ON THEATER: Powerful, poignant ‘Cabaret’

Few musicals pack the raw emotional power of John Kander and Fred Ebb’s masterwork, “Cabaret,” set in the hedonistic Berlin night club scene of the early 1930s with the Third Reich goose-stepping on the horizon.

And few local productions of “Cabaret” have managed to wrench the heart quite so totally as the superb version being presented by Gallimaufry Performing Arts in the Artists Theater.

Born in 1966 and revised with a vengeance in 1998, “Cabaret” follows a struggling American writer through a tumultuous affair with an English night club singer, while also addressing the perils of a German widow daring to love a Jewish widower as Hitler’s forces consolidate their power.

Gallimaufry’s richly flavored production, splendidly directed by Jonelle Allen, smoothly shifts focus between the tense human drama and the wildly comical but politically edgy entertainment being presented at Berlin’s notorious Kit Kat Klub, where songstress Sally Bowles holds forth nightly and the malevolent emcee is a gleefully ubiquitous presence.

Both of these roles are taken by professional performers, and the results are electrifying. Juliet Fischer-Schulein offers a dynamically visceral Sally, delving deeply into the soul of the brash but vulnerable hellion whose street smartness belies her frightening naivete in the real world. Gallimaufry’s artistic director Steve Josephson takes a rare and welcome turn on stage as the emcee. It’s a memorable performance.

As the troubled writer, Rob Harryman gradually strengthens his tentative character as troubling events transpire, leading to a taut confrontation both with Sally and his German benefactor.

The budding, awkward romance between the aging landlady (Julie Josephson) and the Jewish fruit merchant (Rich Wordes) is beautifully presented and splendidly illustrated in their duet, “It Couldn’t Please Me More.” Josephson is particularly effective as she balances a chance for late-life happiness with political practicality.

The Gallimaufry production has added a chanteuse, Lisa Morrice, who opens the show from the aisle with a torchy rendition of “Falling in Love Again” that will fan the memories of Marlene Dietrich and her impact on the period.

The Kit Kat Klub overflows with dancers, resplendent in Eloise Petro’s abbreviated costumes and comically choreographed by Tod A. Kubo under Eric Steinman’s taut musical direction. Highlights include not only Fischer-Schulein’s terrific rendition of the title song but, even more haunting, her riveting solo “Maybe This Time” midway through the first act.

Gallimaufry has logged an impressive first three seasons in Laguna, and “Cabaret” marks the company’s high-water mark. It’s a show that demands attention.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: “Cabaret”

WHO: Gallimaufry Performing Arts

WHERE: Artists Theater, Laguna Beach High School, 625 Park Ave.

WHEN: Closing performances at 8 tonight and Saturday

COST: $20 to $25 (students and senior citizens $10 to $15)

CALL: (949) 499-5060

TOM TITUS reviews local theather for the Coastline Pilot.