Weimar Germany, the Kit Kat Klub, Sally Bowles, the American writer, the Emcee, scantily clad dancers, the Jewish fruit shop owner and the Nazis all take to the stage of UCSB’s Performing Arts Theater tonight in a superb production of “Cabaret,” the oft-revived noir-musical which has garnered 26 awards including 8 Tonys for it’s Broadway debut. Probably because much of it is set in a night club, “Cabaret” integrates the musical numbers more realistically than most musical theater, and this production is a delight, expertly directed by Julie Fishell and featuring great acting and singing by a talented cast, an inspired set and beautiful costumes, exciting choreography by Christina McCarthy and a small but perfect sounding band led by Jon Nathan. Maybe it’s a guilty pleasure, given the thorny nature of the evils portrayed from a very troubled time in Germany’s and the world’s history. With the recent rise of simplistic solutions to deep problems that nationalism holds out, this is a good time to take another look at the revolutionary musical that set such a high bar for musical theater. Preview tonight, opens tomorrow night and runs until June 3rd. Don’t miss it!
