“Life is a cabaret, old chum, come to the cabaret!” goes the proclamation in “Cabaret,” the musical that opened Friday at the Malibu Stage Company. It is worth heeding this command. This revival by MSC of one of Broadway’s most acclaimed musicals does full justice to its rich stage and screen heritage.
The play masterfully combines a poignant plot with a memorable score and lyrics. Christopher Isherwood’s short story was adapted into a stage play that later became the 1966 Tony Award-winning show that ran for nearly three years.
The play is set in a dark corner of the last century, Berlin in 1931. The democratically elected government of the Weimar Republic is being threatened with eclipse by the dawning of Nazism. Despite this, life continues to be a cabaret for the decadent denizens of the Kit Kat Club, a seedy night club presided over by the flamboyant, androgynous “Emcee.”
The Emcee serves as a metaphor for the world’s disregard of the rise of German nationalism. Brent Moon’s portrayal in the title role is superb. In the opening number, “Wilkommen,” Moon begins the play in grand style singing and dancing with the Kit Kat Club chorus girls. From there he continues to pop in and out of the play, singing, dancing, prancing, smirking and engaging the audience in sarcastic banter. Moon demonstrates that however brilliant Joel Grey was in the role, he did not retire it.
The play entwines the lives of two pairs of lovers. The younger couple is Sally Bowles, a flirtatious British singer, and Clifford Bradshaw, an idealistic American writer. Discovering love in middle age are Fräulein Schneider, the proprietor of a boardinghouse, and Herr Schultz, a fruit shopkeeper who believes that being German is more significant than his being Jewish.
Lilli Passero’s Sally Bowles is a casting triumph. While her father is the director, it is obvious that her selection was clearly based on talent. Passero’s performance while standing alone on the stage and singing the signature standard, “Cabaret,” is one of the show’s many highlights.
Denver Milord is convincing as the struggling writer who comes to Berlin to find inspiration and falls in love with Sally. He compellingly depicts his transition from callowness to awareness of the metastasizing Nazi evil.
Veterans Linda Kerns and Allan Wasserman give strong performances as the older lovers Fräulein Schneider and Herr Shultz. Their burgeoning romance is tenderly shown in a duet, “It Couldn’t Please Me More.” Escalating anti-Semitism forces Schneider to question the relationship when she sings plaintively, “What would you do?”
Ian McQuown plays a menacing Nazi and Elizabeth Hayden- Passero wears several hats in multiple roles as a prostitute, Kit Kat Girl and chanteuse. Both are excellent.
Music is provided by an off-stage but visible five-piece ensemble conducted by the musical director, Thomas Greip, that acquits itself well.
Director Jeffrey Passero has done yeoman’s work in pulling together this company of talented actors, singers and dancers. Albertossy Espinoza’s choreography is imaginative, athletic and effectively complements the music. David Barber is the lighting designer and Deborah La Gorce Kramer the costume design consultant. Elizabeth Hayden-Passero’s set design is spare and suitable.
“Cabaret” is co-produced by Malibu’s own legend, Dick Van Dyke, and Richard Johnson, MSC’s outgoing artistic director. Johnson has produced and/or directed nearly 30 plays and acted in many of them.
“Cabaret” runs through Dec. 9 with showings on Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. and Sunday afternoons at 5 p.m. The Malibu Stage Company is at 29243 Pacific Coast Highway. Tickets and information may be found at www.brownpapertickets.com or by calling the box office at 310.589.1998.