Review: CABARET by Gulf Coast Symphony

Gulf Coast Symphony's production of CABARET took place over this past weekend at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. The show follows Clifford Bradshaw, an American who finds himself in Germany at the horrific time when Hitler and Nazis were ascending to power.

The Emcee was played by Devin Ilaw, and he was fantastic. The show is filled with a lot of dark humor that has many layers to it, and Ilaw did an excellent job with each moment. He brought energy and flamboyance to the stage, but also portrayed all of the seriousness and heartbreak that this story brings. Clifford Bradshaw was played by Joseph Spieldenner, and he was also great. I enjoyed his acting and singing very much, and the ups and downs of his relationship with Sally were intriguing to watch. Sally Bowles was played by E.J. Zimmerman, and she did a wonderful job portraying this character. Sally is a bit of a wild personality; she refuses to see the corruption happening in Germany, desperate to perform and do what she loves. Though it is clear their relationship at some point won't work out, you can't help but root for Cliff and Sally. Although, perhaps the most bittersweet relationship in CABARET is between boarding house owner Fraulein Schneider (Marguerite Willbanks) and the Jewish fruit vendor Herr Shultz (Mark David Kaplan). I really enjoyed the performances of these actors, and thought their on-stage romance was incredibly sweet.

The rest of the cast includes Larissa Klinger as Fraulein Kost/Kit Kat Girl, Dan Fenaughty as Ernst Ludwig, Michael Scott Ross as Max, Sophia Gurule, Sophie Hagan, Laela Rodriguez, and Talia Tumminello as Kit Kat Girls, and Ryan Michael James, Brice Kingsley, Jordan Lipes, and Brett Shields as Kit Kat Boys. This was a strong cast with lots of vocal skill and dancing talent. I was very impressed with the energy they brought to the stage.

One of the most unique aspects of seeing a production by Gulf Coast Symphony is that they have the Gulf Coast Symphony & Chamber Orchestra on the stage behind the actors. Unlike other theatre productions, this show didn't have a full set behind the actors because that's where the orchestra was. They projected a scene background on a screen at the back of the stage for each scene. It is really special to get to hear all these musicians perform the iconic music of CABARET as you watch the show happen, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The creative team for this production includes Max Quinlan as the Stage Director, Andrew M. Kurtz as the Music Supervisor & Conductor, Rosalind Metcalf as the Music Director, Brian Jannsen as the Sound Designer, Dalton Hamilton as the Lighting Designer, Roberta Malcolm and Diane Waldier as the Costume Designers, Larissa Klinger as the Choreographer, Jesseca Terhaar as the Props Master, Randy Lawson as the Production Stage Manager, Jacob Thomas as the Assistant Stage Manager, and Christian Londos as the Technical Director. This was my first time seeing a Gulf Coast Symphony production like this, and I think this creative team did a wonderful job bringing the show to life alongside the fabulous cast.

Though CABARET was only a short run, Gulf Coast Symphony has many exciting performances coming up soon. I'd absolutely recommend checking one (or more!) out. To learn more and buy tickets, click here: https://gulfcoastsymphony.org/concerts/

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