Life is a Cabaret at Sunnyvale Community Players!

Me and the gang went out to see Sunnyvale Community Player's production of Cabaret on Saturday night and we all had a great time!

It's interesting to see a show with such a small staff. Lee Ann Payne doubled as director and choreographer (no easy task, given the complexities of the choreography in this show) and Dan Singletary was music and vocal direction. It seemed to me that this gave them a better way to focus their efforts and the results were a seamless production that was beautifully staged.

As I've said before, one of my favorite things about seeing shows with the Sunnyvale Community Players is that the actors and actresses are not typically mic'ed, leading to a amazingly rich and rewarding sound.  We could hear the gentle shakes in Emily Bliss's voice as she belted out the title song, Cabaret, as the lead of Sally Bowles. While her emotion was clearly written on her face, hearing the subtlety in her voice made the number that much more enchanting.

Dan Singletary did a great job balancing the orchestra with the vocals - I could hear both perfectly at all times!

The Emcee, Paul Araquistain, was just downright amazing! Every time he appeared, the stage brightened (or darkened, depending on his intent) and the cast just seemed to focus around him.  One of my favorite numbers was "Two Ladies", where Araquistain was joined by Cheryl Ringman (Kit Kat Girl/Susan) and Denise Lum (Kit Kat Girl/Ting Ting).

The costumes were sexy, where necessary, and total period otherwise. Great job by Ana Williams (costume design), Sue Howell, Mary Beth Buzzo and Barbara Morgen (costume construction).

It's hard to call out specific actors or actresses that stood out, as everyone was great, totally in character, always in the moment. Very impressive, indeed!

I'm not exactly sure which revival this one was based on, but did miss the darker ending of the last version I had seen.  Let's face it, Nazi Germany was not a fun place for homosexuals and Jews in the early 1930s...

One thing is for certain, this show only runs for one more weekend (through May 15th) and deserves a sold out house! Treat yourself, you'll enjoy it!