Baseball teams win pennants when many players have what's termed "career years" – when their abilities peak. And so it is with Stray Dog Theatre's "Cabaret", when a number of actors we've watched for some time give peak performances.
The idea of casting a woman as the Emcee is a striking one, but the context of prewar Berlin has to be considered. The outre' was In, or at least fairly safe. And thus we have Lavonne Byers', whose throaty voice fits in perfectly. It's a whole new interpretation of the character, whose lasciviousness is mixed with a little humor, giving depth to the portrayal. Hers is a memorable performance.
Sally Bowles, too, played by Paula Stoff Dean, is different. Dean's Sally lacks any sense of the waif at all. She's a Noel Coward character, brittle and charming and determined, a flapper in her dress but a precursor of Margaret Thatcher in her iron will. (And the dresses, from costume designer Alexandra Scibetta Quigley, are divine – watch how one with a petal skirt moves.)
Perhaps her force is why Cliff is so wan. Or perhaps she sees him, played by Paul Cereghino, as easily manipulated. Cereghino sings well in his single number, a duet with Sally, "Perfectly Marvelous", but even his eruption into anger lacks vitality.
Among the supporting cast, Michael Brightman, whose chameleon-izing abilities are becoming increasingly apparent to local theater-goers, smoothly glides along going from amiable Ernst on the train to a frightening symbol of what's in the very near future. Deborah Sharn, as the woman with plenty of "brothers", almost glows as what could easily be a cliched figure. Herr Schultz, the nearby fruiterer, is Ken Haller. Schultz, in his twilight years and seemingly post-stroke, strikes a blow for love, physical and emotional, among both the elderly and the disabled. Haller's carefully restrained warmth fits perfectly.
Music? One sometimes forgets just how good this score is, and there's a real and very good small orchestra above the stage. The girls and boys of the Kit Kat Klub work well together, and it's nice that the women show an appropriate range of physical size, unlike many bigger-budget versions of this. Zaftig wasn't unusual in this time and place, and indeed was appreciated.
An excellent rendition of this classic. This weekend is sold out; hurry to get tickets for this coming week's performances.
Cabaret
Stray Dog Theatre
Tower Grove Abbey
2336 Tennessee Ave.
Wed.-Sat. through April 19