Cast of Cabaret. Photo courtesy of UMDTAD Instagram

Many people spend Good Friday either going home to see their family, preparing for Easter dinner over the weekend or just taking a break after meeting homework deadlines. For me, I watched a play about sexuality, 1930’s Berlin and drugs with tantalizing musical numbers.

I’m talking about none other than the musical Cabaret. This past Friday the UMD Theater Department premiered its final production of the season, and I had to see it. I wanted to make this a family affair, so I also invited my sister and her boyfriend.

UMD’s production of Cabaret is based on the 1998 Broadway revival. The show explores the dark, heady, and tumultuous life of Berlin's natives and expatriates as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich.

Cabaret Playbill. Photo by Ben Carpenter

I really like that the cast greeted people in character as they entered the theater before the show and went into the audience to sell fake goods to them. It set the tone of the show and gave us insight into the characters' personalities. Even the announcer spoke in a German accent when introducing the show.

I knew I was going to like this show just based on the elaborate set and props, along with the costumes. I also appreciated there being a live orchestra playing along. It really felt like I was experiencing the actual Broadway show.

I didn’t realize how many sexual jokes and innuendos this show was going to have. I knew it wasn’t going to be clean like a Disney movie, but from the gecko when one of the main characters, Emcee, came onto the stage and had a banana in his pants that I knew I was in for a ride.

I was really impressed with the choreography, especially of the ensemble of women cabaret performers. The stunts the men performers pulled off, like jumping over each other’s shoulders, was amazing to watch.

I felt that the volume when the performers were speaking and singing could have been a bit louder. The orchestra overpowered them at some points. By no means did any of the performers do a poor job at singing, but some of them were not the stand out of the overall show to me.

I do give them grace since it was opening night. I know from my own experience that the nerves of opening night may affect your performance.

A character’s performance that stood out to me was Elsa Persson as Fraulein Schneider, an elderly woman who rents out rooms in her building. Persson seems to play the roles of elderly, matriarchy women well. Her comedic timing with any character reminds me of Kate McKinnon.

In addition, I enjoyed her scene with Ryan Sternbaum as Herr Schultz when the two of them did a tap-dance-like comedic routine. Another specific scene I enjoyed is when Emcee performed with two cabaret women dressed as stereotypical German blondes with braided pigtails. Humorous scenes like these gave the audience a break from the other dark themes of the show.

The show mainly focuses on the characters Sally Bowles, the cabaret’s feature performer, and English aspiring author Clifford Bradshow. The show follows their rollercoaster of a relationship, including Clifford exploring his sexuality, Bowles late nights at the Kit Kat Club and their conflicting feelings about possibly having a child together.

The set of Cabaret on MPAC main stage. Photo by Ben Carpenter

I really enjoyed Sally’s, played by Courtney Larson, performance of the show’s title song towards the end. Her emotional journey of succumbing to the world and events around her was really great acting. Her costume and the use of lighting, and the lighting throughout the show in general, really made for a good performance.

I’ve never seen Cabaret before, so I was surprised at how dark the ending was. Clifford’s friend Ernest Ludwig’s Nazi ideology drives Herr to leave Berlin. Sally reveals she made a big decision without Clifford which ends their relationship and in the last scene we see Emcee reveal into a prisoner camp outfit.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the show. I enjoyed the humorous songs and expressions of the characters, but also appreciated the exploring aspects of sexual fluidity, along with the darker tones of the setting of the show. I will say, this is definitely a show for people ages 16 and older.

I highly recommend attending this show. It will be running through Saturday, April 26. For more information, visit the Theatre Department’s website or check them out on Instagram.

Ben Carpenter is the writer behind Ben There, Done That — a column dedicated to reviewing fine art shows at UMD and around Duluth.

Lastly, I want to express my gratitude for writing these reviews of theater and music events over the past couple of years. I have enjoyed going to these shows and seeing the wonderful talents of these students. I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my experiences with readers and hope they enjoy reading these reviews.

Even though I will be graduating in a couple of weeks, I hope to still attend future UMD productions. The fine arts have always been an important part of my life, and I plan to incorporate them into my life for years to come.

Ben There, Done That will be coming to an end, but I hope future writers for The Bark will continue to attend and support the fine arts at UMD and give their own reviews of shows. Thank you to all the readers, all my peers in The Bark and my journalism professors. I hope you have enjoyed all my contributions to the Bark.

Cabaret: The Final Ben There, Done That