Cabaret

Hosted by the Guthrie Theater

“Leave your troubles outside”. A line of dialogue that any theater lover (or fan of classic film ) will recognize and one that sums up the entire message of the legendary Kander and Ebb musical, Cabaret. The Guthrie Theater has officially put their mark on the beloved musical, after having to reschedule their planned 2020 production, and what a mark they have left.

Mounting such an iconic show, as a current production runs on Broadway, can be quite a challenge. As many directors have discovered due to the lasting impressions that prior iterations, such as the Bob Fosse film starring Liza Minelli and Joel Grey, and the Sam Mendes mounted productions starring Alan Cumming, have made. While these adaptations have certainly become iconic, director Joseph Haj has matched them toe for toe with his interpretation.

Instead of attempting to re-invent the wheel, Haj has concentrated on the heart of the piece: showing that no matter how hard we try to adapt to a world that is changing around us and seems destined to leave a dark mark in the history books, we may not escape unscathed. A talent that Haj has demonstrated time and time again. He never allows his actors to go for the surface level emotions. Instead he has a profound talent for pulling nuanced and breathtaking performances out of them.

Haj’s direction of the piece is as stellar as always, never shying away from hiding his characters in the shadows, after all this is 1930’s Berlin, but instead allowing them to live in the darkness. As the audience is exposed to the dark underbelly of the show, that is the rise of fascism, Haj leans into the fear that those times bring to the marginalized and targeted.

If this seems to sound familiar, it is all the more proof that this production could not be more relevant than it is today. After all, art is political, and Cabaret is one show that has never shied away from reminding its audience what happens when people simply think, “Nothing will happen, it will all pass”.

Kander and Ebb’s remarkable score, known for its standouts “Maybe This Time”, “Tomorrow Belongs to Me”, and its titular number “Cabaret”, is given an incredible cast to showcase it. Every note is sublime and the choreography by Casey Sams elevates each and every number. Namely the chilling movement of the Kit Kat Club dancers during “Money”, making the ladies seem almost otherworldly.

Aside from the talent behind the scenes, this show belongs to the women of Cabaret. Bucking convention, the Guthrie has cast the Emcee as a wonderfully dynamic person of nondescript gender. While at times presenting female, they also appear to be male, or even transgender or somewhere in-between. This allows the audience to be constantly shown that how a person acts or looks doesn’t matter when the world has bigger problems at hand. Jo Lampert embodies this character with ferocity, and when it calls for it, grace. She is a softer version of the gritty nightclub Emcee, which to some may come off as shocking or an unnecessary change but as Lampert proves, that is the whole point: to challenge the audience’s perception.

Gracing the stage as the weathered, yet somewhat kind hearted Fräulein Schneider, is the fabulous Michelle Barber. Initially cast in the role back in 2020, she has now been able to step into a role that she seems born to play. Barber gives a masterclass in toeing the line between gruff and gentle with such ease and when she gets to sing, the audience is in the palm of her hand. There really is no denying the star quality she possesses and continues to showcase.

Standing along side Lampert and Barber is the stellar Mary Kate Moore, as “the toast of Mayfair”, Sally Bowles. There is not a misstep in her portrayal of the flawed and emotionally damaged Bowles. As she traverses the ups and downs of her tragic existence, Moore takes the audience on a roller coaster of emotion that will have the audience laughing with her one moment, and brokenhearted the next. Her star turn comes in her rendition of the title song that, although comes at one of the darkest moments in the show, is so transcendent that it will take everything the audience has to not leap to their feet in applause.

As a testament to the talent involved within this production, it is worth noting that for those who are familiar with Cabaret’s climax (which will not be spoiled here), it is safe to assume that audience members will not be fully prepared for Joseph Haj’s approach to this moment. It is perhaps one of the effective moments of any show in recent memory. Not only provoking visceral reactions throughout the theater but also searing itself into the audiences mind, destined to stay with audiences for days to come.

Cabaret is a beautifully haunting story in and of itself but the Guthrie’s production is not just incredible, it is a marvel, passionately telling a story of the past yet providing a warning for the future. This is the show of the year and it is only June.