CABARET: The Lindenhurst High School Musical ...So What??

Willkommen in CABARET The Review...

When I arrived at the Lindenhurst High School on Saturday January 25th, I was full of expectations; if previous productions were any indication, CABARET would be nothing short of Broadway caliber, full of talent rarely found in a bunch of teens on the brink of adulthood. Led once more by their director, John Savastano, and supported by a specialized team of producers and advisors, this cast was bound to be as successful as the past eleven productions had been under the reign of "Sav".

According to the Playbill, "CABARET takes place in Germany prior to the beginning of World War II. Berlin has become a crossroads of different cultures and ways of life. The frivolity with which the show begins is representative of what was truly happening. At the time, a small percentage of the German population were Nazis. The conformity and/or lack of action against the ideals of Adolf Hitler and the German Nationalist Socialist Party have been central to our study of this show. How could all of these people know what was happening and not do more to stop it?"

When the doors opened, my family and I found our seats and noticed cast and band members trickling into the auditorium. Some took seats at cafe tables set up on the stage and in the pit, and others walked around interacting with some of the general audience. After about ten minutes, I was disappointed when I realized that there'd be no soft music playing and that there wasn't more conversation going on with people finding their seats. I was hoping for more of a club atmosphere as we waited for the main event to begin.

But at 8:02pm, the lights dimmed, and Mr. Savastano's voice boomed over the speakers, welcoming us all to his final production as director, and I sat up in my seat; all was forgiven and I couldn't wait to see the kids perform.

There was no overture, no curtain opening; instead, there was a drumroll, a crash of symbols, and a spotlight. On the Emcee. His makeup was reminiscent of the Joker from Batman, and his demeanor was that of the perfect host. He introduced us to the Kit Kat boys and girls with a flamboyant flair, and that's when I realized that our night was no longer in the hands of the same young children I had watched develop on stage since middle school. The entire room had been transformed.

Dan Owens, the Emcee, never leaving the stage and orchestrating every move of the cast as the puppeteer of despair and foreboding, created a character that was delightfully funny, yet creepy and eventually heartbreaking. His Kit Kat Krew, each humanized by their individual costumes and personalities, easily won a place in my heart, although obviously under the spell of the Master of Ceremonies. They executed the complicated choreography with ease and while many times I felt that their microphones weren't loud enough and they were drowned out by the expert and proficient stylings of The Pit, the singing that I could hear was nothing less than what you'd expect from performers in a NYC nightclub. Their facial expressions stood out in every number, changing as necessary, and conveying to the audience exactly what the agenda of the moment was.

Ernst Ludwig, although a smaller character, was for me, one of the most surprisingly important roles in the show. Henry Horstmann, was the perfect fit. He has a naturally friendly face that endeared us all to Ernst, the first native German to befriend the lead, Clifford Bradshaw. While his large size and innate acting talent transformed him into one of the most hateful individuals on stage, he was from the character's point of view, just being loyal to his country's ideals and politics. The first time Henry uttered the line, "If you were German you'd understand", I wanted to march up there and punch Ernst Ludwig in the face for being a close minded SOB. I felt betrayed because I had bought his "nice guy, just doing what it takes to make a buck" portrayal earlier in the show. His performance was so convincing, that I had to take a moment to step back and realize that it was just Henry, one of the sweetest kids I know, playing a part. His role as the sheep following the flock with such ignorant conviction was a shocking wake up call for the audience, and I hope it got them thinking about how many do that in their day to day lives even today.

Clifford Bradshaw, the nice, but ordinary American guy played by Jamie Fitzpatrick, was well done. The flatline of a man we were first introduced to, allowed his traumatic experiences to alter his persona enough to finally begin and deliver the opening lines of his novel in the last portion of the show as a tortured artist, and as an author who finally had a story to tell. I listened to the short paragraph, both horrified and proud of the man who had taken a stand against a lifestyle he could have adopted easily and comfortably.

He was the love interest of Sally Bowles, played by the Perfectly Marvelous Kelly Dietz. Appearing side by side with such a rising star is no easy feat. She has a talent that comes naturally and easily, and rarely ever seen in someone of this age and level of inexperience. Her portrayal of Sally Bowles was so outstanding that I had to keep reminding myself that she is a high school junior and not a mysterious nightclub singer, flitting from man to man to compensate for insecurities collected over a lifetime of being dismissed as just a pretty face. My only complaint about Ms. Bowles/Dietz is that I would've liked to have heard a hint of her English accent when she sang, in order to keep the character alive a bit more in the musical numbers. Having said that, her facial expressions and obvious emotional angst, especially in the song, "Cabaret", were worthy of her own standing ovation. When Kelly Dietz is on stage, her very presence screams, "I am here and I'm not going anywhere soon, so take notice." Message received and I'll be back next year to see you in action.

