Word: cabaret
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...fairness, one must admit that Chicago director Beth Heller did not have the best material with which to work. This 18-song musical, although created by John Kander and Fred Ebb, the same duo which brought Cabaret to the American stage, boasts none of that show's sharp characterization, memorable lyrics nor attachment to the era in which it is set. While Cabaret was firmly rooted in the fears and expectations of Weimar Germany, this play floats around its 1920's setting; aside from the choice of music, Chicago gives little reason why its action should take place in this...
Unfortunately, the dramatic direction is not strong enough to redeem the failings of the cabaret. The characters turn and deliver their lines straight to the audience, not bothering to open their stance and pretend that they are conversing with each other. As a result the illusion of on-stage reality is never maintained, and the audience cannot forget that Chicago is really only a series of sound bites...
...Name Is Alice is a short, conventional cabaret guaranteed to offend no one. No risks are taken. Perhaps its feminist slant merits the show a spot? Hardly. Although A...My Name Is Alice is written for women, over half of its 28 writers are men. And although it explores women's feelings and relationships, it reinforces rather than destroys old stereotypes--the secretary dreaming of romance, the man-hating feminist poet. So the Ex is an odd place for this show...
...Compass began as a "storefront theater with educational intentions," the creation of two intellectual insurrectionists, Paul Sills and David Shepherd. The actors who gravitated to it made it into a proving ground for improvisational theater and a sort of comedy cabaret for Mensa members...
...performers, two men and two women, are as appealing as any cabaret performers. The men wear tuxedos, and the women evening gowns. They strut their stuff on a stage devoid of almost all props--it is bare except for the stools brought on for the occasional duets. The simplicity of it prevents the audience from being distracted from the fantastic singing and choreography...