In here, it’s so hot

The emcee is a key character in any production of a Cabaret production. He’s the master of ceremonies at Berlin’s notorious Kit Kat Klub where decadence prevails inside the seedy nightclub, as the Nazi Party’s dark presence emerges outside on the streets. He also sets the tone by addressing the audience with his dark humor, unabashed sexuality, winking asides and surprising pathos.

In Green Valley Theatre Company’s current production of Cabaret, we get a truly memorable emcee with actor Joseph Boyette, whose no-holds-barred performance embodies this pivotal character and leads a talented cast as they delve into a dark, disturbing time in history. He is matched by the performance of Lindsay Grimes as Sally Bowles, the self-destructive cabaret singer caught in her own downward spiral.

Cabaret was a hit 1966 Broadway musical and subsequent 1972 movie based on a story about the rise of Hitler in Germany told through the eyes of struggling novelist Clifford Barnes (Dan Masden, who did a good job on a not very well-defined character), singer Bowles, boarding-house residents, nightclub patrons and performers. Director Christopher Cook carefully guides his cast, crew and musicians through ever-shifting emotions that range from sensual to sentimental to menacing. The small pacing problems of the first act are quickly forgotten in light of a powerful, emotionally charged second act.

This is an admirable show by Green Valley, which is emerging as a real player on the local theater scene—with an impressive new 48-seat space on Stockton Boulevard, strong casting, bold choices (Spring Awakening, Bullshot Crummond, and its upcoming annual production of The Rocky Horror Show), and in this show, a tight 13-member live orchestra.