“Cabaret” Captivates, Challenges With Memorable Staging at NJT

Cabaret
Book by Joe Masteroff, Based on the play by John Van Druten and Stories by Christopher Isherwood
Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Directed by Rebekah Scallet
Choreographed by Ellen Isom
New Jewish Theatre
March 20, 2025

Cabaret is a classic musical that continues to entertain, disturb, and challenge all at the same time, in every production of it I have seen. The latest production at the New Jewish Theatre is the third live production of this show I’ve watched, with the two previous stagings also being from local theatre companies. Considering all three I’ve seen, along with Bob Fosse’s 1972 film, I’ve noticed how well this show works through various incarnations and directors’ visions. At NJT, the emphasis seems more on realism and drama, and it works especially well, considering the strong cast and semi-immersive production values that make for an alternately entertaining, disturbing, and challenging evening of theatre.

If you’re familiar with any version of Cabaret, you know the basic story and setting. It’s Berlin in the late 1920’s, at a seedy nightclub called the Kit Kat Club. The club highlights the party atmosphere of 1920s Germany while also providing commentary on the changing times, as the Nazi party rises to power and threatens to take over. As the theatrical Emcee (Spencer Davis Milford) holds court at the Kit Kat Club, American writer Cliff Bradshaw (Dustin Lane Petrillo) arrives in town looking for inspiration for his next novel, and finds stimulation–intellectual and otherwise–in the Berlin nightlife. Staying at a boarding house run by Fraulein Schneider (Jane Paradise) recommended by his mysterious new friend Ernst Ludwig (Aaron Fischer), Cliff absorbs the atmosphere of Berlin and the Kit Kat Club, striking up a friendship with English nightclub performer Sally Bowles (Hailey Medrano), who imposes herself on Cliff as a roommate when she finds herself suddenly in need of housing. As their relationship builds and evolves, we see the increasingly ominous situation building for all characters, as the political climate starts to shift, Fraulein Schneider strikes up a relationship with kindly Jewish fruit merchant Herr Schultz (Dave Cooperstein) while dealing with difficult tenant Fraulein Kost (Caroline Pillow), and Ernst offers Cliff an alternative way of making money that soon reveals Ernst’s true intentions. Meanwhile, the routines at the Kit Kat Club continue, offering entertainment as well as a commentary on the times, as the world-changing events become more and more inevitable. 

The Kit Kat Club routines can be more or less gritty or stylized depending on the production, and here there’s a balance that lends more on the gritty side while still maintaining a level of gloss. Milford’s Emcee is welcoming and entertaining but with a palpable air of danger about him, and Milford is fantastic in the role, singing and dancing up a storm while leading the terrific ensemble (Jayson Heil, Otto Klemp, Amarachi Kalu, and Lillian Cooper, in addition to the rest of the cast who join in at times). Medrano, as Sally, is also marvelous, selling the musical numbers while also coming across as credibly desperate and not exactly a “star” in the world of the play. Petrillo gives a commendable performance as Cliff, as well, considering this is often a fairly thankless role, and Petrillo provides a strong sense of personality and chemistry with Medrano and his other co-stars to provide an ideal “point-of-view” character for the rest of the proceedings. Paradise and Cooperstein are also especially strong in their compelling and bittersweet subplot, with especially strong singing from Paradise. There are also memorable turns from Fischer as the enigmatic Ernst and Pillow as the lascivious, conniving Fraulein Kost. The whole ensemble is excellent, working well in the production numbers, and with Heil, Klemp, and Kalu ably joining in with the band  as needed on violin, clarinet, and flute respectively. 

The band, led by musical director Carter Haney, is especially strong, essentially included as characters in the show and shining in the Kit Kat Club performances especially. The set by David Blake is nothing short of fantastic, as well, with a realistic two-level nightclub setting featuring a few tables in the audience as well, and allowing for the backstage and boarding house scenes well by means of moving furniture pieces. There are also richly detailed costumes by Michele Friedman Siler that contribute much to the overall atmosphere and character of the show, aided by Denisse Chavez’s excellent lighting and Justin Smith’s equally impressive sound design. There’s also dynamic choreography by Ellen Isom that adds much value to the memorable production numbers. 

Cabaret is a heavy show, with a heavy subject matter, although with the excellent script, memorable Kander and Ebb songs, and nightclub setting, it’s uniquely entertaining, as well. It’s a one-of-a-kind show, but also inherently adaptable depending on the director and casting. It works especially well at NJT, where its message is made all the more timely in its immediacy and sense of realism. This is a historical story with a specific time, place, and situation, but there’s an overarching theme that this kind of situation can happen in any time, any place. This production manages to emphasize both the historical setting and the timeless theme. It’s definitely a must-see. 

The New Jewish Theatre is presenting Cabaret at the J’s Wool Studio Theatre until April 13, 2025