Cabaret

Cabaret has everything a good musical should have: great songs, fantastic dancing, and scantily dressed boys and girls.

Cabaret, which is currently playing at the Lower Ossington Theatre, tells the love story between a young English professor and the headlining act at the Kit Kat Klub, all while the eccentric Master of Ceremonies takes us through a journey through 1930’s Germany, and the madness that lies within the Kit Kat Klub.

This show is nothing short of fantastic, especially considering the space the performers had to work with. The comfortable, cozy, and intimate theatre allows the audience to be fully engulfed in the show, and to in an essence, be part of the show. Cabaret is very raw, emotional and genuine. The show is also sexual. Very sexual. My friend who never saw or even heard of Cabaret before though that the entire show was going to be sexually driven, which is both true and not true all together. This show is meant to divulge into opposite sides of the emotional spectrum, by having carefree and truly fun moments, mixed in with dark and deep situations and scenarios.

Set designers did a fantastic job in utilizing the space, but while maintain a high level of quality and class. I was actually wowed by the beautiful set, primarily used as the club.

All of my favourite scenes took place in the club, with the best performance actually being in the beginning. The opening number itself is worth the price of admission. It does a great job of not only setting the scene, but the mood and atmosphere of the Club. This show by nature is one of high energy, and the cast had no problem keeping up that energy from the first song on.

How I judge musicals I know fairly well (like Cabaret) is by watching my favourite songs/scenes and seeing if I receive the same sense of joy that I would have received the first time around. My two favourite songs, aside from the opening are “Money” and “Two Ladies”. “Money” was done so lavishly, and with so much passion and energy. The dancing was captivating and the vocals were entrancing, much like the rest of the show, and the scene was also done in a sexual manner to help drive the point that money can almost become an addiction. I catch myself humming the tune to “Money” every now and again, and this is days after I have seen the show. “Two Ladies” was very light hearted, and very funny. Songs like these are great ways to have a break from the heavy hitting drama that really hits the audience.

Speaking of drama, the acting in this show is superb! Kylie McMahon as Sally Bowles, David Light as Cliff Bradshaw, and Adam Norrad as The Emcee are truly the stars of the show. Their energy and passion for their character is very prominent, and allows the audience to get lost and truly enjoy the story. With them, everything is real. The violence, the hate, the love, the lust, the escape, all of it is real, and the audience can feel it. . The acting doesn’t feel forced – and registers as genuine emotions. We as the audience sympathise and relate to the characters, something that isn’t easily attained. Of course, the entire cast is phenomenal! I wouldn’t make a single change in the cast and applaud the casting director(s) in the choices made.

Overall, Cabaret is pure story-telling, and makes for a fantastic night out. I believe this show is a must see, because the caliber of talent meets the expectations set for a show of this nature. Not to mention that it is raunchy, cheeky, cute, thought provoking, and heart breaking all rolled into one.

Liza would be proud.

Related Posts

• 

  Sound of Music Ticket Giveaway!
  Sound of Music Ticket Giveaway!