Cabaret
at Ridley College

Reviewed on February 25, 2010

Katie Klassen
Eden High School
Submitted for publication to

With "Willkommen! Bienvenue! Welcome!" Ridley's production of Ebb and Kander's Cabaret drew its audience into a morally ambiguous world of difficult choices.

Set in Berlin during the Nazi era, a young American novelist named Clifford Bradshaw (Colin Houston) travels to Germany in search of inspiration for a book. The American quickly meets a mischievous German (Willi Kajdi) who recommends staying at Fräulein Schneider's (Sophia Woge) boarding house while in Berlin. Seeking entertainment, Cliff goes to the squalid Kit Kat Klub where Sally Bowles (Briony Kemp-Griffin) dazzles guests with more than her singing. Captivated by one another, Sally and Cliff fall in love. There is also a side romance between Fräulein Schneider and Herr Schultz (Gianni Bahadoorsingh), the Jewish fruit vendor down the street. But as the Nazi threat draws nearer, the people of Berlin begin to see the danger to their cabaret of life.

More demanding than plays, musicals require many of the characters not only to act, but also to sing and dance. For this reason, Ridley's Cabaret was a superb showcase of talent. The Kit Kat Klub Girls (Alexis Kennedy, Morgynne Anthony, Inara Myles, Rachel Kindellan, Eugénie Le Roux, Erin O'Rourke) danced through the night with arduous choreography that combined classic elements and modern improvisation. Sally Bowles (Briony Kemp-Griffin) captivated the audience with her soaring rendition of the song "Cabaret". Fellow lead, Clifford Bradshaw (Colin Houston), offered a steady and consistent performance.

Although the musical could have degenerated into bawdiness, the blossoming love between Fräulein Schneider (Sophie Woge) and Herr Schultz (Gianni Bahadoorsingh) added just the right note of sincerity. The Kit Kat Klub's Master of Ceremonies (Alanna Kit) exuberantly wove the stories of the characters together. Kit lit up the show with her strength and range of performance, having to sing a role often played by a male.

A simple set provided the backdrop for this vivacious musical. Two sets of black stairs ran down the sides of the stage from the upper level, past a small landing and back to the main stage. The upper level allowed several members of the orchestra to be on stage without detracting from the action below. A large, illuminated mirror framed the upper level and suggested a seedy club atmosphere. Three red doors centered at the back of the main stage served as bold passageways for the Kit Kat Klub and the boarding house. With its flashing lights and dancing girls, the stage was functional, yet intriguing.

There were few technical gaffes involving sound, with microphones sometimes coming on a little too late, and the orchestra occasionally overpowering the vocalists. Yet, the synchronization of the orchestra with the cast was flawless, and the presence of a musicians on stage was most engaging.

Cabaret is a musical about the difficult choices people face, suggested by the prominently placed three red doors on the main stage. Ridley's production – in casting, choreography and set design – made its choices well.

Kennedy Laufman
Beamsville
Submitted for publication to

"Life is a Cabaret." Ridley College brought these words to humourous, yet saddening reality with their production of Cabaret.

Cabaret is staged at the end of the 1920's, when the Nazi party was coming into power, and the harsh winds of political change were beginning to blow. It involves the interweaving tales of a pair of lovers; one an American writer who has fallen madly in love with an English cabaret dancer, and the other, an elderly German landlady harbouring a socially discouraged relationship with the Jewish greengrocer across the street from her boarding house. The American enters Berlin, and soon falls into a whirlwind of parties, political trickery, and a torrid relationship with the English cabaret dancer. It ends with the befuddled American, standing alone at a train station, feeling as though he has awakened from a dream.

The cast worked impeccably together, executing the choreography of the multiple dance numbers with notable precision, and interacting with each other well. They were excellent in portraying the humourous, carefree lifestyle of the 1920's, and their transition into a dark humour peppered with undertones of the beginning of the Nazi regime was exquisite.

