MC KEESPORT LITTLE THEATER EATER
[PLAY REVIEW]
PRESENTS...
WEIMARKED
HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING A musical by Frank Loesser and book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, based on Shepherd Mead’s 1952 book of the same name
SEPTEMBER 27,28,29, 2013 Saturday & Sunday performances at 8:00pm. Sunday matinees at 2:00pm. TICKETS ARE $18.00, $7.00 FOR STUDENTS GROUP RATES AVAILABLE. HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE.
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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 09.25/10.02.2013
{BY F.J. HARTLAND} THE THEATRE FACTORY launches its 19th 1614 COURSIN ST. ST.
McKEESPORT
(412) 673-1100 For Reservations www.mckeesportlittletheater.com
season in a very big way — with Kander & Ebb’s Cabaret. That director Scott P. Calhoon is able to shoehorn this major musical into such a small space is nothing short of miraculous. And his clever scenic design keeps the set changes flowing smoothly, in a cinematic way. Best of all, even when the location leaves the Kit Kat Klub, there are lingering reminders of it. Though the red-and-black color scheme fits the decadence of the cabaret, maybe there is too much black: It deadens the stage pictures. Calhoon does create some interesting, partially lit tableaux at tables in the nightclub, which comment on the action. As American Clifford Bradshaw and British entertainer Sally Bowles, Eric James Davidson and Victoria Brady have excellent stage chemistry. They do acrobatic blocking on the tiny bed in Cliff’s room. Their final scene is heartbreaking, and they take perfectly timed pauses that add to the dramatic conclusion of their relationship. As landlady Fraulein Schneider,
Beverly Price nearly steals the show. Vocally, she is outstanding, and she ably plays the wide range of emotions the script demands. Her version of “What Would You Do?” is deeply moving. Leon Zionts is captivating as Herr Schultz, bringing real charm to the production. His scenes with Price are some of the show’s most memorable. The production has some flaws. As the Emcee, Scott P. Sambuco brings no humor or charm to the opening of the musical; he is just sinister. When Sambuco (who also choreographed the show) sings the famous “Wilkommen,” it isn’t welcoming; it will
CABARET continues through Oct. 6. The Theatre Factory, 235 Cavitt Ave., Trafford. $16-18. 412-374-9200 or www.TheTheatreFactory.com.
make you want to run and hide. Starting with sinister leaves nowhere for Sambuco to go as the show takes its dark turn. The costumes, by Kimberly Katruska, are ill-fitting and are a mish-mash of periods. Yes, some of the clothing captures the 1930s, but some of the costumes look more 1980s and ’90s. Sambuco’s Emcee wears a most unflattering pair of dance pants. One of Brady’s dresses is so short that she spends much of the scene uncomfortably tugging it down to avoid exposure. I N F O@ P G H C I T Y PA P E R. C OM