Review of "Cabaret"

If you take the essence of the musical Cabaret, it is a show that focuses on relationships during a harrowing time in history.  This perspective allows the show to be reconfigured into a smaller, but no less vibrant, production, which is what the Music Theatre of Connecticut’s (MTC) staging has accomplished on their small performance space.  Their rendering is powerful, well-acted, and musically strong.

The book by Joe Masteroff is based on John Van Druten’s play, I Am a Camera (which was based on Christopher Isherwood’s novel, Goodbye to Berlin).  The story revolves around American writer Cliff Bradshaw (Nicholas Dromard), who arrives in Berlin as the Nazis are coming to power in Germany.  On the train, he befriends Ernst Ludwig (Andrew Foote), a shadowy, politically connected, figure, who recommends a rooming house, run by the aged Fraulein Schneider (Anne Kanengeiser) for him to reside during his stay in the German capitol.  That night he and Ernst take in the Kit Kat Klub, a seamy, decadent nightclub, overseen by a hedonistic, no-holds barred Master of Ceremonies (Eric Scott Kincaid), where Cliff becomes enthralled with the headline performer, Sally Bowles (Desiree Dovar).  The two quickly become an item and move in together.  A parallel plotline concerns Frualein Schneider’s ill-fated romance with Jewish grocer Herr Schultz (Jim Schilling).  The relationships eventually fray and dissolve just as Nazism becomes a more ominous and deadly force within everyone’s lives.

The structure of Cabaret is its strength, where the lives of the central characters and the musical numbers of the Kit Kat Klub both parallel each other and are interwoven.  On the surface, the performances within the Klub come across as campy and erotic entertainment, but they also provide a chilling metaphor and social commentary for the rapidly changing shift to a more intolerant political scene.

The score by John Kander and Fred Ebb, the team behind Chicago, is one of the long-time duo’s most iconic and well-known.  The songs range from bittersweet ballads to flamboyant and sexually charged numbers. 

The cast is led by real-life couple Desiree Dovar as Sally Bowles and Nicholas Dromard as Cliff Bradshaw.  They give honest portrayals of their characters who meet in desperate times.  Dovar’s Sally is all about the moment, whether on stage or in bed.  Dromard’s Cliff, is serious-minded, forthright, and a bit naive.  More a supporting player, the role of the Emcee, played by Eric Scott Kincaid, is critical to any production of Cabaret.  He seems to be a cross between Joel Grey’s original Broadway portrayal and Alan Cummings’ more recent, sexually charged character.  The result is a splashy, debauched performance that anchors the musical as it marches to its sorrowful ending.  Andrew Foote, who was so outwardly sinister in MTC’s Jekyll and Hyde, is no less malevolent and threatening here.  In some ways, he is more dangerous as Ernst is so ingrained within the changing environs.  Anne Kanengeiser gives Fraulein Schneider a certain dignity and strength even as she withers under the onrush of Anti-Semitism. Jim Schilling imbues Herr Schultz with a gentleman’s decorum even as his optimistic state eventually leads him to a tragic destiny.  Hilllary Ekwall’s Fraulein Kost is a sneering, immoral tramp seeking pleasure and survival.  Alex Drost and Tony Conaty, playing a number or roles, provide ample support throughout the show.

Director, and MTC co-Artistic, Kevin Connors is very comfortable and skilled reconfiguring large-scale musicals for the intimate staging area.  For this production, he has scaled back the personnel and gaudiness of the nightclub setting, but the emotional impact of the story is still intact.  The attention is more focused on how relationships are shaped by the larger events swirling around the characters.

The creative team of Scenic Designer Kelly Burr Nelsen, Lighting Designer RJ Romero, and Sound Designer Will Atkin have produced a simple, but effective set for the production.

Musical Director Tom Conroy leads a tight, spirited pit band off to the side of the stage.

Cabaret, a compelling musical drama even in the small MTC performance space.