CABARET, Reboot Theatre
Reboot Theatre’s production of Cabaret, playing at Theatre Off Jackson from April 29th to May 14th, 2022, is in three words, authentically intimately queer.
Considering that I took my name in homage to the iconic choreographer and director, Bob Fosse, it should come as no surprise that I have a fondness for this musical inspired by Christopher Isherwood’s Berlin Stories. It may come as a surprise that my experience with this show is almost entirely the 1972 film adaptation starring Liza Minelli, Michael York, and Joel Grey. In fact, until the opening of Reboot Theatre’s production on Friday, April 29th, I had never seen the original (or revival) stage version in its entirety.
I have seen recordings of several of the musical numbers from both the original Broadway production (starring Joel Grey) and the revival (starring Alan Cumming), and have listened to the musical recordings with great enjoyment. But, Reboot’s production was a personal first… and in truth, I am quite glad of that fact.
Reboot’s Cabaret features the talents of Heather Refvem as the manic, barely controlled, and morally ambivalent cabaret singer, Sally Bowles; Vincent Milay as the young, handsome American author Cliff Bradshaw; and June Apollo Johns as the Emcee, an agent of chaos who exists as a near omnipresent force within this musical universe version of 1931 Berlin. These three actors step into the story's most recognizable roles, and they do so with talent and heart.
Heather, as Sally, seemed from time to time to be a bit unsteady, with manic energy, bordering on anxiety. But Heather’s vocal performances were perfectly suited to character and story, with a tremulous belt reminiscent of old music hall divas. Heather’s performance of Maybe this Time was particularly moving, and her performance of the titular song, was an exquisite exercise in storytelling. On top of this, the moments of grounded emotion shone through in contrast to the whirling dervish of hedonistic desperation that bubbled just under the surface. I too would be a bit unsteady with that much going on inside.
Vincent, as a young man from Pennsylvania relishing the personal freedom of Weimar Germany’s queer underground, was quite charming. Personally, I do not care for this character, finding the role of young American heroic to be both cliched and too rosy a portrayal of a Yankee abroad. But Vincent performed it well, with as believable an arc as can be achieved in the truncated narrative structure provided. I was particularly pleased with Cliff’s overt queerness in this production. Many productions keep the subject matter at arms length, implying rather than showing, or lingering on the discomfort of this part of the character’s nature (as is sadly the case in the film adaptation). Reboot embraces this queerness, and allows Cliff to be unapologetically bisexual, and it allowed me for the first time, to actually like this character.
June Apollo as the Emcee, was truly wonderful. Serving non-binary, gender fluid glamour, June’s version of the Emcee was beautiful, cheeky, bawdy, and just slightly sinister. June’s voice is marvelously suited to the role, with a hint of the nasal reediness of Joel Grey, the cold, slither of Alan Cumming, and a warmth and depth unique to themself. But, I will not linger too long on my praise. Considering June is my partner, I will say that you will have to see and hear for yourself!
That said in the Emcee, this production did an excellent job in managing what is, frankly, a rather confusing character. The inconsistent omnipresence of the Emcee, in the stage play, can be difficult to justify for actor motivation and staging, as can the balance between sinister puppeteer and tragic puppet of outside forces. Reboot succeeds in this balancing act.
The rest of the cast brings performances equal to the staging and vision of this show, feeling authentic throughout, and walking the line between having fun, and riding the rising tide of desperation around them. Ellen Dessler Smith as Herr Schultz, is both loveable and pitiable. You cannot help but feel warm inside as she brings Schultz’s affection for Fraulein Schneider to life, and you cannot help but pity her as she stands firm in her doomed optimism. As for Schneider, Michelle Blackmon brings a depth and likability to a character that in many hands could come across as unsympathetic, or even boring. Even the more frivolous songs given to Schneider are given some extra depth by Blackmon’s storytelling ability.
The specific casting choice by Reboot in the characters of Schultz and Schneider adds new levels of meaning in the story. With Schultz being “not a… well… man.” and Schneider’s portrayal by a Black actor, we see the very real tactics used by far right influences of turning non-White, non-cis-het peoples against each other.
Finally the performances by Alexei Cifrese, as Fraulein Kost and Seth Lifland as Herr Ernst, are also notable. These two bring beautifully operatic voices (and linguistic talent) to the roles of Cabaret’s antagonistic characters. As the representations of Nazism, Kost and Ernst begin as seductively charming individuals, but become more and more sinister and aggressive as the narrative builds. One of the most profound musical moments in the play comes at the end of Act I as Kost and Ernst (joined by the Emcee) perform a three part harmony in Tomorrow Belongs to Me, a chilling song that is abominably catchy.
As a lover of Bob Fosse’s choreography, I should point out the choreographic vision of this production. Choreographed by Elizabeth Posluns, this production is less stylized and more fun than either Broadway version or film adaptation. The dancers looked like they were enjoying themselves, and that goes a long way in making the audience enjoy what they are watching. Elizabeth’s vision feels more true to what one might have seen in Weimar Berlin. The Kit Kat performers would not likely have been professional dancers, moving in perfect, stylized unison, especially in the seedier nightclubs of Berlin’s queer underground. In this Elizabeth succeeds in building a world that FEELS like a back alley club.
In fact the entire production, from choreography, to musical accompaniment, to costuming, to the stark and highly effective set felt like something I might have seen in the late 90s to late 00s at the ReBar, especially during the neo-burlesque renaissance that took place during and post recession of the mid 2000s. And this is a very good thing.
The production, directed by Jasmine Joshua, is touted by Reboot as a “grand night of spectacle with a reboot twist”. In truth, I think the show is more intimate than grand, and that the twist is less what is added, and more what is stripped away.
The polish and respectability of Broadway and Hollywood, I believe, blurs the story and makes it more palatable to a “mainstream” American audience, or as in the case of the revival production, leans into the queerness of the story for mere shock value. In both cases, it seems to forcibly straighten a naturally twisted tale.
The grittiness of Isherwhood’s Berlin, is far removed from the grandness of either Broadway or Hollywood, and I believe that in its intimacy, Reboots has pulled something real from beyond the rose tinted picture of reality, mid-century American theatre too often embraced.
Over all, this production of Cabaret is one well worth seeing. Jasmine Joshua has woven a story that is fun, heartfelt, gritty, and unapologetically queer. They have also created something that is distressingly timely. While in 2020, when the production was first slated, the worry and anxiety over the looming presidential election gave a particular weight to the narrative… I believe that the shared experience of the pandemic and the emboldened emergence of far right influences post January 6th, 2021 gives us a terrifying accurate anchor to the emotional reality of 1931’s Berlin.
It shows the terrible consequences of ambivalence, the risks of escapism, and the importance of being true to yourself even in the face of an omnipresent threat. It is a story that we need right now.
Reboot’s production of Cabaret plays at Theatre Off Jackson from April 29th to May 14th, 2022. You can find tickets through Reboot’s website, and I highly recommend that you take the time to experience this show.
Love,
~ Fosse
