Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...One crucial quality of "Cabaret" is an over-arching sense of panic: Nobody knows what is coming their way next (Nazis, a marriage, a baby), and even though most of them spout off versions of Fraulein Schneider's truism, "one does what one must," that does not mean they do not all aspire to apples higher on the tree. By casting legit actors like Craig Spidle (as Herr Schultz) and Annabelle Armour (as Schneider), Bell has performers who can infuse the proceedings with the fear of the unknown. The few musical compromises such casting requires are well worth the trade off."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...'Cabaret" is now close to a half-century old, yet this Kander and Ebb musical, which is in continual production in one form or another on stages around the globe, remains so modern in both form and content it might have been created yesterday. And director David H. Bell's strong, thoughtful revival, now at the Marriott Theatre, serves as a vivid reminder of the enduring power of this show whose book, by Joe Masteroff, is based on the stories of Christopher Isherwood and a play by John Van Druten."
Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended
"...Bell's staging is almost a monument to German efficiency. Its course of conduct is so clear it feels almost inevitable. Patrick Sarb's self-effacing Clifford is, as required, all observations and reactions, his "camera" (i.e., typewriter) taking all in and judging only at the end. In contrast, Megan Sikora's ebullient Sally is a neurotic nova bound to burn out: Her "Cabaret" is no anthem of resilience or survival but the happiest suicide note put to song."
ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended
"...But Cabaret needs Sally Bowles to be a flighty, hedonistic and emotional insecure soul. Unfortunately Magan Sikora was miscast. Here squeaky voice wore thin and her vocals didn't drive home the required emotional content necessary. She did deliver "Don't Tell Mama," with adequate sexuality but her rendition of "Maybe This Time" and her disjointed take on the 11 O'clock song "Cabaret" diminished the power of that anthem to hedonism. I also didn't see enough spark between Sikora's Sally and Sarb's Cliff."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...Live theater is special! That is something that all of us must agree on. Each and every production is unique in that it takes place now!. Often, I hear audience members compare a show to a movie version or the original show or in the case of a "classic", perhaps the original Broadway production. The fact is that each production team under the leadership of its director brings something a little different to the production. In the case of Marriott Theatre, because it is "in the round", some shows are more difficult to bring to life. It is almost impossible to recreate a "Fosse" dance number on the much smaller stage without blocking the vision of some of the audience members, but in the new production of the classic "Cabaret", David H. Bell and his Choreographer Matt Raftery have used the stage in a uniquely different way. These men know this stahe and its limitations, having been associated with it for many years. In fact, most of us have watched Raftery "grow up" in Lincolnshire."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...Marriott's smart, inventive, often startling production of this Broadway classic smartly captures the mood of Christopher Isherwood's short novel, the basis for John Van Druten's play "I am a Camera," which in turn inspired this musical. Bell beautifully plays up the frayed-wire edginess and ominous feeling of danger lurking behind every shadow. Audiences will leave the theatre having both experienced one of history's darkest moments while sharing in this bright, unforgettable production of one of Broadway's best-known pieces of theatre."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...This rethinking of "Cabaret" is the best staging of the show I have ever seen, both musically and dramatically. Risks were taken and they all worked. Some viewers may be uncomfortable with the Nazi element in the show, but the Marriott doesn't shirk from limning vivid portraits of a few people snared in the obscenity and brutality of the time when civilization began to unravel."