The award for cutest couple goes to Lucien Coppola and Ali Senal, aka Herr Schultz and Fraulein Schneider. Although theirs is supposed to be a subplot of the musical, their tragic love stole the show in terms of storylines. Lucien, as the most adorable senior to ever pick fruit in Germany was outstanding. He brought an energy and a light to Fraulein Schneider that only he could. Every time I think of his little dance and shuffle across the stage, I just want to lift a glass of Schnapps and CHEERS to his contributions and his eternally positive, although naive attitude that was continuous no matter how dire the circumstances. Lucien and Ali first starred together as Annie and Mr. Warbucks in middle school and over the years, their chemistry has grown into an explosion of talented proportions that was witnessed onstage.

Fraulein Schneider, the single senior, weathered and worn by life's hard knocks, softens only in the presence of her man and the gifts of fruit that he presents to her. Ali slipped as easily into the role as we might a pair of comfy slippers, the material bending in a familiar way with every step, making it impossible to imagine ever wearing anything else. The fear of stepping out of her comfort zone permeates Fraulein Schneider's personality and leads to the demise of her and her true love; it breaks our hearts, but not without making us laugh with them first. Their rendition of "It Couldn't Please Me More" ("The Pineapple Song") was so funny that my family told me to quiet down.

Also notable was Jessica Shreck's singing performance in the reprise of  "Married". As the doomed couple dances together, she sings the song beautifully and flawlessly in German and I felt like I was watching an old black and white, although again, the sound made it hard to hear her as well as I wanted to.

Kim Engley made a perfect Fraulein Kost, egging on the characters enough for us to see them at their worst, especially at the end when she knowingly outs Herr Schultz as a Jew. She was another character I loved to hate and was an important catalyst in the "end of the world" that Cliff describes in the beginning of his novel.

The ensemble was delightful, never wavering in character as they froze or maintained reactions, ever present on stage, their facial expressions begging us to wake up and see what was going on beneath the surface.

I have to apologize to everyone around me for the loud, "Oh My God!" that escaped from me when the Emcee closed the curtain at intermission and subtly saluted Hitler. The reactions the production evoked are ones that all involved should be extremely proud of, as I suspect that that is what they were going for.

Although some musical numbers were cut in an adaptation expertly co-written by Mr. Savastano, the timeless messages of conformity and discrimination were a blatant warning to the audience to be aware of their own lives and thoughts, because giving that power away could mean death... physically, mentally, spiritually.

While I found "Telephone Dance" a bit confusing, "If You Could See Her Through My Eyes" shocked and offended me so much that I couldn't clap when the number was over, although the performance itself was perfect. And the slow, creepy version of "Money" reminded me immediately of the alter-ego of Superman, who wore his "S" the wrong way in an alternate universe. The Pit sounded as if they were playing the music backward and the choreography was amazing. The performance left me speechless.

The finale was unlike any I've seen before. The letter that was read by Herr Schultz was a Sav Special Edition, and all I can say is Well Done! It was the perfect wrap up and tragic closure the audience needed. Finding out that our jolted fruit vendor was taken to a Concentration Camp, and Fraulein's reaction after reading about it was heartbreaking... I noticed a few leaky faucets in the audience. Revealing the Emcee and the Kit Kat Krew as Holocaust Victims, Ghosts of Terrorisms Past, if you will, was shocking, eye opening, and soul shaking. When I saw the Star of David on their chests and the bruises on their faces and arms, my heart lurched and I was left breathless for a moment before I could compose myself.

The lighting was "spot on" and the stage crew was quick, efficient, and seamless in their transitions from scene to scene. The supporting roles that The Pit, The Sound, The Lights, and The Stage Crew played were an integral part of the show's success. I'm sure that I am not the only audience member that walked away feeling more than just pride in our students.

This production, for me, was easily a 4.5 out of 5 on the Kit Kat Kick In The Pants Scale... If there was another weekend of performances, I'd be back in row D eager to see it again.

 I must note that a piece of art this controversial and intense could only be pulled off by a group with the maturity to handle topics on this level of understanding.

 I titled this review, "CABARET: The Lindenhurst High School Musical ...So What??"  And the question remains, So what did you think? Were you changed by what you saw if you were at either the Friday or Saturday's performance? Or are you interested enough to see it if you didn't? share your thoughts in the comments section.

For more information about this production, please email: Jsavastano@lindenhurstschools.org or call 631-867-3700. 

Check out the awesome CABARET trailer at: http://www.lindymedia.com/lindycabaretonline/

CF Winn is the award-winning author of The COFFEE BREAK SERIES, a hilarious group of short stories meant to be read while on break or in the waiting room of the doctor's office. Her first novella, SUKI, has been grabbing hearts and hugging souls all over the United States.

You can now order SUKI in paperback at BOOK REVUE, one of the nation’s largest independent bookstores, by email at info@bookrevue.com or by calling (631) 271-1442.
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