BWW Reviews: Stage Company's CABARET is Spectacularly Entertaining Now Thru Oct. 23rd

The San Jose Stage Company opened its season with the provocative and still darkly daring, Tony-winning Cabaret. Set in 1931 Berlin, on the cusp of all that was to come with the takeover of the Nazis, the Kander and Ebb musical revolves around the Kit Kat Club and its cast of characters who are determined to ignore the outside world. "We have no troubles here! Here, life is beautiful," shouts the garishly made-up emcee. He and the club's performers do their best to convince us that indeed, "life is a cabaret" and, for a moment in time, it seems to be true. Directed by Rick Singleton (Musical direction by Martin Rojas Dietrich) and dynamically choreographed by Carmichael "CJ" Blankenship, the Stage's Cabaret is spectacularly entertaining and risqué, as well as thought-provoking and dark.

Jef Valentine is superb as the insouciant master of ceremonies who is determined to distract by keeping the entertainment hot, sexy and fun. Valentine's strength lies in his timing and ability to deftly orchestrate the show. At the outset he introduces the girls, the band and the boys to the audience in one of the signature songs of the night "Wilkommen," and delightfully draws us under his wickedly sublime spell.

Equally captivated by the Kit Kat Club's entertainment is newly arrived American Clifford Bradshaw (Brandon Mears). Mears is likeable, bringing an all-American boy easiness to the role of the bisexual Cliff. He's a writer in search of a story and, though initially intrigued by the shifting political sands in Berlin, he gets sidetracked by British Kit Kat singer Sally Bowles (Halsey Varady).

Varady sizzles on stage, absolutely embodying the role of the free-spirited Bowles who falls for Clifford and soon moves in with him. Clifford isn't sure how he feels about it, but nevertheless allows her to stay. Varady's acting skills are stellar. She creates a character that is impulsive and edgy, the perfect counterpoint to Cliff's more staid demeanor. Middle-aged landlady Fräulein Schneider (the delightful Judith Miller) isn't sure about their living arrangement, or with the one the other female tenant (Fräulein Kost) has with frequent gentlemen callers, but she's too busy with a gentleman caller of her own, the German Jew Herr Schultz (Martin Rojas Dietrich), to worry too much about it.

Miller and Dietrich are charming together. Dietrich's rich tenor resonates with passion and he imbues his part with a tender honesty that never becomes too sentimental. He's quite taken with his shy, spinster lady friend and the two of them have scene-stealing moments that are touching and heartfelt. His joy at her acceptance of his proposal is palpable and you hope that they can rise above the times, but reality finally sets in and choices must be made.

Joe Masteroff's book brilliantly captures the slow fall into chaos that happens as Nazi ideology takes root outside the walls of the club. Affable German Ernst Ludwig (the spot on Will Springhorn Jr.), who at first befriends Cliff, eventually makes his Nazi agenda known, ending the stupor of many of the characters. Try as they might to hold the forces of change at bay, the rise of the Third Reich cannot be denied. Valady's show-stopping rendition of the song "Cabaret" is a last brave attempt to put on a brave face and deny the coming changes, but to no avail. Complacency and denial come with a price; all of their lives will be changed.

But for a moment in time, life is indeed a cabaret. The strong supporting cast is given ample room to strut their stuff with Blankenship's writhing choreography. He also plays the part of Victor, who, along with Bobby (Matt Bariletti), provide the male eye-candy in the show. And what a show.

Michele Wynne's costumes succinctly capture the mood of debauchery with plenty of flesh showing along with the stark white cotton bras and bloomers that give way to black lace corsets, silk robes and thigh-high black stockings and heels. The gender bending garb of the emcee and the muscular men in black pants complete the look. Her work is complemented by the monochromatic black set design by Michael Palumbo which forces the focus onto the action on stage. Lighting design by Selina G Young brings the characters into sharp relief, nicely evoking the 30's ambience. Nion Dickson's sound design is perfectly balanced between band and performers. She gives us a marvelous train sound but the use of reverb to shade the meaning of several of the performances was overdone. But it's a small thing that is completely overshadowed by this strong cast and the classic Kander and Ebb music and lyrics.

Come to the Cabaret and forget all your troubles while you enjoy the girls, the boys and the band!

CABARET
San Jose Stage Company
Sept 28 - Oct 23, 2011
www.thestage.org/
Book by Joe Masteroff
Music by John Kander
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Based on the Play
by John Van Druten
And Stories by
Christopher Isherwood
Directed by Rick Singleton
Photo courtesy of Dave Leporisy

 

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