By Dale King
The musical Cabaret is dark and forbidding, much like its setting, Berlin in the 1930s. Broward Stage Door Theatre’s rendition of the award-winning 1966 show masterfully mixes the hedonistic characters who inhabited backstreet Berlin with the hopeful souls who dreamed of something better, but often felt the sharp slap of failure.
This stellar production, which emphasizes the grim nature of the play’s subject by using sparse scenery and darkened stairways connected by a long, garishly lit catwalk, is approaching the end of its run. The final show is a matinee scheduled Sunday.
Based on the writings of Christopher Isherwood, who experienced first-hand the sexually uninhibited pre-World War II Berlin, the show features an eclectic mix of songs by Fred Ebb and John Kander. The melodies run an odd gamut, from the not-so-welcoming “Wilkommen” that introduces the audience to the grotesquely garbed and grease-painted Emcee (Ronen Bay) to the title song, rendered by saloon singer Sally Bowles (Katherine Amadeo), whose confused and confusing life is not exactly a cabaret.
The musical focuses on Cliff Bradshaw (Pierre Tannous), an American who visits Berlin to teach English, but mainly to write a book. He does much more of the former than the latter. Soon, he meets nightclub vocalist Sally Bowles and they quickly fall in love.
But another love story is quietly blooming in the background, one between Herr Schultz (Michael H. Small), a Jewish fruit vendor, and Fräulein Schneider (Elissa Solomon), the landlady where he lives. They enjoy some of the brightest spots in this play.
Hope does spring eternal in his show, and the players do a wonderful job making it so. The characters of Cliff and Sally seem to work at it, but a real bond just isn’t there. On the other hand, Fräulein Schneider and Herr Schultz proffer their true feelings in the song, “It Couldn’t Please Me More,” when he brings her a pineapple from his fruit stand.
Amadeo handles the Sally Bowles role exceedingly well, eschewing any connection with Liza Minnelli’s portrayal in the 1972 film. Sometimes sophisticated, sometimes childlike, she’s an excellent vocalist and actor, adapting well to the trappings of 1930s Germany.
As Cliff, Tannous is talented, sometimes quiet and sometimes furious. He has the unexpressive demeanor of an English teacher, but reacts fiercely when he realizes that wrongs are being perpetrated and that Hitler is changing the nation’s footprint. He is particularly offended by the swastika and what is stands for.
Small and Solomon handle their roles sweetly and gently. Their loving behavior tugs at the audience’s heartstrings. Ronen Bay is perfect as the Emcee, whether gilded, corseted or wrapped in lace and garters. He is the fly-on-the-wall character who oversees the action and often shows up out of nowhere.
Two actors deserve special credit. Katrina Michaels is exceptional as Fräulein Kost, who employs whimsy and wry charm to give her character of a prostitute some real oomph. Also, Ben Prayz is exceedingly good at being bad as Ernst Ludwig, who initially befriends Cliff and helps him earn extra money by taking unexplained missions to Paris. The actor, who last appeared here in Old Jews Telling Jokes, does quite the turnaround in Cabaret, portraying the quintessential Nazi.
Dan Kelley again does directing duties with aplomb. And the Kit Kat Klub choreography is the work of master dancer/teacher Ben Solmor, whose work has been a staple at various venues, most recently at the Delray Square Performing Arts Center. Set designer Sean McClelland and lighting chief Andrew Myers work well to make the atmosphere match the seedy nature of the show.
Cabaret plays through Sunday at the Broward Stage Door Theater, 8036 W. Sample Road, Coral Springs. For tickets, call 954-344-7765.