Review: Sara Chase's KAHN-CEPT Brings Madeline Kahn Back to Life at The Beechman

The late, great Madeline Kahn starred in such Mel Brooks movies as Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, and played on Broadway in such shows as The Sisters Rosensweig and her ill-fated appearance in On the Twentieth Century. A comic actress with a sublime coloratura soprano, Kahn died of ovarian cancer a quarter-century ago. Sadly, she might be unknown to young audiences today. Sara Chase, a young Broadway star (Gatsby) with an equally sublime soprano, is doing her best to change that with her original show, “Kahn-cept: The Unsung Kahbaret.”

Kahn-cept is like a one-woman show inside a one-act musical (with additional cast) within a cabaret. At the beautiful and recently refurbished and reopened Laurie Beechman Theatre, Chase, who both wrote and stars in the show, unveiled the first rendition of Kahn-cept.

The central conceit is a trope borrowed from shows like Carousel: The protagonist (Kahn) is in limbo thanks to some vague unfinished business on Earth. To earn her place in Heaven, the heavenly voice of the Starkeeper (pianist Joel Waggoner, in a dual role) grants Kahn a mere hour (the remaining time in the show) back on Earth to figure it out. At once comedy, music and drama, it’s an intriguing twist on the one-woman autobiographical shows about iconic stars such as Rita Hayworth and Édith Piaf often seen in New York cabaret rooms.

Pianist Joel Waggoner, guitarist Alex Mak, cellist Laura Metcalf, bassist Yuka Tadano, and drummer Jesse Ray-Leicht accompanied Chase.

"Madeline" made her entrance through the audience to the stage in a white heavenly robe. Two dancers, Karl Urban and Fabi Gallmeister, removed the robe to reveal a dazzling black outfit. (These two went on to serve a variety of roles in the production.) Chase opened with her original song, “I’m Alive.” Revealing her desire to “be the music,” singing a song that spoke of Kahn’s life ambitions, Chase demonstrated her operatic skills.

The production made smart use of a movie screen to show stills of Kahn’s career. Though Kahn was a very petite woman, there is enough resemblance facially and vocally so that actual photos of Kahn did not detract from the verisimilitude of Chase as Kahn.

A highlight came when, after a brief costume change, "Madeline" reappeared as “Lili Von Shtupp” from Blazing Saddles to sing “I’m Tired” (Mel Brooks) that closely matched that of the film. Urban and Gallmeister returned for a song and dance segment.

With cellist Laura Metcalf playing strains of “The Transylvanian Lullaby” (John Morris), the haunting violin piece that drew in The Monster in Young Frankenstein, Paul Whitty appeared on stage as The Monster, while Chase played up the Kahn role from the film, though evoking more of a Megan Mullally quality here. (Mullaly played the role on Broadway.)

Referencing Kahn’s unsuccessful love life, Chase performed “They Say It’s Wonderful” (Irving Berlin) while still in her “Bride of Frankenstein” wig, though she did not play it for laughs. Instead, she sang it gorgeously, with deep emotional impact.

The storyline turned darker when "Madeline" addressed the rumors about her unfortunate, brief experience in On the Twentieth Century on Broadway in 1978. Like a whodunit (think Clue), using title cards, the cast reenacted three versions of the story: “That’s how it could have happened,” “But how about this?”, and an alternate reality version, “I Killed Hal Prince” because “I hated him so much!” Finally, with “But here’s what really happened,” "Madeline" blamed a bad breakup, issues with her mother, depression and stage fright.

A tour de force for Chase came in the form of a rap “Anxiety Medley” ("Lose Yourself"[Eminem], “High Society” [Cole Porter], “Not Getting Married” [Sondheim], and “Waving Through a Window” [Pasel and Paul”)], of “High Anxiety,” with Urban and Gallmeister as white rappers in shades and hoods. (Kahn starred in Mel Brooks’ High Anxiety.) Though she sometimes peeked at a lyric sheet, Chase’s timing was impeccable on this high-energy tongue twister of a performance piece. If you caught Steve Martin’s incredibly wordy number in Only Murders in the Building,” it was at that level.

Actor Jonathan Randell Silver appeared as “Gene Wilder” to help "Madeline" pull the cabaret show together so she could make her way to heaven. Silver, fresh off the off-Broadway production, Gene & Gilda, is the perfect Gene Wilder, complete with a head of curly hair. He even did an excellent Mel Brooks impression. In their duet, “Bravest Individual” from Sweet Charity (Cy Coleman), this sweet, wonderful duet was possibly the best part of the show. In a clever musical quote, a snippet of “Pure Imagination” from Willie Wonka was played while “Gene” and "Madeline" talked during the break.

"Madeline" literally earned her wings, and Urban and Gallmeister affixed wings and a halo to her, and handed her a star (another Carousel reference). A finale of “Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life” (Victor Herbert) - the first line which Kahn sang in “Young Frankenstein” while having sex with The Monster - was an inspired choice. Chase sung this much like the famous Jeanette MacDonald original. For an “encore,” Chase performed a spectacular and moving “Lost in the Stars” (Kurt Weill) while holding the star, but let the actual Madeline Kahn get the last line on the movie screen, their voices nearly identical as Chase handed it over.

Kahn-cept is a rather promising theater/cabaret piece. Chase is excellent, her script is good, and her original song and some special lyrics were impressive. She was well-supported by the musicians and other performers. It’s not quite ready for prime time, but pretty close, with a few rough edges, and needs some tightening, rehearsal and memorization, which Chase readily acknowledged from the stage. Still, for a first time performing the show, it was a very satisfying evening at The Laurie Beechman.

Follow Sara Chase on Instragram at @sarachase_.