OGDEN — Since coming on the scene in Ogden, the Ziegfeld Theater pushes the envelope when it comes to entertainment in Utah. With a mix of family-friendly and more edgy productions, one can always count on variety at this renovated movie theatre on Washington Boulevard. When they announced Cabaret, with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, would be a part of their 2026 lineup, I knew director Jake Larrabee had their work cut out for them with this story of 1930s nightclub debauchery in Berlin serving as a backdrop for the rise of Nazi power. The show itself, with a book by Joe Masteroff, first premiered in 1966 and has been one to both wow and offend audiences for the sixty years of its existence. The Zig prepares their audiences by giving each production a rating. Cabaret is rated R for violence, partial nudity, strong language, and sexual innuendo, a warning seen on the website and promotional material.
As you arrive at the Ziegfeld Theater, the ambiance feels like the inside of a club, with a dark lighting design by Kyle Esposito and a versatile set designed by Jake Larrabee and Erica Choffel. While the set mostly serves as the Kit Kat Club, it quickly switches to a humble housing abode, a train station, and many other areas. The projections, designed by Troy Martell, truly added to the production, especially in the train station. The costumes, designed by Maria Menlove, combined with the set and lighting adding to the story in very unique ways. As the show opens, the beginning number, “Wilkommen” shows off the sexy costumes, the dark lighting, the sensual choreography by Bryan Andrews, and is everything the casual observer thinks they know about Cabaret.
The Emcee, played by Jeremy Gross, embodies the exact paradoxical situation that Berlin was in at that point in time, where fun and joy was mixed a sense of fear and foreboding for the future. Gross embodied the anguish the society felt mixed with the freedom and joy of pre-World War 2. While his voice was very strong and his dancing was fantastic, it was his character that really stood out. Going from the clever and silly Emcee to the final scene, which is haunting, and dare I say horrific, was truly deep symbolism and character development.
Sylvia Henderson as Sally Bowles was exquisite. Henderson’s voice is impeccable, and her mannerisms are like nothing I have ever seen before. I was intrigued by how she chose to portray the complicated character. Bowles is a character that goes through most of the show oblivious to the “politics” of the situation, going so far to say “its just politics”. Yet by the end, her final number “Cabaret” is filled with such anger and pain that it is clear politics has a lot more pain and frustration in her heart than she realizes. Sally Bowles’s relationship and connection with Cliff, played by Alma Lambson, was well done and their chemistry was strong, yet their relationship had a lot of complications. I am glad the Zig employed Marinda Maxfield as an intimacy coordinator for a production as heavy and emotionally charged as this.
Where this show truly did best was with the storyline of the older couple, Fraulein Schneider, played by Dee Ann Nichols, and Herr Shultz, played by Austin Payne, representing a wonderful yet tragic love story. The charming song “It Couldn’t Please Me More” showed so much love, hope, and promise. The two actors played hope and promise with the grace and precision of seasoned actors. By the end of the of show, when Nichols sings the haunting “What Would You Do?” it showed just how hard it is to follow your heart when there are so many other issues in the world. Nichols built so much power and emotion into the song that it was clear that she understood the gravity of the situation.
As I watched this production and saw two characters unable to join together because of the political climate, I reflected on how even with sixty years since Cabaret premiered and eighty-one years since the end of World War II, there are so many issues that are not resolved when it comes to understanding and accepting people. Director Larrabee’s note in the program stated it well with, “I think what I could say here is pretty apparent.” This show was hard to watch. It is important to understand. At the end of the production, many of the cast bring up lines from Cabaret that have direct parallels to today and it was painful to hear. Perhaps we all need to ponder that pain.
MORE INFO: Cabaret plays Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM, with Saturday matinees at 2pm, and some Mondays at 7:30pm through February 14th at the Ziegfeld Theatre, 3934 S Washington Blvd Ogden Utah. Tickets are $26.95. For more information, visit zigarts.com.