What Good is Sitting Alone in the Tent?
Come to the Cabaret, July 27-Aug. 2
Nancy Ringham as Sally Bowles and Francis Jue as The Emcee Sacramento Music Circus' production of CABARET.

Nat Chandler as Clifford Bradshaw, Francis Jue as The Emcee and Nancy Ringham as Sally Bowles in a scene from Sacramento Music Circus' production of CABARET.
    Back in high school I was so taken with the movie CABARET that I signed up for a German language class.
    I flunked.
    That didn't discourage me from liking the movie, however.
    It was mostly the music - but Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles and Joel Grey as The Emcee didn't hurt. So, as CABARET made the schedule for this year's Music Circus, I was once again excited at the prospect of seeing one of my favorite movies on stage.
CABARET, starring Nancy Ringham, Nat Chandler and Francis Jue, is Music Circus' third offering of the season. CABARET plays under the tent, July 27-Aug. 2, 1998.
CAST:
  Emcee - Francis Jue
  Kit Kat Girls - Helena Hultberg,
    Amber Owens, Laura-Jean
    Smillie, Kerri Jill Garbis
  Clifford Bradshaw - Nat Chandler
  Ernst Ludwig - Kurt Johnson
  Customs Officer - Mark Sanders
  Fraulein Kost - Rachel deBenedet
  Herr Schultz - Lenny Wolpe
  Sally Bowles - Nancy Ringham
  Bobby - Michael Susko
  Max - Britt Gunter
  Patrons - Bob Richard, Ben
    Johns, Mark Sanders, Amy
     Michoski, Stephany Simonelli.
  Two Ladies - Laura-Jean Smillie,
     Kerri Jill Garbis.
  Sailors - Paul Woodson, Bob
     Richard, Ben Johns, Mark
     Sanders
  Gorilla - Ben Johns
    The Music Circus' production of this popular musical didn't disappoint the Sacramento crowd.
    CABARET is the story of the impending political upheaval of 1930s Germany. The Nazis are rising to power, Berlin is a decadent city full of seedy cabarets, crime and women of the evening.
    In the middle of it all, an American journalist has come to town to write a novel. Cliff Bradshaw (Nat Chandler) soon falls for a singer in the Kit Kat Klub - an English girl named Sally Bowles (Nancy Ringham) and becomes intertwined in the bizarre world that surrounds her - including her macabre Master of Ceremonies at the club, The Emcee (Francis Jue).
    This CABARET plays more serious and darker than the 1972 movie. Seemingly so much so that the crowd was shocked at several points. At least I know I was. Swastikas displayed both as arm bands and around the theater towards the end of the production and negative references to Jewish people dredged up memories of just how bad things were back during that era in our history.
    In all, Music Circus' CABARET was an enjoyable production, led by great performances from the three principles.
    Francis Jue was fantastic in the role of The Emcee and received a Bay Area Critics Award for previous appearances in the role. His lightfooted dancing was a treat, as was his voice, with crystal clear renditions of songs such as "Willkomen," "Two Ladies," "Money, Money," and one of the crowd favorites (with Gorilla), "If You Could See Her."
    Nancy Ringham appeared as Sally Bowles, doing a good job as the "working girl" cabaret singer. She appeared with Joel Grey in the national tour of CABARET and starred on Broadway with Mac Davis in THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES.
    Nat Chandler returns to Music Circus after last season playing the Red Shadow in MC's production of THE DESERT SONG. He plays a great "Cliff" in CABARET, falling in love with the "shocking" charm of Sally and discovering he is willing to give up everything - almost - for her.
    If there were any drawbacks to the production, it was the ending. It left the audience slightly confused as to whether it was the ending or not. As the Emcee tapped his cane on the stage to dismiss all the players, it slowly dawned on the audience that this was the end. Only about a third of the crowd realized it in time to give the cast a standing ovation, but at least the thought was there!
    CABARET continues under the Music Circus tent through Sunday, Aug. 2 and is followed by JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, Aug. 3-9.
    Performances are at 8 p.m. through Saturday and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are priced at $22 to $40 depending on time and seat location and are on sale at the Music Circus box office, 1419 H Street or by phone at (916) 557-1999. Tickets may also be purchased at all BASS Ticket outlets (916) 923-BASS.
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