A CHILLING NIGHT
UNDER THE STARS

A high-energy production that refuses
to look away from history’s shadows

Desert Theatricals’ production of Kander and Ebb’s Cabaret, currently running at the Rancho Mirage Amphitheater through April 19, is a visceral reminder of why this show remains so vital. Under the desert stars, the Kit Kat Club has been resurrected with an energy that is raw and unsettling. Director and choreographer Ray Limon, alongside musical director Joshua Carr, has crafted a production that doesn’t just invite you to “leave your troubles outside”—it forces you to realize how quickly those troubles can follow you right through the door.

The heart of this show is found in the tragic, quiet romance between Barbara Kerr as Frau Schneider and Tom Warrick as Herr Schultz. Kerr’s performance is a marvel. She is an absolute anchor, bringing a weary, lived-in gravitas to Schneider. Her performance of “What Would You Do?” is a gut punch, a devastating interrogation of survival that silenced the entire amphitheater. Opposite her, Warrick is heartbreakingly gentle; his Schultz is a man whose optimism feels like a slow-motion tragedy as he ignores the warning signs around him. Their world is further complicated by Mia Mercado’s sharp turn as Fraulein Kost. Mercado brings a gritty, pragmatic edge to the role, perfectly capturing the survivalist instinct that begins to lean into the rising political darkness. Tod Macofsky is effective as Ernst Ludwig.

This shifting tide is monitored by Jeffrey Scott Parsons (host of one of my favorite musical theater podcasts, A Musical Theater Podcast), who is a total firecracker as the Emcee. Parsons is seductive and impish, yet his playful energy always has a jagged edge. He is the perfect bridge into the club’s descent, joined by Ava Sarnowski’s Sally Bowles. Styling Sally Bowles in the likeness of Liza Minnelli will always set a bar too high for any performer, but by the time we get to “Cabaret,” Sarnowski pulls through with a raw, visceral performance. While John Corr provides an earnest presence as the writer Cliff Bradshaw, the true pulse of the show remains the inevitable collapse of the Berlin social scene around him.

Ensemble standouts include Danny Hansen and Christian Fonte, who add richness and color with fully fleshed-out characters as Bobby and Max. Charles W. Humphrey, as the Boy (who sings “Tomorrow Belongs to Me”), adds a hauntingly necessary layer.

What gives this production its weight is Limon’s refusal to sanitize the grim reality of the Nazi rise in Weimar Germany. His decision to end with a Hitler recording is a stunning, visceral masterstroke. Limon demonstrates the courage to let his audience be uncomfortable. It is impossible to watch this Cabaret without feeling the parallels to current headlines regarding ICE and the surge in community-based enforcement. When you see characters like Schultz suddenly targeted, or watch the ensemble shift from a jaunty kick line into a nationalist anthem, it mirrors the “insanity” of our current political climate. The themes of scapegoating and state-sponsored fear are no longer just historical footnotes—they feel like an urgent warning.

Desert Theatricals has delivered more than just a night of entertainment; they’ve created a technical triumph that doubles as a necessary social mirror. It is a haunting, high-energy production that reminds us that while we might try to hide in the cabaret, the world outside is always waiting. You have until April 19 to catch this at the Rancho Mirage Amphitheater, and it is a journey well worth taking.

photos courtesy of Desert Theatricals

Cabaret
Desert Theatricals
Rancho Mirage Amphitheater, 71560 San Jacinto Dr, in Rancho Mirage
Fri, Sat & Sun at 7:30 (gates open at 5:30); chairs are provided
ends on April 19, 2025
for tickets, visit Desert Theatricals

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