Stage Review - Cabaret (Bainbridge Performing Arts)

Stage Review - Cabaret
Presented By: Bainbridge Performing Arts (BPA) - Bainbridge Island, WA
Show Run: April 26 - May 12, 2024
Date Reviewed: Thursday, April 25, 2024 (Preview)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman

Truly timeless shows are few and far between, and when they are it’s worth considering how something that was written during or about a specific period of time can still apply to modern sensibilities or is applicable to the current social or political climate. There are things that stand the test of time for sure, things like relationships, family, love, regardless of the setting these are generally consistent at their core. Politics, however, and social attitudes are things we expect to improve over time. Cabaret, the story of American novelist Cliff Bradshaw who travels to pre-World War 2 Berlin in order to wrestle some inspiration for his latest book, deals with a number of subjects that were part and parcel to the rise of Hitler’s Nazi Party in the 1930s. The show’s themes include anti-semetism and racism, political extremism, and fear mongering. This should all sound familiar, and if read out of context, some may think that the show is actually about modern day America. While love is the good side of timelessness, hate, as presented in Cabaret, is most surely the bad side. It’s within this context that Bainbridge Performing Arts has elected to run Cabaret as part of its 2023-24 season in a production directed by Jessica Low and on stage at their new Buxton Center through May 12.

If you’ve seen Cabaret previously, the story is a familar one. Cliff Bradshaw comes to Berlin, meets Ernst Ludwig on the train, who takes it upon himself to line Cliff up with a place to stay in his city, in the boarding house of Fraulein Schneider. During Cliff’s first evening in town, he heads over to the Kit Kat Klub, where he meets English chanteuse Sally Bowles, whom he falls head over heels for. Sally, who has done whatever was needed to secure her singing work at the gritty nightclub takes a shine to the American as well, and the two start a whirlwind romance in a subset of German society where anything and everything seems to be on the table. In the meantime, Ernst Ludwig is a bit more than what he seems, Fraulein Schneider is both aghast at the behavior of boarder Fraulein Kost and her revolving door of sailors while at the same time unsuccessfully fighting off the advances of Jewish grocer Herr Schultz. There’s a lot going on here, and it’s all set among the complexity and challenges of the rising power within Germany of the Nazi Party. Trying to keep it all together is the show’s Master of Ceremonies. The “emcee” serves two purposes in Cabaret, first as host in the Kit Kat Klub, announcing the performers as well as doing some singing and dancing as well. The emcee also serves as the conductor of the train that is this show, guiding the audience from the peaks of the ups of the story to the doldrums of the downs. Cabaret is, after all, a tale of two distinct acts. Act 1 is like a carnival, a celebration of decadence and free will, while Act 2 is the polar opposite, a dark ride through a river of hate, fear, anguish, pain, and heartbreak. It’s a setup that turns on a dime, with a second act twisting of a knife that sinks deeper until it plunges into the soul of the audience.

The challenge that Jessica Low has here is to tell a story that is well known, with twists that the majority of the audience knows are coming, and present it in a way that is at least as impactful, if not more-so, than the first time anyone in attendance saw it. The short version of this is a simple “mission accomplished”. I’ve seen Cabaret three or four times in other productions, and Thursday’s preview presentation at BPA left me, and from what I can tell the majority of those in the building with me, feeling like the rug had been pulled out from under me. There are many reasons for this, the first being how Jessica has chosen to present it. With a set from Erik Furuheim that feels seedy and gritty from the backstreets of Berlin (think of a 1930s version the Beatles at the Cavern Club), the production feels like it’s a stage show, as if the story unfolding on stage is part of the Kit Kat Klub entertainment. Along with Rob Falk’s lighting, the scenic design creatively using lighting to illustrate the contrasting moods of the two acts. It’s a very “meta” design, with the supporting actors (the Kit Kat Klub girls and boys) watching the plot arcs on stage as if they are the audience themselves. Additionally, Jessica’s decision to use a live band on stage is clearly the right one. It’s a talented group, under the leadership of Music Director Shawna Avinger, that doesn’t miss a note and plays with the right amount of style and finesse to work as the Kit Kat Klub orchestra to masterfully guide the show’s soundtrack. Cabaret is also very racy. Anything goes in the Kit Kat Klub, and folks going to the club need to check their inhibitions and innuendo at the door. Sex is most definitely the order of the day, and the decision a director needs to make with a design is how far to go. Jessica holds nothing back here, the actors (both male and female) wear next to nothing on stage, though Justine Pogue’s costume design isn’t all about lingerie and tassels, the wardrobes for the actors outside of the club range from elegant and classy to serviceable and functional. Justine shows quite the range in her design, but it’s in the club where she’s most creative. There’s also a lot of raciness when it comes to choreography, including plenty of simulated sex and other gyrational motions. It’s not just choreographer Annalisa Brinchmann who manages the reins here, but the work of intimacy coordinator Lee Ann Hittenberger is crucial to make sure that Jessica’s vision is carried out while the actors maintain their personal comfort in what’s taking place on stage. And then, there are the actors.

