Right from the start Cabaret simply dazzles. Its upbeat opening song, Willkommen, literally welcomes us to join in the frivolity, fun and fabulousness. The atmosphere is exciting, bawdy and seductive. Yet look carefully and you’ll notice signs of decay and decline. It’s not surprising really since this is 1929 Berlin in the aftermath of the stock market crash and the Weimar Republic is in its death throes.
But hey, the theatres are open, there’s liquor on tap and for Clifford Bradshaw (Justin Rogers),
a young, penniless novelist, this is the place he’s bound to find the inspiration he’s looking for his first novel.
He meets Ernst Ludwig (Jonathan Martin), who finds him a place to live. Wandering the city, Cliff discovers the Kit Kat Club on New Year’s Eve and encounters Sally Bowles (Nomi Cohen), a club singer with a bombshell figure and a lot of sass.
She eventually pushes her way into his apartment and his affections and then becomes pregnant. Meanwhile their elderly landlady Fräulein Schneider (Susan Brady), is romanced by Herr Schultz (Steven Ray), a Jewish greengrocer in the neighbourhood and they become engaged.
Since this is now 1930 Germany, we all know what’s coming. Ernst Ludwig hires Cliff to smuggle money into the country and it is later revealed to Cliff’s horror that Ludwig is actually a Nazi.
Cliff wants to leave for America but Sally is determined to stay and casually dismisses the growing threat. Sally returns to the cabaret, Cliff leaves for America, and Fräulein Schneider breaks off her engagement to Herr Schultz as threats against the Jewish community increase.
This really is a musical that changes tone as it progresses. Initially it is playful and welcoming and later it becomes sinister and dangerous. Politics and prejudice are breaking the community apart. No one is going to be left unscarred.
So what’s it like? In a word, stunning and director Benjamin Kilby-Henson has pulled off another theatrical triumph.
The music, the costuming, the choreography, the staging are all top-notch. Having a world-class band at the back of the stage playing such fantastic music is a treat.
And then we have the cast and what a captivating bunch they are.
Matu Ngaropo’s performance as the Emcee is mind-blowing and the perfect embodiment of this iconic character. His flawless voice, his mannerisms, his movements, and his attention to detail are magnificent.
I’m not usually one to gush too much but Nomi Cohen is a goddess! Her Sally Bowles is energetic, bolshy and deeply vulnerable. Cohen knows instinctively how to bring the right amount of emotion to each moment. And when she sings, well, as I say, she’s a goddess. Her rendition of the song Cabaret is simply masterful.
Susan Brady as Fräulein Schneider is a superb performer and her rendition of What Would You Do? is one of the most powerful moments I’ve seen on stage. Steven Ray’s gives Herr Shultz a subtle strength and the perfect match for Fräulein Schneider.
Justin Rogers brings an interesting mix of innocence and adventurousness to Clifford Bradshaw and it’s hard not to like this character. He’s probably the moral centre of the show and when Rogers sings, his voice is sublime.
This core cast is superbly supported by the ensemble and their dancing and singing is a delight to watch.
If you’ve seen the 1972 movie starring Liza Minnelli you might be surprised that Mein Herr and Maybe This Time are missing from the stage version. The songs were never part of the original 1966 score but have been in later productions. I would have liked to have seen them included because I love them, however, their absence certainly does not diminish the musical.
Ultimately, there is no fluffy happy ending, no encore, no smiles, no final attempt at pretending all will be just fine. Instead the very last moment is a dramatic and symbolic representation of the shitshow that is coming.
This almost seems unfair, doesn’t it? After all, the standard cliché is that musicals are supposed to shield us from the realities of the outside world. Shouldn’t they cocoon us from nastiness and make us leave the theatre thinking all is right with the world?
Sometimes, yes. But musical theatre is an art form that reflects our complexity. The human condition isn’t always pretty and the world is constantly in flux. Sometimes what we need is this kind of show that entertains and amuses and then slaps us in the face and begs us to wake up and see the truth.
And that’s exactly what this show does. With its gorgeous campiness, its overt sexuality, its flawless execution and its unflinching courage in showing humans at their best and worst, this Cabaret is perfection.
CABARET
22 September – 25 October 2026
ASB Waterfront Theatre, Auckland