By JOSEPHINE NORRIS, Staff Reporter.
“There was a cabaret, and there was a master of ceremonies and there was a city called Berlin in a country called Germany. It was the end of the world, and I was dancing with Sally Bowles and we were both fast asleep.”
At the dawn of the 1930s, the city of Berlin, Germany is a bright and brilliant playground and home to the Kit Kat Club where the ever-present Emcee (master of ceremonies) invites audiences night after night to “leave your troubles outside the door…We have no troubles here! Here life is beautiful… The girls are beautiful… Even the orchestra, is beautiful.”
This beauty captures the imagination of the American writer Cliff Bradshaw, who has moved to Berlin in the hopes of writing a bestseller. His stay in Berlin inspires a story of a different nature. Bradshaw meets the enigmatic Sally Bowles, a singer and performer at the club.
As their love affair intensifies, the shadow of the Nazi party grows and begins to impact the world around them. Slowly, Bradshaw wakes up to the threat and the changes in Berlin and escapes, leaving Sally, who refuses to open her eyes to the troubles and the rest of the cast to face the eminent chaos in Berlin.
Midland’s Center Stage Theater was filled with amazingly talented actors who brought this show to life. In particular, both Adam Gardner-Northrop as the Emcee and Emily Anderson as Sally Bowles truly shined.
The mix of flamboyancy, childlike qualities and an almost menacing presence made me want to watch Gardner-Northrop the entire time he was onstage.
Emily Anderson brought “perfectly marvelous” life to the charismatic Sally Bowles. Anderson truly inhabited her character; I often forgot this was just an actress performing on the stage.
The supporting cast did an amazing job. They were constantly in character and added great depth to the world of the musical. It was a bit scary how well some of them were able to convincingly play loose yet intriguing nightclub performers.
Overall, the tech for this show was amazing. The simple single set design by Evan Lewis was perfect for the larger than life reality of the musical. The whole stage appeared to be set in the middle of ruins of a seemingly grand building. A silver tinsel curtain was used to signal the interior of the Kit Kat Club. A curtain composed of collaged newspapers was used for the locations outside the Club. The silver curtain used for the Kit Kat Club shimmered like a mirage in a desert- just like the Kit Kat Club is a mirage in the crumbling city of Berlin.
The lighting design by JR Bornemann was outstanding. The color and intensities of the lighting design were beautiful and truly worked to tell the story. Costumes by Laurelei Horton were beautiful and I loved how they were each unique to each character. Who knew lingerie could look so lovely onstage?
Beyond the visual spectacle of the show, the deeper meanings behind the entertaining songs linger long after the curtain closes. I found it interesting that heavy issues such as abortion, drug use and the Nazi party were all a part of the show, but in such a way that was both explicit in what you saw, but implicit in the sense that they were not always talked about openly.
I also loved how the musical is written so that on the surface, the songs sung in the Club are entertaining and light hearted. But, when you look at the meanings and messages of the songs, they really are an indirect commentary on the events taking place in the world outside the club.
“Cabaret” is a wonderful work of local theater and should not be missed. The show will cast a spell on you and won’t release you until it’s over.
Due to adult content, “Cabaret” is recommended for those over the age of 18. The musical at Midland Center for the Arts runs March 13, 14, 20, 21, 26, 27 and 28 at 7:30 p.m. and March 22 at 3 p.m. Tickets are available online at mcfta.org or by phone at 989-631-5930
