By Maggie Doherty
The Department of Drama and Dance’s production of “Cabaret” this weekend, directed by L.A. native Jason Tucker, was by far the sexiest depiction of debauchery I’ve seen on stage during my time enjoying shows at Hofstra (mostly thanks to a divine Natalie Fabian as Fraulein Kost and her various sailors). Though it is completely called for by the nature of the show, it was apparent that the cast’s Kit Kat girls (and boys) highly enjoyed portraying scandalous flapper floozies. And who could blame them, when “life is a cabaret old chum,” after all?
The actors were into character immediately as the audience was greeted with an open curtain on the smoky, seedy Kit Kat Club. The opening number, “Wilkommen,” as well as “Don’t Tell Mama” and “Mein Herr” were divinely choreographed by Whitney Stone, with particularly difficult moves that the girls executed professionally – in heels no less. I was lured in from the start.
Set in early 1930s Berlin, as the Nazis are rising to power, the show’s action alternates between Fraulein Scheinder’s boarding house and the nightclub, the latter a metaphor for the building tension in German society. What I do like about “Cabaret” (thanks to Joe Masteroff’s book) is that it does not shove the impending doom down our throats, but rather slowly and subtly chips at it so that the characters’ transformations and the dark ending hit hard.
The main plot revolves around English cabaret singer Sally Bowles, (Michelle Cutolo,) who meets an American writer, Cilfford Bradshaw (Ben Pike,) in the nightclub. Sally asks Cliff if she could stay with him for a while, quickly making him her “herr” of the week. The two fall in love and have baby drama amidst the political turmoil in the outside world.
When compared to the 1972 film adaptation starring Liza Minnelli and Michael York, the plot plays out quite differently. I always thought the relationship between Minnelli and York was strange and unlikely (not to undermine Minnelli’s legendary role, of course,) but the characters as portrayed by Cutolo and Pike were youthful and refreshing. They lacked romantic chemistry, but made up for it with great acting and vocals, particularly Cutolo, who sang showstoppers, “Maybe This Time” and “Cabaret” powerfully.
More compelling was the sub-plot involving boarding house owner Fraulein Schneider (Amelia Kreski) and Jewish fruit vendor Herr Schultz (Ian Poake.) The spinster and widower innocently and adorably fall in love and plan their engagement. Kreski and Poake, both with impeccable German accents and strong vocal skills, are believable and exude natural chemistry, making the audience susceptible to the emotional travesty that is the fate of their romance.
Stealing the show, however, is James Monahan’s performance as the ambiguous Kit Kat Club emcee, the host and subtle social commentator. He was cast perfectly and nailed every single scene down to the eccentric quirks, German accent and provocative body language. His best scenes were “Two Ladies” and “If you could see her,” a hilarious scene that ends up packing a disturbing anti-Semitic punch, which Monahan delivers flawlessly.
The costumes, thankfully, were exquisite and did not disappoint. Designer Pei-Chi Su was unapologetic, leaving little to the imagination with the Kit Kat girls, as was necessary and true to the times outside of the nightclub. None of the csotuming was tacky; the excessive glitter and shine during ensemble numbers like “Money” and the finale only added to the gorgeous aesthetics and undertones of chaos.
Overall, the company did a fine job portraying the famed Kit Kat Club as a microcosm of a morally bankrupt society gone mad. We know the story, we know the outcome, and we’ve cried about it elsewhere; but the cast and directing is talented enough to produce a balance between entertainment and emotional impact while telling a “Nazi story” to a college-based audience.