadtheatre.com
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An obvious mood shift takes place as Act II begins. The music-laden first act is long and disjointed, playing out sequentially rather than emotionally. The Kit Kat Klub’s ambience in Act I seems too bright, the costumes too cute, and the performers too happy. After the intermission, a grittier, more realistic tone carries the show to its stark conclusion.
An earlier and stronger undercurrent of decadence and danger would have reinforced the storyline’s intentions. In Act II, the songs, dialogue and relationship issues — the meaning of the show — become clear.
"Cabaret" remains a perennial favorite for musical theater aficionados, and this production offers some satisfying elements, especially in its final scenes. Life is not always a cabaret, and we are reminded of a time in history when that proved to be so.
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Jane Kerns is completing a doctorate in musicology, holds degrees in both theater and vocal performance, and has performed as an actor and singer in New York.
