ANDERSON, Ind. —
Community theater is a lively “Cabaret” — cheeky singing with appearances by gays, hookers and scantily-clad dancers — at Anderson’s Mainstage Theatre. Those saucy character back stories are part of the trappings defining the death of the party once known as Berlin, Germany.
At the heart of “Cabaret,” of course, are the winds of 1930s German politics blowing through the lives of two couples; one we root for, the other we find it difficult to connect with.
The musical starts tonight and runs Friday, Saturday and May 7-8 at the theater, 124 W. Ninth St. Each performance is at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 each.
The audience is guided through the two-hour, 10-minute musical by the Kit Kat Club’s emcee, played with spice and swarm by Lot Turner, though he could plug more camp into some bits.
Behind the scenes is the slender relationship between cabaret star Sally Bowles (played by Tiffany Taylor) and American writer Clifford Bradshaw (Cameron Vale).
Taylor’s spunk shines against Vale’s staid but stable performance. Taylor takes on slower numbers with commitment and adds a proper somber tone in the title tune. The duo click together on stage but their off-on relationship doesn’t draw in the audience.
More compelling is the friendship-turned-romance between the older stars, Fraulein Schneider (Nita Arnold) who runs a boarding house, and her suitor, Herr Schultz (Bill Malone), a fruit vendor. At Monday’s dress rehearsal, there was a small group of visitors from a retirement facility in Indianapolis. Arnold and Malone tugged at their hearts.
Arnold is show-stopping with a confident, mature singing voice that wraps the audience in compassion. Side-by-side with Malone, the two sweetly balance the bittersweet entanglements of love amid politics and religion. You’ll care deeply for them.
Backing all singers and dancers is a band nicely tempered with dancehall fun and reflective moments, though it could be used more during set changes.
The musical has been around since 1966. Yet Mainstage’s “Cabaret” is a bold walk among the invasion of politics, the campiness of a swinging nightclub and ageless love. Don’t sit alone in your room, go see “Cabaret.”
Community
Related Photos
-
Lot Turner adds spice to his role as Kit Kat Club emcee in Anderson Mainstage Theatre’s production of “Cabaret.” The musical runs this weekend and May 7-8. Scott L. Miley / The Herald Bulletin
Discussion
In Review: Mainstage is a ‘Cabaret’
- Community
-
-
New perspective: AHS students serve and learn
Seniors in the Anderson High School Fellowship of Christian Athletes have been heading over to the Christian Center on Main Street once a month to serve lunch.
-
Jim Bailey: Build a better sneaker and you'll probably get sued
People who are gullible enough to fall for colorful and appealing advertising campaigns have an out: Sue the illegitimati.
-
Community Briefs: May 30
A compilation of community news as published in the Wednesday edition of The Herald Bulletin.
-
Jim Bailey: Jim Carter made football a respectable sport at AHS
When I first came to Anderson in 1951, Jim Carter had been named head football coach at Anderson High School. At that time, football at AHS was little more than an activity to get out of the way to make room for basketball season. The Indians were known to play two games in the same week to shorten the season.
-
Community Briefs: May 27
A compilation of community news as published in the Sunday edition of The Herald Bulletin.
-
Remember When: May 27
The slide was one of the more popular attractions at the Falls Park swimming area in Pendleton as evidenced by the number of people waiting their turn on the slide’s steps and its top platform.
-
Champions League makes everyone a winner
The Champions League — in its 12th season — is sponsored by the Pendleton Junior Baseball Association and is open to anyone 5 to 18 with physical and developmental disabilities.
-
History: Lapel Telephone Co. was talk of town
In November 1962, when the Lapel Telephone Co. was sold to United Utilities by the children of founder Earl Tull, a Madison County era ended.
-
Back in the News: May 27
The Herald Bulletin looks back at stories from the Anderson Daily Bulletin and The Anderson Herald newspapers.
-
A dream cabin in the woods
Phil Hatter regularly told his children that once they were all grown, he would build a log cabin in the country. They didn’t believe him. “I think log homes are really neat, but they have to be put in the right place,” he said.
- More Community Headlines
-
