Decadent Distractions in Dark Times (Clarksville Little Theatre)
- stagedoorlouisville
- Aug 1
- 3 min read
Cabaret
Music by John Kander
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Book by Joe Masteroff
Based on the play by John Van Druten and Christopher Isherwood
Directed by Katie Pena-Van Zile
Review by Kate Barry
Entire contents are copyright © 2026 Kate Barry. All rights reserved.
Step inside a place where life is beautiful, the girls are beautiful, even the orchestra is beautiful. There are no worries in the Kit Kat Klub. As the Nazi Party rise to power in Berlin, an American writer sees the transition from decadent frivolity to total terror. Clarksville Little Theatre opened Cabaret on Friday with a beautiful and resonate production. This musical provides a warning sign for what happens when malicious forces take power and no amount of distraction can drown out the ugly truths.
The genius of Cabaret relies on the ever blurring lines between the fantasy cultivated in the Kit Kat Klub and the real world. The name of the club hangs over the stage in ever present thick letters and the platform remains with gold trim. The Kit Kat girls in their lacey costumes interweave in and out of scenes as musical performances comment on the action continuously in the Kander and Ebb musical. This is all an act until it can no longer pretend to be.
And leading this distraction through the demise is Brayden Glass’ clownish diva turn as the Emcee of the Kit Kat Klub. Appearing as quickly as he disappears, Glass’s Emcee establishes a disposable yet wickedly amusing tone with the opening number “Willkommen.” Cheeky and mischevious, Glass’ performance is a bold statement against authority as he breaks norms of the rigid German society while appearing in drag and involving himself in a kick line with his fellow Kit Kat girls. His take on “If you could see here” transcends a musical comedy moment into a striking moment of protest while his version of “I don’t care much” is a heart breaking lament. A character like the Emcee can take many forms, and in many ways, has the responsibility to be the most daring statement on the action unfolding on the play as a whole. This Emcee starts out as an over the top, extravagant entertainer and shifts to a defiant act of anger until his literal final bow.
So much happens in the Berlin, Cliff Bradshaw sees the façade fall apart from all sides. Ian Baete brings a fish-out-of-water discomfort to the role as Cliff meets denizens of the club in efforts to write his next great novel. As he explores the night life, rekindles old flames with chorus boys and finds himself entranced with Sally Bowles, Baete brings an outside point of view that is reflective and relatable.
As the “distracting or inspiring” Sally, Abigail Knoop infuses her performance with a
party girl spirit that is both exciting and self destructive. With the help of the Kit Kat girls (Gabby Higdon, Avery Wilson, Clara Wilson, Heather Shockley, Kirsten McCoy Dietrich and Angalina Rieger), Knoop’s performances of “Don’t Tell Mama” and “Mein Herr” are empowered burlesque with a touch of camp. Knoop brings an absolutely fearless vocal for “Cabaret” that teeters the line of anger and mania as Sally desperately holds on to her carefree life.
The production does well to shift tension from the light to dark. As sweethearts Frauline Schneider and Herr Schultz, Rita Hight and Bart Lovins share a tender chemistry made for musical comedy as they dance and sing about pineapples. Lovins’ Herr Schultz remains hopeful for romance and brighter days while Hight’s Frauline Schneider faces choices that could make life difficult and dangerous. Hight’s delivery of “What would you do” as well as the “I survived” speech pack a punch for terrifying times.
During the curtain speech, director Katie Pena-Van Zile stated this show is “difficult by design.” By the second act, the fun and dance of a wild night life transforms at the turn of a battle cry that is intimidating with its underlying message of “join us or else.” By the end of the play, sorrow and horror are undeniably center stage with nowhere else to look.
Cabaret
Clarksville Little Theatre
July 31, August 1, 6, 7, 8, @7:30 pm
August 2 & 9 @2:00 pm
301 Montgomery Ave.
Clarksville, IN 47129
THRILLED to see this production receive the recognition it deserves!