Review: Goodspeed stages the iconic musical 'Cabaret' for the first time

Kristina Dorsey, The Day, New London, Conn.
·4 min read

Jun. 5—The lights dim, and the orchestra begins playing popping, plinking music with a hint of oom-pah about it. Down one of the theater aisles strides actor Jelani Remy, wearing a shiny faux-leather red bustier beneath a bolero jacket, along with a top hat and black pants. He begins singing, with an insinuating purr, "Wilkommen/And bienvenue/Welcome."

It's a bit of a meta moment. We are watching the opening number of the musical "Cabaret," yes, but we are also back in the Goodspeed Opera House for the first complete season of fully staged shows after COVID halted indoor productions.

So: Welcome, indeed.

For fans of live theater, having Goodspeed Musicals back in the business of producing fully staged musicals is marvelous. So is having the landmark theater in East Haddam present a show as rich and iconic as "Cabaret."

Goodspeed has never done "Cabaret" before, and it's a much-appreciated return to form for the theater.

The production, directed by James Vasquez, crackles with slightly risque production numbers and infectious tunes. (John Kander and Fred Ebb sure knew how to write memorable songs.)

And the dancing! The choreography by Lainie Sakakura mixes louche sexiness with occasional broken-doll jaggedness. It's perfect for "Cabaret."

Sakakura also was granted permission from the Verdon Fosse Legacy, which protects the artistic and intellectual property of the late Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon, to reconstruct Fosse's choreography for "Mein Herr." It's stunning, combining sensuality with aggression. The dancers using chairs as props to stand on and drape over, sometimes cocking their feet or pounding their hands on the floor.

While the song-and-dance is dazzling, "Cabaret" also simmers and then explodes with drama. Set in 1920s Berlin, the Nazis are wielding increasing power, even as the denizens of the Kit Kat Klub ignore the danger that's lurking. They are metaphorically fiddling while Rome burns.

What happens onstage leaves a lasting sting.It has eerie echoes of today, as fascism is on the rise around the globe and people sometimes live their daily lives placidly ignoring what is happening.

Particularly devastating are the climactic scenes as Nazis get a hold on Germany. There was silence at first when the lights went out after the final sequence, with audience members slowly recovering enough to applaud for the performance.

Earlier, too, there were moments of shock. When Ernst, played by Tim Fuchs, took off his jacket to reveal a Nazi armband, theatergoers literally gasped. Chilling, too, was hearing Remy sing "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" while he worked a marionette, with the puppet slowly lifting its arm into a Sieg Heil salute.

You can feel that the seeds of "Cabaret" were drawn from real life. Christopher Isherwood wrote "The Berlin Stories" based on his experiences in pre-WWII Germany. That in turn inspired John Van Druten's play "I Am a Camera," and then the Joe Masteroff/Kander/Ebb musical "Cabaret."

Sally and Cliff

Remy is a scene stealer as the gleeful Emcee. He makes the character inviting and ominous all at once. His voice brings drama and power to numbers like "Two Ladies" and "The Money Song." Oh, and his costumes are S&M chic, with the aforementioned red bustier being one of the most striking pieces.

But the center of "Cabaret," of course, is Sally Bowles. She's a featured performer at the Kit Kat Klub, and she becomes entwined with American writer Cliff Bradshaw, who has just arrived in Berlin. Aline Mayagoitia bubbles with the carefree and careless spirit that Sally requires. She also has the dance moves and the singing chops that someone playing Sally needs. The way Mayagoitia builds "Maybe This Time" induces chills, and her version of "Cabaret" goes from putting on a cheerful front to revealing the angst beneath. Her portrayal of Sally (not to mention the raven-haired pixie-cut wig) feels as if it owes more than a little to Liza Minnelli, who gave an Oscar-winning turn as Sally in the 1972 film version of "Cabaret."

If Sally is the showboat (and she is), Cliff Bradshaw is the wallflower. The character is, after all, a writer who often stands back and watches the goings-on in Berlin. Bruce Landry, who plays Cliff, actually resembles author Isherwood a bit, and he convincingly travels Cliff's trajectory, from indulging in the decadence of Berlin to being frantic to escape the country.

The romance between Fraulein Schneider (Jennifer Smith) and Herr Schultz (Kevin Ligon) is lovely and sweet, until the rise of Nazism makes Schneider wary. He is Jewish, and, in a selfish and self-protective move, she breaks off the relationship. Ligon conveys wordlessly the grief Schultz feels, and Smith captures Schneider's conflicted feelings.

And finally: Other elements of this "Cabaret" are first-rate, too, from the set to the orchestra. It's good to have Goodspeed back in full force.