‘Cabaret’ Missing Defining Moments

“Cabaret,” at East West Players, is an ambitiously revisionistic production that features a largely Asian American cast, additional tunes from the award-winning film and a few gender-bending “innovations.”

Director David Galligan beautifully surmounts the theater’s space limitations, as does set designer Patrick Plamondon and choreographer Kay Cole. Musical director Scott Nagatani nicely melds the score into the action.

However, despite his undeniably deft staging, Galligan miscast a few of the show’s most pivotal roles. As a result, too many of the production’s “defining moments” are lost.

As the Emcee, Deborah Nishimura is so hard-pressed to sustain her male drag turn that she fails to fully convey her character’s dead-eyed corruption.

The former star of L.A.’s “Miss Saigon,” Jennifer Paz (who alternates in the role of Sally Bowles with Kimiko Gelman) sings angelically. So does Zar Acayan, who plays Sally’s homosexual soulmate Cliff. But Paz lacks Sally’s necessary crust, most especially when she’s singing, while Acayan is annoyingly stiff--most especially during his dialogue.

Alvin Ing and Takayo Fischer shine as aging lovers separated by religious differences. Janice Terukina is both comedic and chilling as a nationalistic streetwalker.

* “Cabaret,” East West Players, 4424 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Ends Oct. 27. $28. (213) 660-0366. Running time: 2 hours, 45 minutes.