ENSEMBLE OUTSTANDING

IN GENERIC THEATER'S CABARET

Theater Babe Says:  "Life is a cabaret, old chum ... Go to this Cabaret!"

From the moment we enter the theater and are playfully accosted by two of the Kit Kat "girls" – actually Matt Cole and Andrew Smith in drag – we know we're in for a raucously good time.

Director Jeff Corriveau, scene designer Jason Martens, costumer Kat Fresh and lighting director Ken Walker transport us to pre-World War II Germany and create the perfectly tawdry world of the Kit Kat Klub in which the audience is immediately immersed.  The old, mismatched cut glass chandeliers and the draped curtains of the Klub contrast well with the bare brickface and Spartan furnishings of the rented rooms, and the use of the pole connecting the two-story set is unusual and effective.  The Kit Kat chorus' black corsets, subtly highlighted with touches of color and paired with a variety of fishnets or black stockings are eye-catching and Ms. Fresh's clever additions to that base, such as the sailor collars, suggest the different minor characters while sustaining the overall effect.

The ensemble – composed of Matt Cole, Emily Dewey, Kat Fresh, Tyler June Guffey, Chris Hogan, Martin Hurst, Sarah Kingsley, Andrew Smith and Jane Springstead – is exceptional.  Collectively, they have a strong, cohesive and pleasing tone when they sing and they perform the interesting choreography with panache.  Dana Margulies Cauthen's dances are an accomplished blend of original moves and homages to Bob Fosse whose work was immortalized in the classic film.  A noteworthy moment is the dancers' depiction of the swastika during the first scene, providing eerie foreshadowing of the conflict to come. 

The ensemble's combined talent and energy make their numbers the highlight of the show.  The Theater Babe only wishes that the Kit Kat girls -- particularly the drag members who presumably are less accustomed to walking in heels -- would tread more lightly, particularly during the party scene and at any time they pass through or behind the audience, as the clomping is distracting and occasionally deafens the dialogue.

Similarly, on a few occasions, the orchestra overwhelms the onstage performers.  Tom Ullom, the percussionist, gives a notable performance and Shelly Cady, the musical director, in general successfully meets the challenge of coordinating musicians and singers who are not located in the same space. On Friday night, one of the two brass players hit more than a few sour notes, and the Theater Babe hopes that was an aberration in an otherwise typically harmonious whole.

Emily Dewey makes the most of her small speaking role, infusing Fraulein Kost with a dark humor.  Her entire demeanor is natural and seemingly effortless and she commands attention whenever she is onstage.  Mark W. Reid is suitably stern and menacing as Ernst Ludwig.

Eileen Engle and Clifford Hoffman are wonderful as Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz, the middle-aged lovers whose romance is jeopardized by the threat posed by the rise of the Third Reich.  As Schultz, Mr. Hoffman is credibly naive, adamant that his German heritage will protect him from persecution despite his Jewish faith, and his courtship of Fraulein Schneider is tender and heartwarming. "Married," Mr. Hoffman's duet with Ms. Engle, is a lovely moment.  Ms. Engle's singing voice is sometimes harsh and her upper register is weak, which is somewhat distracting in her first song, "So What?", but her diction is crystal-clear – crucial in that plot song that establishes the essence of her character.  Her unerring performance of a woman torn between the comfort of hard-earned financial security and the hope for a loving relationship with a good man soon renders moot her vocal failings, and her musings in her last song, "What Would You Do?", make us ache for her.

Iconic roles are ridiculously difficult for amateur actors to embody, and Cabaret possesses two:  Sally Bowles and the Emcee.  Abbey Ortiz and Jacob George deliver respectable, but not mesmerizing, performances in what are designed to be the show's featured roles.  Part of the problem may be the casting.  Most of Ms. Ortiz's dramatic scenes are shared with Jimmy Dragas, who plays her lover, the American novelist Clifford Bradshaw, and the two generate little chemistry.  Mr. Dragas' performance in general is curiously flat, devoid of the tension that is inherent in the role.  The confusion that is supposed to be present in the bisexual Bradshaw's discovery that he is to become a father is completely absent from Dragas' portrayal.  Indeed, Bradshaw's sexual ambiguity is almost an afterthought in this production, and its absence not only makes the Bradshaw character one-dimensional but it gives Sally significantly less motivation for feeling insecure about their relationship with the result that her decision late in the show merely seems callous and superficial.  Because there is no heat between Ms. Ortiz and Mr. Dragas, there is no passion to drive their story, and we are ambivalent toward them while we genuinely care about what happens to the older couple. 

Ms. Ortiz possesses a brilliant belt that is displayed to advantage in "Don't Tell Mama."  Her rendition of the challenging title song with its almost two-octave range is good, but suffers somewhat from the fact that Ms. Ortiz's upper register has a tone distinctly different from the quality of her belt; the portions of the song in the upper register lack the power and intensity of the sections that can capitalize on her full lower register.  Her British accent is crisp and consistent throughout the show and Ms. Ortiz is a fine dancer.  Overall, her performance is well worth watching.

Jacob George is a talented young actor with a beautiful singing voice.  Unfortunately, the salient word here is "young."  Mr. George is noticeably younger than the other players – a review of the cast's biographies during intermission revealed that unlike the rest of the cast he is still in high school – and while his efforts are commendable, they cannot overcome the obstacles presented by his age and lack of human experience.  The Emcee is a whimsical, twisted role, almost sinister, a little perverse, and while Mr. George's execution of the evocative choreography is competent, he simply looks too untried for it to be convincing, particularly since the Generic is such a small forum that the performer's every expression is clearly visible even to those sitting in the very back of the auditorium.  The Theater Babe sincerely hopes that Mr. George is not disheartened by this review, because he certainly does his best in the role – it was not his fault, after all, that he was selected to play the part.  She looks forward to watching his talent continue to develop and hopes to see him in many future productions.

Bottom line?  The Generic Theater's Cabaret is unquestionably worth the time and the cost of the ticket.  The total ambiance of the production and the enthusiasm of the very talented ensemble carry the show through its uneven moments and all involved should be justifiably proud of their efforts.  Well done!

Performances run thru May 13th, Thursday - Saturday at 8 p.m. & Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
at the Generic Theater, 215 St. Paul's Boulevard, Norfolk Virginia
(located under Chrysler Hall -- entrance accessible through the garage).
Tickets are $18/adults with discounts available for seniors (62+), students and military.
Call the box office at (757) 441-2160 or reserve online at generictheater.org.

© 2012 Hampton Roads Theater Babe.  All Rights Reserved.