OGDEN — On April 3rd, I left my troubles at the door to see the opening night of Cabaret at Weber State University in the Allred Theatre. Unbeknownst to me, those troubles would soon appear on stage. The production directed by Andrew Barratt Lewis did a beautiful job of welcoming in the audience to a world of free expression, life, and art before taking us on the devastating ride that was the start of the second World War. The musical’s book is by Joe Masteroff based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood and the music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb.
Cabaret follows the story of an American writer Cliff Bradshaw who travels to Berlin in search of inspiration for his new novel. Upon his New Year’s Eve arrival, he secures housing and attends the local Kit Kat Club to enjoy dancing, music, and the club’s wide array of “dancers”. Here he meets the illustrious Sally Bowles, an English performer at the club, and their nontraditional relationship ensues amidst the ever rising power of the Nazi party in Germany.
The life that this production infused into the audience began when the live, onstage Orchestra conducted by Kenneth Plain erupted into song. The opening number “Wilkommen”, where the character Emcee, played by Brian Shinohara, welcomes us all to the Kit Kat Club and tells us to leave all our troubles at the door. Shinohara sauntered on stage with the allure and sensuality a night cabaret’s ring leader is expected to have. His confident and animated disposition opened the door for the often polite and quiet theatre audience to avidly contribute to the night club’s loud and excited atmosphere. Shinohara’s success did not stop there and he went on to deliver a heartbreaking and poignant rendition of “I Don’t Care Much” at the climax of the show’s tragedy.
The Kit Kat Club’s sensual and lively atmosphere, while led by Shinohara, would be nothing without the talented ensemble of cabaret dancers. Their execution of sexy choreography by Michael Hernandez seamlessly told the story of both the night club’s character and the turmoil engulfing it.
Grace Maria Hernandez delivered an energetic lively performance as Sally Bowles. Hernandez’s bubbly and distrusting rendition of the character intriguingly contrasted the character’s deep desire for connection. Hernandez’s performance of the show’s penultimate song “Cabaret” showcased an emotional vocal performance and took the audience with her into the consequences of Sally’s actions.
Across from Hernandez, Ryland Thomason delivered a gentle yet stubborn performance as Cliff Bradshaw. This made Cliff’s anger feel even more poignant for a character experiencing first hand the threatening uprising of Nazi Germany as a stranger in the country.
Other stand out performances include Darbey Bills as Fräulein Schneider and Maximillian Kratz as Herr Schultz whose tender playfulness brought a loving humanity to their roles. Notably, Bills gave a strong and grounded vocal performance in “What Would You Do”. These performances along with the delightful and fully committed performance of Hannah Church as Fräulein Kost, created an enjoyably human world in which this production resided.
Much credit should also be given to the Costume Design by Fan Zhang with assistance from Alexa Garfield and Casey Soderquist, which immediately welcomed the audience into the raunchy world of the Kit Kat Club. The design expertly contributed to the characterization of not only the main roles, but also the individuality of the ensemble. Specific and bold details like the pocket cod piece on the Emcee added humor and varying tactical options for the actors to express their character’s intentions and personalities.
Zhang’s costuming was beautifully complimented by Hailey Lauinger’s Hair and Makeup design. The designs progressed along with the characters throughout the show. The two most notable being: the messy deterioration of the Emcee’s beautiful full face of makeup as he experienced the mounting pressure from Nazi upsurgence, and the FX makeup alluding to the health condition of performers and those in physical conflicts.
Andrew Barratt Lewis’s direction of this production focused on the loss of expression and vibrancy alternative peoples lose when forced into conformity through fear and violence. Barratt Lewis’s choice to focus on the Emcee’s emotional journey, though the script didn’t expose the specifics of his situation, held a mirror to the lives of all the characters affected in the same way throughout the show’s story. While this strategy could have further clarity through more intentional transitions between straight scenes and Emcee led musical numbers, its impact still communicated the emotional journey of the characters.
Additional credit for the success of this production goes to Tabi Leduc, the Stage Manager, for expertly maintaining the pace of the technical show elements, no doubt through the support of Assistant Stage Managers and off stage production team members.
Come to Weber State’s Cabaret if you love exceptional dancing, music, the risqué, human experience and heartache. This production reminds us of the past so that we will choose differently in the present.
MORE INFO: Cabaret plays at the Allred Theatre April 8-11 at 7:30 pm and April 11 at 2pm at Weber State University (83848 Harrison Blvd, Ogden, UT 84403). Tickets are $19 with a discount ticket of $16 for Youth/Senior. This production is suggested for audiences 13 and older due to its mature themes and sexual content. For more information, see their website here: https://www.weber.edu/theatre/theatre-season.html