'Cabaret' shakes the house 'Cabaret' shakes the house (April 23, 2004)

Playful, naughty and fun with ominous undertones
by Teresa C. Brown

"It's tacky and terrible, and everyone is having such a great time."

This succinct observation is made by lead character Clifford Bradshaw as he adeptly describes the atmosphere in "Cabaret," currently being presented by Pleasanton Playhouse in a production that is riotous, sometimes wicked, sometimes humorous, but always provocative.

The musical is onstage at the Amador Theater every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through May 2.

Crafted for mature audiences, the musical glances at the growth of Nazism from beneath a garish playful veneer as the dramedy builds tension against the backdrop of pre-World War II Germany. The story follows the romance of an unlikely couple - Clifford Bradshaw, a serious American writer, and Sally Bowles, a saucy cabaret performer.

Bradshaw, played by Christopher Cobb, arrives in Berlin and settles into a modest Berlin boarding house, where he aspires to write a novel. At the suggestion of a new acquaintance, Ernst Ludwig (Daniel Olsen), he visits the Kit Kat Club, a bawdy nightclub with entertainment by scantily clad women and cross-dressing men. There Bradshaw meets Bowles, portrayed by Emily Garcia, who splashes into his life like red paint on a white wall.

Love is not only for the young as a second story sweetly unfolds between characters Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz, played by Mary Gimeno and Michael Markovich.

The boarding house matron is a no-nonsense German, whose life experiences have made her wise and practical. She is courted by Herr Schultz, a portly and balding man who also happens to be Jewish. Schultz is utterly charming in his affection for Schneider, as he makes a gift of a practical pineapple in a plain brown bag.

For Bowles and Bradshaw, falling in love is a byproduct of being swept into a loose, hedonistic lifestyle of self-indulgence, which blinds them to the harsh realities of a world ruled by Hitler. Sally's apathy is clear when she asks Clifford, "Politics, what has that got to do with us?"

Mocking love's innocence with debauchery is the musical's master of ceremonies, deliciously portrayed by Andrew Blake-Ames. Laughing as if he alone knows the razor-edged punch line, Ames is a devil's advocate, a sardonic commentator on the cruelty of life under the Brown Shirts' rule.

With music by John Dander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, the story is based on Christopher Isherwood's "Berlin Stories" and John Van Druten's "I Am a Camera." The play originally opened in 1966 with Joel Grey hosting the master of ceremonies, Jill Haworth as Sally Bowles, and Bert Convy as Bradshaw.

In 1972, a film version was released with Liza Minnelli cast as Sally, Michael York as Bradshaw, and Joel Grey reprising the emcee role.

The music is witty, from the barbed lyrics of Bowles' sultry number "Don't Tell Mama" and the title song "Cabaret" to the Brown Shirts' rendition of "Tomorrow Belongs to Me."

The playfully clever number "If You Could See Her" comically dramatizes the deadly prejudice that eclipsed the country under Hitler's regime.

The musical was directed by Steve Shearer and produced by Kathleen Breedveld with musical direction by Michael O'Dell.

"Cabaret" deals with adult themes and is for mature audiences. Parental guidance is strongly suggested.
'Come to the Cabaret'

Pleasanton Playhouse's "Cabaret" Where: Amador Theater, 1155 Santa Rita Road When: 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday, through May 2 Cost: $28, adults; $26, seniors over 60; and $20, juniors under 18 Tickets: Call 462-2121; online www. Pleasantonplayhouse.com

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