Arts & Entertainment
 

'Cabaret' comes to Houston with style

Broadway classic is redone with some substantial success, some shortcomings

By Albert Castle
The Daily Cougar

It's 1929 in dismal pre-war Berlin, and political and cultural turmoil envelops the city like a chilling fog. In the midst of the looming darkness, a flashing marquee invites you to leave your troubles outside and enter into a world of radiant, glittering light -- the Kit Kat Club, a risqué nightclub where worldly worries can be forgotten in an orgy of spectacle, liquor and women. Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome to Cabaret, where life is only as beautiful as it seems.

Based on Christopher Isherwood's The Berlin Stories, the Broadway musical Cabaret follows Cliff (John R. Johnston), a struggling American writer, to Berlin in his search for novelty and inspiration. Capricious circumstance leads him to a shady boarding house and into the arms of Sally Bowles (Melanie Donihoo), the Kit Kat Club's former headliner.

As Cliff struggles to complete his novel and maintain a relationship with the dramatically fickle showgirl, he comes to realize that the country's pandemic, lewd nightlife can hardly conceal disquieting social truths. He begins to notice his fellow tenants' disturbingly apathetic attitude toward mounting Nazi sentiment, which becomes increasingly evident as the story progresses. As the alarmed writer attempts to awaken his new friends to this reality, he discovers an overwhelming resistance to change, a phenomenon that ultimately seals Europe's fate. 

After nearly six years and 2,400 performances, the Broadway show closed in January, making it the second longest musical revival in Broadway history. From its home in New York City, the Tony Award-winning classic has migrated south for the winter to The Great Caruso Dinner Theater, one of Houston's most extravagantly elegant and intimate venues. Originally debuting in such venues as the infamous Studio 54, the show is specifically engineered for a more personal space and exclusive feel -- something The Great Caruso superbly provides.

When compared to the Broadway show, producer Spero Criezis' version both surprises and disappoints. The production's strengths lie in director Michael Tapley's adept direction and performance as the emcee, as well as Donihoo's commanding performance. Several numbers are cut or rearranged, contributing to increased plot coherency and flow, and Donihoo masters the difficult role of Sally Bowles with impressively convincing acting and stunning vocals. 

Yet the production's inadequacies are at times glaringly visible. Although the romantic subplot between landlady Fraulein Schneider (Sylvia Froman) and Jewish fruit salesman Ernst Ludwig (Morgan Redmond), masterfully eclipses the show's dramatic direction, neither are able to resurrect their unbearable musical numbers. It is also apparent that the company is unable to compete with a Broadway budget, leaving much to be desired aesthetically. Of less significance, but notable, is Froman's tendency to unintentionally cycle through European accents -- at times it is questionable in which country the dialogue is taking place. 

Despite its shortcomings, the show is enjoyable. Nowhere else can scantily clad women and sexual innuendo be so seamlessly combined with such a deep significance. 

And although The Great Caruso cannot compare to Broadway, it's an adequate alternative, offering dinner and a show at a reasonable price. 

Cabaret

The Great Caruso Dinner Theater, 10001 Westheimer Road

Playing: through April 25

The verdict: It's not Broadway, but it's worth it.

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