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"Cabaret" at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park
The Cincinnati Playhouse's production of Cabaret is a must-see for anyone who is a fan of musicals. (CityBeat review here.) Kander and Ebb's Tony Award winner from the late '60s has been brought to the main stage with inventive verve by veteran Broadway choreographer and director Marsha Milgrom Dodge. Sure, it's set in 1929 Berlin, populated by amoral entertainers and Nazis rising to power. But its scrutiny of prejudice and bigotry in the context of jaunty, thoughtless entertainment is a fascinating way to bring attention to topics that are timeless. Dodge has assembled a cast of triple-threats (who can sing, act and dance), given them choreography rooted in the 1920s, costumed them in period clothing (and some clever get-ups for the cabaret routines) and set them spinning on a stage arrayed with Expressionist imagery. It's a winning combination. Cabaret just opened on Thursday evening; you have until Nov. 16 to catch it, but it's likely to be a hot ticket, so this is a good weekend to head to Mount Adams. The other choice at the Playhouse, Seven Spots on the Sun, is in its final weekend on the Shelterhouse stage. It's a powerful drama set in a Latin American nation, torn asunder by civil war. Serious theatergoers have been giving this one a thumbs-up. Tickets: 513-421-3888.
Cincinnati Shakespeare hasn't gotten around to any Shakespeare plays yet this season, but no one's complaining. Last weekend they opened a moving production of John Steinbeck's
Of Mice and Men, featuring top-notch performances by Jeremy Dubin and Jim Hopkins as a pair of Depression Era migrant works who have to stay one step ahead of trouble because man-child Lennie (Hopkins) doesn't know his own strength and has emotions that are seldom reined in. Great acting, worth seeing. (
CityBeat review
here.) Through
Nov. 10. Tickets:
513-381-2273, x1.
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati finishes its run of Gina Gionfriddo's
Rapture, Blister, Burn this weekend, hot from Broadway in its regional premiere. (
CityBeat review
here.) A story about modern women and what satisfies — and dissatisfies — them. Three generations end up debating choices made: It's both entertaining and thought-provoking, a showcase of excellent local actors. Through
Sunday. Tickets:
513-421-3555.
As Halloween draws closer, you might want to check out a show or two inspired by the "season."
Dracula at the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts (tickets:
513-241-6550) tells the familiar tale of the legendary vampire. (
CityBeat review
here.)
Slasher at Falcon Theatre (Monmouth Theatre in Newport; tickets
513-479-6783) is a tongue-in-cheek piece that originated a few years back at the Humana Festival in Louisvile. It's about people making a horror flick and how it affects their lives. Lots of humor, but some thoughtful moments, too.
