Theater Review—

Theater Barn’s ‘Cabaret’ Is Hot, But Bring A Sweater

By Julie Stern

RIDGEFIELD — Kander and Ebbs’ Cabaret is one of the all time great musicals. The original Broadway production won eight Tony Awards in 1966, the movie version collected nine Oscars six years later, and since then, it has drawn inspired performances from local talent in community theaters around the country. I’ve seen four here in Connecticut, each one distinctly different from the others, and I’ve enjoyed them all.

Taken from John Van Druten’s stage play, I Am A Camera, which in turn was based on Christopher Isherwood’s semi-autobiographical account of his adventures in Weimar Germany in the 1920’s,  Cabaret captures both the moral decadence of that time along with the insidious spread of fascism and the rise of the Nazi Party.

At the heart of the show is the Kit Kat Club, where the master of ceremonies — a figure both mocking and sinister — presides over a company of provocatively bared “girls and boys,” any of whom are available for “dates” with club patrons. The musical numbers performed by the Emcee and his “artistes” are both exciting in themselves, and shrewdly emblematic of the changing times in the world outside the club.

In addition, the Emcee strolls through that outside world, leering at the audience and offering a silent commentary on the events in the subplot of the play, which are the lives of the inhabitants of Fraulein Schneider’s rooming house: Clifford Bradshaw, the young American who has come to Berlin to write his novel; Sally Bowles, the reckless English girl who takes refuge with Cliff when she loses her job as lead chanteuse at the club; Fraulein Schneider, herself a wistful spinster, determined to survive no matter how hard times get after the war; Herr Schultz, the Jewish greengrocer who loves her and courts her with gifts of fruit;, and Fraulein Kost, a hypocritical hooker whose room is home to a constant procession of male “relatives from Hamburg” all wearing sailors’ uniforms.

Cliff, who is, to say the least, ambivalent about his sexuality, is fascinated by Sally and, as they are sharing a room and a bed, becomes her lover. When Sally announces she is pregnant (though she is not sure by whom) Cliff proudly proposes marriage, thrilled by the prospect of fatherhood. Since they are both so broke, he agrees to perform some discreet smuggling for Ernst Ludwig, a friendly stranger he met on the train. 

Ludwig turns out to be raising money for the Nazis. He warns Fraulein Schneider against the impropriety of marrying a Jew, and encourages the others to join in singing the chilling anthem of the Nazi Youth, “Tomorrow Belongs to Me.”

Cliff is outraged by what he realizes is happening, and refuses to take the money. The amoral Sally sells her fur coat to finance an abortion, and the American begins his book on the train, as he leaves Germany for good.

Of the four local productions of  Cabaret that I have seen, the current one at Ridgefield Theatre Barn is the darkest, as well as the longest. It uses the uncut first act and even adds some details and at least one number from the movie (“Money makes the world go around…”).

This is not a criticism. Because it was so enjoyable, I would have happily stayed for another hour.

More importantly, this production differs because Michael Limone, who is both the director and plays the Emcee, does such a fantastic job at both. As opposed to the epicene gnome created by Joel Grey (who won both the Tony and the Oscar for it), Limone’s Master of Ceremonies is a muscular, swaggering, brutal thug, a heavily painted skinhead in Doc Martens and a black leather trenchcoat who taunts the audience with crazed eyes and obscene gestures.

Melissa Gerth is dynamite as Sally. Again, rather than copy Liza Minelli — who achieved stardom in the movie role — Gerth creates her own version of the frivolous, self-destructive, impulsive charmer who makes friends easily and understands nothing.

Betty McCready and Stephen Dirocco bring substance and pathos to the star-crossed middle aged lovers, Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz. When they sing the plaintive “Married,” it makes you want it for them so badly, even as the ominous shadows of Nazism warn that their happiness will never last.

Eddie Furth conveys the mounting confusion and revulsion that overtake Cliff, who imagined that life in Berlin would be one big party. Steve Yudelson gives one of his best performances as the hearty Ernst Ludwig, and Denise Milmerstadt is appalling as the snippy hooker Fraulein Kost.

Along with director Limone, and musical director Angeline Brown, choreographer Daniel Bayer has done wonders on the tiny stage with his collection of performers, all of whom are exciting to watch and listen to.

As usual, Ridgefield has done a great job with their summer musical, and it is well worth going to. Our one complaint (and someone at our table spoke up about it during intermission) was that the air conditioning was up too high, so if you go, along with your picnic supper and libations, be sure to bring along a sweater.

(Performances continue weekends – including July 4 – until July 5, with curtain each Friday and Saturday at 8 and matinees planned for Sundays, June 15 and 29, at 2.

Tickets are $24 for adults, $20 for students and seniors. As was referred to in the review, this is a show for mature audiences. Call 203-431-9850 for reservations and other information.)