‘Cabaret’ dazzles Denver audiences

If you would’ve told closeted-teenager me I’d get to see Justin from Queer as Folk prancing around as the Emcee in Cabaret, my response would be similar to, “SHUT UP NO WAY.”

Alas, fellow queer folks, it’s happening right now in Downtown Denver — and it’s sexy as hell.

The Roundabout Theatre Company’s Revival of Cabaret slinked back onto Broadway in 2014 with Alan Cumming leading the show for his second Emcee stint since his legendary 1998 appearance. But make no mistake — while Cumming is enough to bring attention back to the Broadway show, Randy Harrison’s Emcee on tour is exactly what I craved.

The Kander and Ebb classic has a revamped book by Joe Masteroff (Christopher Isherwood penned the original) and tour direction by BT McNicholl (Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall originally took the reigns, with Marshall’s choreography still present.) The current version has an electric new life, thanks to a dazzling lighting design by Peggy Eisenhauer and Mike Baldassari. William Ivey Long’s costumes are chic and stimulating. Robert Brill’s set is, well, brill(iant). The look of this show alone is enough to captivate a thirsty crowd.

The cast is dynamic. Harrison’s Emcee is a tour de force, keeping the character’s wit sprinkled with the right amount of menace. Andrea Gross is an enchantingly wide-eyed Sally Bowles. She brings a dark depth to the role, knowing the perfect balance of kink and melancholy with a touch of hope.

Mary Gordon Murray and Scott Robertson are standouts as Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz, the love story that keeps the heart of this production warm and grounded. Benjamin Eakley gives writer Clifford Bradshaw a palpable relatability, while Patrick Vail’s Ernst Ludwig’s Nazi turn is enthralling.

The ensemble, which doubles as the band, is exceptional. These chameleons, who aren’t afraid to show some skin, pepper the stage with a fiery energy you’d expect from a sex club in 1930s Germany. You can’t keep your eyes off them.

But just because your grandma thought the Liza Minnelli flick was a classic doesn’t mean this one’s for her. The vibe is a little darker, and it feels a bit more on the sensual side. (A row of elderly folks nearby disappeared after intermission.) But if you want something tantalizing and you’re cool with Nazi themes, treat yourself.

Roundabout Theatre Company’s Cabaret plays the Buell Theatre at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts through Oct 9.