11 March 2007

les boys (and girls) do cabaret...

i experienced a rare treat last night at the bong java after hours theater in the form of the politically incorrect cabaret's berlin to braodway...i haven't enjoyed myself so thoroughly in eons...

so what is it??? berlin to braodway explores the similarities between early twenty-first century america and early twentieth century berlin ... analogously comparing the rise of hitler in the post-weimarian republic of germany's own roaring twenties to the current neocon insurrection that has held washington dc hostage for the past 5 years since 911...

but wait - it's not just that, it's about the abuse of power and so the recent outcome of the mid-term elections had its impact on the improvisational structure of the cabaret...so while dick cheney, donald rumsfeld, and condi rice all bear their burdens a new character appears to have usurped dubya's prominence in the show - that's right, the democrat's own howard dean becomes a central target because we all know "that the democrats have never let us down"...

this cabaret included political satire, racy humour and outrageous costumes while the music includes jazz, classical, broadway, music theatre, featuring mick jagger's "streets of berlin," a rousing musical tribute to our latino comrades, the story of jack abramoff and the beanstalk, and standup comedian eddie conrad...

but no camp of the berlin cabaret would be complete without the work of bertolt brecht making its presence known and it was - both in the form of music and spoken word...along with garcia lorca and a richly updated presentation of allen ginsberg (you know, drugs and gay sex - those ultimate american values)...

while the entire politically incorrect cabraret cast romped its way through a wonderful production special kudos go to andrew duxbury as the ansager (you saw joel grey in cabaret - andrew is much funnier), kimberly kirklin who can dance and sing wonderfully, ellisa mayor whose waffle house skit was hee-haw-larious, and director diane mcnaron...

kudos to bongo java upstairs theater for booking the show...you can still catch them april 14th in atlanta - well worth the drive!

peace out <3

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