It takes a brave actor to perform a show like Cabaret, or at the very least a confident one. This entire cast gives their all on stage, and both the leads and supporting players do very well here to present the carnival and almost chaotic atmosphere of the first act and the heartbreaking and shocking feeling of the second just about perfectly. This production of Cabaret may be one of the best examples of near perfect casting that I’ve seen, at least this season in the community theatre space. It start with the Master of Ceremonies, the emcee. This is the first and last character that the audience sees, and there’s a lot on the actor’s shoulders here. Bo Mellinger plays the emcee in this version and he’s wonderful. The character is historically androgynous in both behavior and dress and it takes a supremely talented actor to pull it off in a believable way, and Bo does just that. His flamboyant emcee is carefree, until he isn’t, and when the turn happens it’s palpable. Bo’s vocal range is well suited for this role as well, his turn in the famous opening “Willkommen” is excellent, he’s sexy in “Two Ladies”, and politically charged in “Money” and “If You Could See Her”, which frankly should be an anthem in our present political and social culture. Kudos to Bo as well for his interaction with the BPA audience. There’s no way with him running the show that the audience can feel detached from the action on stage. And as good as Bo is as the emcee, Jessica’s real coup when it comes to casting is with leads Cliff Bradshaw and Sally Bowles. This is a pair that work extremely well together, they’re paired so well in height, and with Hollywood looks and such an expert ability to express emotion, there’s no better actors that I’ve seen for these roles than Chris Clark and Talena Laine. Starting with Chris, he has such a way about him, especially in the way he captures Cliff’s joy and eyes wide enthusiasm that he comes to Berlin with, the seriousness with which he judges the impending political situation, and the unbridled anger when he loses control of his life. Chris is also all in with his acting, he reacts to whom he’s acting with and never takes a moment off when he’s a spectator to the events on stage. It’s a presence few have, it’s strong without being overbearing. Talena’s Sally, on the other hand, is the girl down on her luck willing to do anything to find work, and when she does, it’s taken full advantage of. She lives in the moment, never a thought given to what has happened or what is to happen. There’s a certain sadness to watching characters played so well on stage, knowing what is going to happen in the world over the next few years, and people like Sally just oblivious to it. Talena has a number of moments in the show, she’s an excellent dancer, and a stupendous singer. Her vocal range is perfect for this part, she’s sultry and seductive in “Don’t Tell Mama” and “Mein Herr”, sad in “Maybe This Time” and show stoppingly amazing in “Cabaret”, capturing the true essence of the anger, sadness, and borderline psychotic nature of the piece. What these two leads do to bring this complex and heart wrenching love story to life is just wonderful.

It’s a top notch cast from top to bottom. Perhaps the most important character in Cabaret that isn’t named Cliff or Sally is Ernst Ludwig. Max Lopuszynski plays Ernst here. His character is friendly throughout, but is into some shady business. Max plays him sort of happy-go-lucky at the beginning, but intensely serious when it comes to his politics. It’s a nice performance from Max, and when the show turns, he’s the one who turns it. In the parallel story arc, between Fraulein Schneider, Herr Schultz, and Fraulein Kost, Michelle Lorenz Odell, Adam Othman, and Kendra Truett provide some of the more tender moments in the show. The highlight here is “Married”, a duet that Michelle and Othman sing together, a truly sweet moment in the story, but when Kendra joins them in a German version from above the stage, her performance adds a depth to the tenderness that is very nice. This number also shines a light on the immense vocal talent that Michelle and Kendra bring to the table. Filling out the supporting cast are Ed Courtway as Kit Kat Klub owner Max, along with the club’s female and male dancers, Meagan Kirby (Frenchie), Colleen Gillon (Texas), Elizabeth Dangelo (Fritzie), Laura McFarlane (Lulu), Jo Johnson (Rosie), Philippa Myler (Helga), Reed Viydo (Victor), Sriram Kanduri (Herman), Joey Chapman (Bobby), and Shane Petrus (Hans). Each of these actors are excellent dancers and together make a very good vocal ensemble.

Cabaret is a musical that never seems to age. It’s as relevant today as it was when it was first performed, which is both good and bad. The bad is clear, there are plenty of parallels in America today that mirror the events leading up to the Nazis taking power in Germany in World War 2. The good, though, is that we get to appreciate the genius that is this show written by John Kander (music), Fred Ebb (lyrics), and Joe Masteroff (book). We also get to appreciate when it’s so well performed as it is in the BPA production. Under the direction of Jessica Low, this cast featuring superlative performances by Bo Mellinger, Chris Clark, and Talena Laine delivers what may just be the show this season that sticks in your soul more than any other.

Cabaret runs on stage at the BPA’s Buxton Center for the Performing Arts on Bainbridge Island through May 12. For more information about the theatre and the show, or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org/. Note that Cabaret contains mature content and themes and may not be suitable for younger audiences.

Photo credit: Dominique Cantwell