On Thursday March 21, at 7:30 pm, NJCU’s Music, Dance and Theatre Department revived the 1987 Broadway musical Cabaret at the Margaret Williams Theatre in Jersey City, NJ and and ran the show until Sunday afternoon.
Rehearsing since January and throughout all of spring break, NJCU presented the provocative ensemble which included 45 numbers that are composed of several sultry dances, solos and duets, under the direction of Marc Dalio (Spelling Bee, UrineTown, City of Angels).
With a cast of over 18 student performers and an orchestra of 20 student musicians, Dalio revitalizes the classic wartime tale with modern elements which have been popularly added to the musical in recent reproductions.
Originally produced in 1968 at the Palace Theatre in London, Cabaret has been long performed and has since had several popular revivals during the mid 1980’s, late 1990’s and in recent years, adding to its culture. Hosted by the Master of Ceremonies (Lawrence Dandridge), Cabaret fixates itself on the Kit Kat Klub in Berlin, Germany during the rise of the Nazi regime. American writer Clifford Bradshaw (Dillon Feldman) arrives in Germany looking to be inspired to write a novel but instead falls head over heels for the ravishing British singer/dancer Sally Bowles (Ashley Leone) who headlines the Kit Kat Klub. After being fired, Sally persuades Cliff to let her stay with him at the boarding house where he’s staying.
At the boarding house, the elderly owner Fräulein Schneider (Angela Iannacone) allows for the odd living situation to go on and after a few months, Sally learns that she is pregnant but is unsure who the father might be. Meanwhile, Fräulein Schneider has developed relations with a Jewish fruit farmer Herr Shultz (Marcelo Leal) who rents a room in her boarding house. After being caught having Herr over in her room by Fräulein Kost (Katherine Le Ferve), the two secret lovers soon become engaged to each other. However, anti-Semitic warnings and threats against them soon arise as the Nazi party’s influence on Germany begins to takeover.
Delving into the decadent underworld of mid-20th century burlesque shows, Cabaret is an enchanting story that entwines music, dance, and drama with a sensual air that may make some hot under the collar. Filled with kick lines, NJCU’s presentation of Cabaret is a dazzling display of theatre with entrancing professional grade lighting and scenic backdrops which smoothly transition from scene to scene. Almost like a political cartoon, Cabaret takes an eclectic perspective on life during World War II and wonderfully animates the bittersweet cynicism of it all.