Ensemble dancers
Oakland Theater Project’s mind-blowing Cabaret pulls us from Berlin’s infamous 1930s Kit Kat Klub into present-day bedlam. Writer Christopher Isherwood’s subtle, illicit refuge from a rising political storm evolves under Director Erika Chong Shuch’s fearless and creative direction.
The frenetic immersion into the chaos grows just outside our doors. We aren’t simply watching the unrest—we’re swept directly into its path.
Bobby (Apollo Javier Sohrabi), Emcee (Deanalis Arocho Resto), Victor (Jack Grable)
Within minutes of arrival, the audience is engulfed in the action. Whether urged to tip the dancers or conscripted as one of the nightly “guests” tossed immediately from patient Fraulein Schneider’s (Beth Wilmurt) hotel. The energy doesn’t just electrify the room; it erases the divide between observer and performer. Each ensemble member stands out—raw, real, and brimming with the bohemian volatility stirred by the oncoming rise of Fascism.
Moody starlet, fragile Sally Bowles—portrayed by Sharon Shao—teeters on alcoholism while clinging to her brittle, yet manipulative charm. Innocent tourist Cliff Bradshaw, played with warmth and sincerity by James Mercer II, arrives hoping to finish his novel. He offers Sally stability, and the two fall for each other. Yet the darkening clouds of fascism loom over every connection.
Sally Bowles (Sharon Shao)
Even the tender relationship between Fraulein Schneider (Beth Wilmurt) and her fruit-growing Jewish suitor, Herr Schultz (guitarist Joshua Pollock), trembles under the pressure.
Sitting in chairs, across from each other, Fraulein Schneider plays the Uke, and Herr Schultz (Joshua Pollock) plays the guitar. Even the loving song that hangs in the space between them dissipates. Can she marry a Jew in these turbulent times, someone so out of her political realm?
Herr Schultz (Joshua Pollock), Fraulein Schneider (Beth Wilmurt)
Yet, the music is as diverse as the characters—played in multiple stylized forms—it underscores the show’s powerful message. The theme may be different, but the threat is the same. However, The comfortable, ballad-like notes of “Tomorrow Belongs to Me,” sung by the multi-talented, eerie, sometimes paranormal Emcee, Deanalis Arocho Resto, feel far more ominous.
The repeated reprise by the two German smugglers—versatile Fraulein Kost (Ije Success) and sly sympathizer Ernst Ludwig (Megan Trout)—cements the political outcome.
Ernst Ludwig (Megan Trout)
Choreographer Erika Chong Shuch visually pulls it all together—the beat, the pulse, the cast of twelve dancing around a small stage, breathlessly capturing our attention.
Huge kudos go to the creative team! The music, especially. Sound Directors Ray Archie and Werd Pace, along with Sound Director Matt Stines, constantly move the foreboding feeling forward, foreshadowing the erratic nature of changing politics and the people caught in its clasp. Lighting Designer Stephanie Anne Johnson amplifies the mood with shifting backgrounds that deepen each scene.
The ensemble is nothing less than dynamic, with incredible and consistent energy. Impressive.
As in many OTP productions, the most deeply rooted emotions erupt into a powerful theatrical metamorphosis, leaving the audience in thoughtful contemplation. A powerful reminder appears in the empty pairs of shoes—different sizes—left alone on the stage.
The ensemble ends with the question: “What would you do?”
Better yet, for these times: “What are you doing now?”
Start here. See this production and get involved.
“Cabaret” written by John Van Druten, stories of Christopher Isherwood, music, John Kander, lyrics, Fred Ebb, director and choreographer, Erika Chong Shuch, costume design, Ashley Renee, Oakland Theatre Project info: Oaklandtheaterproject.org to Dec 14
Cast: Mylo Cardona, Jack Garble, James Mercer II, Joshua Pollock, Werd Pace, Deanalís Arocho Resto, Antonella Scogna, Sharon Shao, Apollo Javier Sohrabi, Ije Success, Megan Trout, Beth Wilmurt
Photos: Ben Krantz Studio