The Keegan Theatre’s run is not your typical theatrical experience or the one that the Glee generation might be accustomed to; it’s no happy-go-lucky Kidz-bopped, bastardization of the 8-time Tony Award winning musical. The songs and dance numbers are intentionally explicit, deliberately raw, and jolting—it’s musical theatre in its purest and freshest form.
Perhaps the only thing barer than the cast members themselves is the minimalistic stage in which the scene is set. With the orchestra on a platform upstage and stairs fixed on one side of the stage, the relatively simple set and few props allow the cast members to shine without superfluous distraction. And, shine they do. Maria Rizzo masterfully portrays cabaret singer Sally Bowles, both powerfully and sensitively delivering the title song “Cabaret” and the musical theatre standard “Maybe This Time.” Paul Scanlan as the Emcee similarly delivers a powerful performance, cleverly portraying one of the most enigmatic and complex characters in the entire production with attentive nuance and intricacy. With Rizzo and Scanlan leading the pack, the full ensemble of “Cabaret” delivers a powerhouse performance that arouses all the senses in the most gratifying (and literal) of ways.
However foreign it may seem, “Cabaret” has something to offer all of its patrons (or at least those older than 16 as recommended by the Keegan Theatre’s website). But, don’t take my word for it; check it out for yourself. Come to the “Cabaret.”