As the Master of Ceremonies, Alanna Kit often had the audience in laughter with her flamboyance and energy. In spite of her carefree character, she portrayed the dark undertones of the play exceedingly well, particularly towards the end of the second act. Briony Kemp-Griffin, playing Sally Bowles, the English cabaret dancer, left the audience in silence with her phenomenal vocals and her spot-on choreography. Her male counterpart, Colin Houston, playing the American writer known as Clifford Bradshaw, rivaled her vocal performance with the degree of emotion he displayed in the second act, bringing a sense of realism to the stage.

The chemistry between Gianni Bahadoorsingh, as Herr Schultz, the Jewish greengrocer, and Sophia Woge, as Fraulein Schneider, the elderly German landlady, was tantalizingly sweet. It was offset by their enthralling performance in the second act, as the political climate turned harsh and their relationship became strained, successfully pulling at the heart strings and revealing the solemnity underlying the story.

The lights, done by Nicola Nemy and Veronique Brenninkmeyer, worked well in conjunction with most of the scenes, and no cues were missed. The sound was accurate for the play, and executed with precision. There were a few issues with the microphones in the first act, however, they were swiftly repaired and the rest of the play went smoothly. The makeup, courtesy of Uzochukwu Azoba and Chinekwu Osakwe, added a nice, subtle touch to the overall atmosphere of the play.

All in all, Ridley's production was exquisitely done, and, in the words of the befuddled Clifford Bradshaw, waiting at a train station alone, "There was a Cabaret and there was a Master-of-Ceremonies and there was a city called Berlin in a country called Germany and it was the end of the world and I was dancing with Sally Bowles-and we were both fast asleep…" Ridley managed to bring this beautiful dream to life in their production of Cabaret.

Jessica McAuley
Laura Secord Secondary School
Submitted for publication to

An entertaining, yet ominous Emcee, fish nets and burlesque dancers and...raw eggs and Worcestershire sauce? Yes, Ridley College certainly lit up the stage with their performance of Cabaret. The show was accompanied with powerful scenes by Briony Kemp-Griffin as Sally Bowles, a British headliner at the "Kit Kat Klub", and Alanna Kit as the Master of Ceremonies that attracted attention to her comical facial expressions and dialogue.

In short, Cabaret is the story of various characters living in Berlin in the 1930's, while political and social changes start to emerge due to the growth of the Nazi Party. As characters such as Fräulein Schneider (performed by Sophie Woge) and Herr Schultz, a humble Jewish man, (performed by Gianni Bahadoorsingh)fall in love, tension rises as they attempt to overcome the influence of the Nazis.

The cast can be noted for their ability to perform German, French, and British accents and keep it consistently throughout the play, while still maintaining clear dialogue. This is admirably done by Gianni Bahadoorsingh as Herr Schultz, and Willi Kajdi as Ernst Ludwig. As well, the Kit Kat Club dancers set the tone of the play with seductive chair dancing and creative choreography moves. The most memorable songs gave a good impression of Ridley's vocal abilities with such songs as "Willkommen", performed by Alanna Kit and the chorus, and "Cabaret", which was wonderfully performed by Briony Kemp-Griffin.

As well, the performance given by Colin Houston as Clifford Bradshaw was one of passion and believability. This is seen mostly when the character confronts Sally over political or relationship issues, where clear emotions of heartbreak and worry are evident. As well, his duet with Kemp-Griffin in "Perfectly Marvellous" displays the love interest nicely between the two characters.

In addition, of course, hilarious moments take place within the play, which was seen repeatedly played by Alanna Kit, and by Madeline Klimek as Fräulein Kost (a prostitute). As Kost sneaks her sailor lovers in and out of the boarding house, her portrayal of lustful motives cuts straight to who the character is and received the laughter to which it was due.

Despite a few technical glitches with the curtain and the microphones, the cast and crew recovered nicely and stayed in character. Once the show came to a close and it was time for the bows, the audience stood up with ovations for Ridley College's performance of Cabaret!