"Cabaret"

My theater weekend continued yesterday.  I caught a matinee of "Cabaret" at The Palace in Georgetown.

The Palace has a reputation for doing extremely good work, but I'm ashamed to say that I've been too tied up with Sam Bass shows to see all that I've wanted to this season.  Or last season, for that matter.  I know I've missed a lot of good shows and, until yesterday, the very best one I had seen was a few years back, when they did "Jesus Christ Superstar."  Until yesterday.  That's not to say I have not seen excellent shows there between then and now, but "Superstar" is what comes first to mind.

Of course, I wondered if "Cabaret" was a bit risque for Georgetown.  I am happy to say that it's obvious that Georgetown has changed since I lived there, and the audience was right there, enjoying the production.  If it wasn't a full house, it was pretty damn close.

The show was excellent.  Director Ron Watson did not back off from the decadence inherent in the script, and his cast (and Board of Directors) was right there with him.  Before the lights went down, scantily-clad ladies and bare-chested men were interacting with the patrons, much to their delight.  From the moment the Emcee came down the aisle with the classic, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Damen und Herren, Mesdames et Messieurs..." the show roared.  Production numbers were tight, sexy and awesome.  Delicate scenes were touching and emotional.  When Ernst took off his coat to reveal his nazi armband, there was a collective gasp in the audience. 

At the end, you could hear a pin drop.  Silence.  Beat...beat...beat.  Thunderous applause.

The play closes on June 12.  Go.  Seriously.