STAGE REVIEW : Not Enough Life in This ‘Cabaret’

Life may be a cabaret, but don’t try telling that to the Irvine Civic Light Opera these days.

The troupe’s financial woes have lent an unusual, and uncomfortable, importance to its production of the John Kander/Fred Ebb musical. What the ICLO needs is a hit, the kind of show that generates the word-of-mouth that leads to a full house--and maximum box office--every night.

What it’s got is something only passable, a mix of entertaining stretches diminished by missed opportunities. This is a “Cabaret” you won’t mind having come to, but can’t get too worked up over.

Worse yet, the attendance at Saturday’s matinee was tiny, maybe one-sixth of the Irvine Barclay Theatre’s 756-seat capacity. True, afternoon performances typically are slow in terms of ticket sales. Still, the turnout had to disappoint ICLO artistic director Daniel R. Trevino, who said before Friday’s opening that “Cabaret” would have to average two-thirds capacity during its two-week run just to break even.

The ICLO’s problems have resulted in a “bare-bones” budget, as Trevino called it, of about $58,000 for “Cabaret,” down from the $100,000 spent on previous productions. The ripples are obvious on stage, especially in the amateurs who have replaced professionals (only the three principal roles--Sally, Cliff and the master of ceremonies--are being played by Equity actors) and in the sparseness of Wally Huntoon’s sets.

A few of the secondary performers step up and do more than capable work, especially Weston Nathanson as Herr Schultz, the Jewish grocer and most obvious symbol of Nazi persecution, and Nanci Fast as Fraulein Kost, a sultry working girl who can’t seem to get enough sailors. But the ensemble is hesitant, not always as comfortable as it should be with Ellen Prince’s undemanding choreography.

As for the scenery, the biggest disappointment has to be the Kit Kat Klub itself. This mecca for Berlin’s decadent demimonde should be a den of insinuation, atmospheric as you can get. Its setting has always been one of “Cabaret’s” greatest opportunities, but Huntoon does little with it; this Kit Kat Klub is just a stage with a few cocktail tables against a backdrop of glittering mirrors.

Cliff’s tidy room, Schultz’s fruit shop, Fraulein Schneider’s living room and the train compartment are all well-crafted, however, and give the rest of the show a professional veneer.

So does Leonard John Crofoot, a veteran Broadway actor, as the devilish master of ceremonies. Provocatively, almost snarlingly sly, Crofoot is the right clown for the Kit Kat Klub--the darkest element in the production, and the most fun. But even he is inconsistent; he turns “Two Ladies” into a salacious romp, but then rushes absently through “Money.”

Crofoot teams up on the latter number with Karen Gedissman, who plays Sally, the wild and self-destructive chanteuse. Gedissman doesn’t bring much to “Money” either, but she does put her all into everything else. Sometimes that’s just fine, other times it isn’t enough (her handling of “Maybe This Time” is invigorated, but her “Cabaret” isn’t the show-stopper it should be).

Her Sally is a lot of fun, though, and one can see how the sober Cliff would be drawn to her. As Cliff, the would-be novelist who succumbs to both Sally’s and Berlin’s temptations, Brad Craig is ideally low-strung and natural.

‘Cabaret’

An Irvine Civic Light Opera production of the musical by John Kander (music), Fred Ebb (lyrics) and Joe Masteroff (book). Directed by Daniel R. Trevino. With Leonard John Crofoot, Brad Craig, Karen Gedissman, David Mahler, Jim Anderson, David Pritikin, Pattric Walker, Weston Nathanson, Nanci Fast, Julie Anderson, Sandra Brenner, Jasmine Curry, Cathy Duncanson, Debbie Kilpatrick, Jennifer Opencar, Karl Stenske, Steven Carey, Sheryl Benorden, Gretchen Connelie, David Herbelin, Bart McHenry, Maria Kim Arnett, Pei-Lin Chen, Kara D’Ambrosio and Sandra Paradis. Choreography by Ellen Prince. Sets by Wally Huntoon. Lighting by Ted Ferreira. Orchestra directed by Peter Fournier. Continues through Sunday (Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.) at the Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine. Tickets: $21 to $28. (714) 854-4646 or (714) 740-2000.