Review: CABARET Dominates the Stage in Meriden, Connecticut

From July 29-August 7th, Castle Craig Players in Meriden delighted its audience with the standout production of CABARET, directed by Ian Galligan.

Offered in typical Cabaret-esque fashion, guests of the show were able to being in their own food, bites, and booze, indulging in their lavish feast at their own table and mingling with other likeminded onlookers.

Stemmed by the book, Joe Masteroff, CABARET follows the lives of those performers at the dingy, darkly-lit - slightly immoral - Kit Kat Club in Berlin, where anything and everything goes.

The audience was completely tantalized by the sultry movements, wicked vocals, and impressive musicians, rocking out their own renditions of classic favorites, including "Don't Tell Mama" and "Cabaret."

But it wasn't just the song and dance routine that reeled the crowd in - although there's no denying that helped - it was the lives portrayed by the actors on stage and the heartfelt stories you stepped into.

We were taken on an unforgettable journey through Germany - with Hitler on the rise - meeting an American writer, Cliff Bradshaw (Ian Lynch-Passarelli) and his unlikely partner, cabaret singer/dancer, Sally Bowles (Jessica Rohe), an older couple who show us what love is and the pain endured when we can't have it, and the ladies and gents that mystified us with their talents on stage.

With an unforgettable cast - especially a delightful host named Emcee (Jason Parry) - music by John Kander, and lyrics by Fredd Ebb, CABARET was everything it should be: sexy, fun, and full of gut-wrenching emotion.

(Photo credit: Erin Shaw)