MMT's 'Cabaret' Provokes, Entertains

Mill Mountain Theatre's "Fringe" series of plays was established a few years ago to challenge audiences. Its works break away from the normal commercial fare to present theatre that provokes with its relevance. "Cabaret," certainly fits the mold here, set in the early 1930s as the Nazis are coming into power in Germany.

The play debuted on Broadway in 1966 and won eight Tony Awards. The 1972 movie pulled in eight Oscars, including Best Actress for Liza Minelli as Sally Bowles and Best Supporting Actor for Joel Grey, who played the provocative Emcee. The current production owes much to the 1987 revival, produced by Prince, which is more direct in its depiction of Sally Bowles' lover, as being bi-sexual. Sexual preference is on considerable display here from the opening number to the final gasp.

Aaron T. Castle shines as Emcee

The pervasive sexuality (if you can imagine it, it's portrayed) gives this production a hard PG rating, but that is at the heart of the story in a swinging pre-war Berlin that gave rise to Hitler and his party of monsters. As Emcee, Aaron T. Castle guides the story from sexual frivolity to Nazi horror, embodied by Kenan Starnes as the Nazi. Emma Caroline Smith plays the difficult part of Sally Bowles (lookin' for love in all the wrong places) and Ashlinn Blevins nearly steals the show as the prostitute Fraulein Kost.

Roanokers AnnElese Galleo and Jeffrey McGullion are prominent in a solid cast.

Director/choreographer Hector Flores serves up this often jaw-dropping bit of theater with gusto, characters powerfully drawn, thoroughly entertaining dance numbers and songs that are sung with authority by a professional cast. As is usual, two of the stars of the production, are the set design of Jimmy Ray Ward and the costuming of Jessica Gaffney, which basically outline and help define the entire production.

Let me caution those of you who are offended by sexuality in its many forms and occasional strong language, that you might think hard before attending "Cabaret." It tells a hard story with difficult truths, impossible for some to swallow, and it is especially relevant in today's supercharged political arena.

I will also mention that you need to be ready for the play's ending. It is uniquely powerful and, as the director might say, "Wait for it ... wait for it ..."

Kudos to MMT for this offering. Theatre is meant to entertain and to challenge and "Cabaret," on this stage at this time, delivers a strong and necessary message.