Review: CABARET at NM Women's Club

Full confession: I was not jumping up and down to see another production of Cabaret. Chalk it up to Cabaret being the show that wouldn't die when I was in college - cast as a chorus member, it was a grueling rehearsal period and extended run, then we won American College Theater Festival for our region and had to come back early from winter break to recreate it, it literally went on for a good two thirds of my sophomore year. Some of the songs can give me PTSD. True fact.

So imagine my surprise to discover that Tri-M Productions has taken my nemesis show and transformed it into a darker, deeper and more engrossing experience all the way around. This production was based on the 1998 revival starring Alan Cumming and Natasha Richardson at Studio 54. This version explored more of the novel, Goodbye to Berlin, and the straight play on which the musical is based, I Am a Camera by Christopher Isherwood. It goes more into Cliff's homosexuality and Sally's addictions to drugs, alcohol and drama.

The musical focuses on the hedonistic nightlife at the seedy Kit Kat Klub and revolves around American writer Clifford Bradshaw's relationship with British cabaret performer Sally Bowles. There is also a subplot involving a doomed romance between German boarding house owner Fräulein Schneider and elderly suitor Herr Schultz, a

Jewish fruit vendor.

Overseeing all the action is the Master of Ceremonies at the Kit Kat Klub; the club reflects the rapid changes as the Nazis rise to power in Weimar Germany. The musical shows the conflicted relationships between Aryan and Jew, gay and straight; nationalist and resistance fighter. All of the musical numbers magnify the spoken scenes and weave together a tale of impending doom.

Tri-M takes all the depth and weight of the material and injects it with moments of humor, tenderness and a sense of urgency. The musical numbers Two Ladies and Don't Tell Mama were both standouts for their stellar choreography and showmanship. The chorus girls, along with gay couple Victor and Bobby, create a strong ensemble to support the main characters.

Speaking of main characters, the two stand-out performances here are Ian Noble as the Master of Ceremonies and Julie Anne Shapiro as Sally Bowles. Noble embodies the light and dark needed as the MC, a character who has sometimes been likened to Satan himself presiding over a den of iniquity. Noble's vocals and comedic timing were definitely the glue weaving all the action together.

Shapiro's Sally captured the desperation and sadness so often disregarded in this role - Sally is described in the original play as "not much of a singer," so it's always struck me as odd that Liza Minnelli became the gold standard for this role. Shapiro plays to Sally's weaknesses for booze, drugs and men - when we meet her she is already on a road to ruin. Shapiro's voice in Sally's big numbers has a haunting quality, similar to Glynis Johns in Sondheim's A Little Night Music. She commands attention every time she enters the action, and breaks the hearts of the audience over and over again.

It's encouraging to see Tri-M evolving and growing with each production. The only limitation to note for Cabaret is the age of the cast - all players are between 18 and 35, most under 30 - not necessarily a bad thing, but it does make the Schneider/Schultz relationship feel less tragic than if they were two older adults in the roles, the gravitas and sense that they are each other's last chance is lacking here, through no fault of strong performances by Anna Balsamo and Jensen Klodnicki, there was just no sense that they were older adults.

Tri-M's orchestra grows with each production as well, and all the musicians were top notch, as was Musical Director Kathlene Ritch.

Overall, Tri-M took my Cabaret PTSD and turned it into a very enjoyable and provocative night in the theater. Kudos to Director Marilyn Barnes. I look forward to seeing what they do with their next production.

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