‘Cabaret’ flawless and haunting in Cygnet production

By Carol Davis

SAN DIEGO—I love the John Kander/Fred Ebb musical “Cabaret”. I shudder at the John Kander/Fred Ebb musical “Cabaret”.

I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have seen this show. In fact, many moons ago, I saw Joel Grey the (often called) quintessential Emcee perform it live in yet another stage production. I caught it in Boston on a visit. Once again I saw it here in San Diego in 2003 when Cygnet’s artistic director Sean Murray was then artistic director at North Coast Repertory Theatre. At that time the production won multiple awards from the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle including Best Production by a Resident Theatre. Once more, Murray is mounting an excellent and worthy adventure on his own stage at the Cygnet Theatre in Old Town.

It’s the type of show that quickly lures you in to the decadent world of pre Nazi Germany where drugs, sex, prostitution, homosexuality, and conspiracies lurk under every cabaret table. Then it methodically whacks you over the head when those same characters of the infamous Kit Kat Club of Cabaret fame begin to feel the squeeze of Hitler’s madness, live in denial of it (as so many others did) and suffer the consequences from it.  I have never left a theatre after seeing a production of Cabaret, be it in a movie theatre on TV or on stage, with dry eyes or feeling light hearted.

The story is based on Christopher Isherwood’s 1929 book Berlin Stories, of his experiences in Germany when he wrote; “I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking.” It was there he met the Englishwoman Sally Bowles. In 1951 John von Druten wrote his play I Am A Camera starring Julie Harris, which later went on to Broadway and after that Harris stared in the film version of the same name.

When the movie version, under the watchful eye of director Hal Prince with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb and book by Joe Masteroff came out, the overall look was one of a big Hollywood musical having Sally Bowles fit the now American image as an ex patriot singing in a cabaret and the cabaret becoming a metaphor for the declining Weimer Republic. It forever memorialized Liza Minnelli as the American Sally Bowles and Joel Grey as the Emcee of the Kit Kat Club.

Cygnet’s artistic director Sean Murray, in a bold and dazzling move, has turned a corner from the movie and most stage versions and has given us Karson St. John as the know all, raunchy and naughty looking ‘butch, Emcee who is at the helm at all times in her knee high black boots and black pants looking oh so much like a costume out of an SS wardrobe room, white vest and wearing varying styles of the German military peaked hat whose insignia’s and colors changed as the times changed.

The Sally Bowles (Joy Yandell) story is the main vehicle for moving the show along. The romance between Sally and Cliff Bradshaw (Charlie Reuter) is the central theme while the little noticed (in the beginning) budding romance between the German, Fraulein Schneider, (Linda Libby) owner of the boarding house and the Jewish fruit merchant Herr Schultz (Jim Chovick), is developing.

When this subtle love affair leads to a proposal of marriage, it finds itself one of the first causalities of the Third Reich’s  ‘Jewish Problem’. Those and a host of others start off innocently with Cliff’s newly found friend, a regular of the Kit Kat Club, Ernst Ludwig (Jason Heil slowly convinces) who brings the ‘axis of evil’ home by pretending to be a business man traveling back and forth to Paris with goods but who is, in fact, laundering money for the Nazi cause. And by the time the Emcee sings the “If You Could See Her” …through my eyes duet with an overstuffed Pig (it plays better with the gorilla) and ends with “She doesn’t look Jewish at all”, the die is cast.

From the opening audience participation (before the show takes off) joining Andy Collins in his sing along ‘Schnitzelbank’ to our being welcomed (“Willkommen”) to the club by an overpowering and menacing looking Emcee, (St. John’s eyes are circled in black makeup making her look eerie) Sally, the Kit Kat Boys and Girls to the chilling choir of angel faced boys singing “Tomorrow Belongs to Me”  (Jacob Caltrider’s voice is innocently beautiful) we are on a collision course with disaster that barely gives us time to take a breath.

Sean Murray’s direction is sharp and to the point giving the play an urgency and underlying chill that makes you want to see more yet not wanting know how it ends. It all plays out on Sean Fanning’s double decked, tawdry looking and well-worn set with tables and chairs positioned round the front and sides of the stage. Chris Rynne’s lighting design, with strands of bulbs also strung throughout the theatre, takes on every changing mood of the times from bright reds to dim grays.  On the top deck is Billy Thompson’s great sounding orchestra that is spot on, on every musical number.

The large cast of fifteen, including Andy Collins, Eric Hellmers, Tony Houck, Rosie O’Hara, and Katie Whalley (Kit Kat Boys and Girls) to name a few, are more than up to the challenge especially from St. John whose presence is felt everywhere she moves and in every look she gives. Joy Yandell’s Sally works well opposite Charlie Reuter’ Cliff, the innocent writer, whose sexual orientation is always a big question mark. Yandell’s numbers, “Don’t Tell Mama”, “Mein Herr” and “Perfectly Marvelous” are ‘perfectly wonderful’.

Melissa Fernandes, another versatile actor is ideal as Fraulein Kost, the instigator of Fraulein Schneider’s troubles. Before that however she is a hoot as the busiest prostitute in the boarding house. Tony Houck, another very multitalented actor, is great as one of the Kit Kat girls, Helga especially singing “Two Ladies”.

Both Chovick and Libby, who played the same couple in the North Coast Rep. production, are even better now. Maybe age has tenderized the relationship, but they are just as charming and beautiful together as a couple can be. Sadly, however, the times and environment get in the way of their happiness and Libby’s “”What Would You Do?” turns out to be a heartbreaker.

David Brannen’s choreography, especially his tap production number for the “Money Song” is genius inspired. I loved it. In fact his choreography, Shirley Pierson’s costume design, and Amanda Sitton/ Peter Herman wigs and makeup design keep the look, feel and sound of this production flawless.

And while this first-rate incarnation hurts to watch, it’s well worth the trip to Old Town ‘should we never forget’… on two fronts, our European Nation ‘friends’ who are quick to condemn Israel first and foremost and the barrage of rockets from Gaza falling on Israel’s soil.

See you at the theatre.

Dates: through May 15th

Organization: Cygnet Theatre

Phone: 619-337-1525

Production Type: Musical

Where: 4040 Twigs Street, Old Town

Ticket Prices: $29.00-$54.00

Web: cygnettheatre.com

Venue: Old Town Theatre, San Diego