Lucy Komisar
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“Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club,” a provocative descent into decadence “Cabaret” at the Kit Kat Club Rebecca Frecknall’s production of “Cabaret” is a raw dive into the seedy underbelly of 1930s Berlin. From the moment you enter the theater, transformed into the infamous Kit Kat Club with its murky red walls and intimate table seatings, you’re transported to a world on the brink of catastrophe.
The book is by Joe Masteroff, the iconic music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Eb. I’ve seen this before and didn’t recognize it. This reimagining of the classic musical leans heavily into sexual decadence at the expense of its political undertones. The all-female orchestra, presented as a sexual come-on, sets the tone for an evening that blurs the lines between entertainment and exploitation.
The cast delivers strong performances. Sally Bowles (Gayle Rankin), with her rich, sexy voice, commands attention in numbers like “Don’t Tell Mama,” though her portrayal veers dangerously close to caricature. Sally’s child’s dress in that scene belongs in a porn show. She’s getting fired. She pulls off hair and dress revealing just bra and underwear. It’s crude; who cares? The Emcee (Eddie Redmayne) with his glinting eyes and red lips, embodies vulgar, in-your-face sexuality. A striped outfit has a Jewish yellow star and the pink mark of homosexuals. This Cabaret is no longer focused on oppression of Jews, it’s mostly about sexual libertines, at the time, homosexuals.
The journey of writer Clifford Bradshaw (Ato Blankson-Wood) from wide-eyed American novelist on holiday to disillusioned expatriate becomes part of that. He meets a gay guy: “Would you like to buy a boy a drink.” Another approaches him: “Come on Cliff, this is Berlin. Relax. Loosen up. Be yourself.” When Sally arrives at Chris’s place, she forces her way in. Since it’s clear he is gay, any connection between them is fake. She is tacky, a tart with no style. And very boring. The emphasis on gay themes overshadows the political context. Chris wants to leave, he is beaten by Nazis. But Sally is amoral, corrupt, will not go.
The romance between Herr Schultz (Steven Skybell) and Fräulein Schneider (Bebe Neuwirth) is a counterpoint; their story is a reminder of the rising tide of anti-Semitism. Bricks shatter windows. Schultz tells her it’s “mischievous children!” Ernst Ludwig, a Nazi, (Henry Gottfried) warns her against marrying a Jew. She breaks off the engagement. She says, “I need a license to rent my rooms. If they take it away…” Schultz tells her, “It is not always good to settle for the lowest apple on the tree, climb a little I will catch you.” When Cliff challenges her decision, she sings “What would you do?” “You pack your belongings. You move to Paris. And if you do not like Paris – where? It is easy for you. But if you were me…”
The famous gorilla’s “If You Could See Her” number (“If you could see her through my eyes, she wouldn’t look Jewish at all), performed with a distinctly British accent, loses some of its bite. However, moments like the Nazi anthem closing the first act are chilling. Musically, the production takes risks. The jazzy score is performed slightly off-time, adding to the unsettling atmosphere. Choreography by Julia Cheng is hyper-sexualized, with can-can kicks morphing disturbingly into Nazi-style movements. Frecknall’s “Cabaret” shifts the focus from political to sexual decadence and prioritizes shock value over nuance, reminding how quickly a society can descend into self-centered moral bankruptcy and remain blind to encroaching fascism. There is more to politics than what you do with your sexual parts. Visit Lucy’s website http://thekomisarscoop.com/ |
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