Review: CABARET at Winspear Opera House

I can't be the only theatregoer who found the tour of CABARET chilling. During an election year where fear mongering and racial intolerance are sitting center ring, the story of pre-Holocaust Germany seems especially relevant and cautionary. But that doesn't mean the musical, which just arrived at the Winspear Opear House, isn't equally thrilling and heartfelt.

Audiences most likely associate CABARET with Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey who appeared in Bob Fosse's 1972 feature film. The famous musical, which was originally based on John Van Druten's 1951 play I AM A CAMERA, has been staged all over the world in various forms. When Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall brought their revised staging to Broadway in 1998, the show was almost universally celebrated. Running for nearly 2,500 performances, the show's rotating cast featured some high-recognition celebs, including Natasha Richardson, Alan Cumming, Molly Ringwald, Neil Patrick Harris, John Stamos and Debbie Gibson. When the show closed after six years, it had become the third-longest musical revival in Broadway history.

Still, America hadn't quite had enough of this production, and the show returned to the New York stage for a limited run from April 2014 to March 2015. Upon the heels of its New York departure, producers quickly announced a new touring production, which features a handful of actors from the Broadway production.

Andrea Goss leads the tour as the coequally fierce and fragile Sally Bowles. Ms. Goss, who understudied the role on Broadway (playing Frenchie/Gorilla), is riveting in her portrayal. With her youthful looks and endless energy, Goss's Sally is as hopeful as she is helpless. At the height of Sally Bowles' career, Goss is a dynamite performer with the all the right looks and moves to sell the infamous "Don't Tell Mama," "Mein Herr," and "Maybe This Time" with ease. Then, as the young star begins to fade, Goss's nuanced performance is heartbreaking. Her dark, desperate performance of the titular song is an award-worthy display. Although CABARET is famous for hiring big-name actresses in the role, not one has compared to this young actress' take on the role. If this performance doesn't launch a massive career for Ms. Goss, I can't imagine what will.

As the Master of Ceremonies (Emcee), Randy Harrison walks right through the fourth wall, bringing the audience into this world of debauchery, delight and despair. Despite being an LGBT icon from the Showtime series "Queer as Folk," Harrison is a true stage veteran, with a musical theatre degree from the University of Cincinnati's Conservatory of Music and a myriad of regional theatre credits to boot. Although Harrison captures the audience's attention early in the evening in the high-kicking and high-energy opening number "Willkommen," it's in Act Two when he truly shines. As his light gets darker, Harrison's smile gets frighteningly larger, an eerie juxtaposition of the reality outside the club and the façade they perform inside every night.

The challenge in attending theatre as a writer is never having the opportunity to sit back and truly get the experience of an average spectator. But with this production of CABARET, I found myself swept away by the magic, and lost in their dark and dirty world. Although I've seen the show more than a dozen times (including being on the production team for a college production), this time I felt more connected and shaken by some of the song lyrics, which felt more timely than ever. When Fraulein Schneider (played sincerely and intensely by Shannon Cockran) commits to sacrificing the happiness in her life in order to comply with the political shift in Berlin, visions of building a wall around Mexico, creating "bathroom laws," banning Muslims, and "Making America Great Again" fearfully crossed my mind.

Although CABARET is expertly written and performed, it's certainly not everyone's cup of tea. With risqué costumes and adult humor, this is neither a family-friendly musical nor for the overly conservative crowd. Still, CABARET is both thought provoking and entertaining, and it's the hottest show in town this season. For tickets and more information, visit www.ATTPAC.org.

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