Coronado School of the Arts Musical Theatre brings the Tony-award winning musical to the stage at Coronado High School—Cabaret! The story of a young writer from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that comes to Berlin is filled with captivating performances and gripping music. The musical takes us back to the 1930s in Europe when Hitler rose to power in Germany. In the exotic city of Berlin, the protagonist, Clifford Bradshaw, runs into a German, Ernst Ludwig, at a train station and helps him find a place to stay. After arriving at the boardinghouse, he visits a cabaret at the Kit Kat Klub and meets a charming British singer, Sally Bowles. The story takes us through their time together in Berlin and how they grow madly in love.
Aside from adult themes, Cabaret incorporates the political struggles that took place in Europe. Throughout the course of the musical, many allusions are made to the era of the Holocaust and the treatment of those who were part of the Jewish community. We also see how the protagonist, being an American, has taken quite a dislike towards Germany and their politics. This essentially drives the plot, as Clifford is affected by everything that surrounds him. The dream he once saw has become one chaotic nightmare.
Hosting the entire show and the Kit Kat Club is the Emcee. Her emphatic personality gives the character a very amusing presence on the stage. Sensational in indescribable ways, she lit up the show and gave us some comedy with a flamboyant performance.
Madison Hansmeyer, who plays Sally Bowles, made us walk into a different world with her role. As the spontaneous singer who works at the nightclub, she reflected much skill in her emotion when she sang in her numbers. She helps the audience experience her character as the lady who fell in love with an American, but shows us how the character is driven mad by her lover. The talented actress demonstrated perfectly how Sally changed as a result of the troubled writer, which left the audience completely impacted by the show overall.
In contrast, Josh Concepcion, who portrayed Clifford, showed us the character of an ambitious and naive writer. This character shows us the clashing of American ideals and German politics of that era. He starts out as an optimistic dreamer, who came to Berlin to become inspired, but he, too, changes throughout the course of the musical. As he continues to experience the beautiful city, his conscience intervenes and he struggles to enjoy it as much as he had.
Other technical details also gave the show the retro spirit of the 1930s. The very precise type of lighting gave a realistic experience of a nightclub in Germany. The set, although not too complex, also brought a sense of austerity due to the struggles in Europe in that time. Everything was made to fit these struggles, but with the brilliant cast, Cabaret changes the way we perceive these horrible times and how little we knew about life in that part of the world during the war.
“Cabaret” is not suitable for young children due to adult themes. Parents are strongly cautioned.
Cabaret plays on April 30 at 2pm and on May 5 and 6 at 7pm.
