VCP’s Nazi-themed musical ‘Cabaret’ shocks while inspiring laughs

Shawna Dimitry
Contributor
Life is a cabaret: laugh at it, enjoy it, ham it up, take life as it comes and don’t take yourself too seriously. That is the theme of Vanier College Productions (VCP), a theatre company operating through Vanier College, who performed their most recent show, Cabaret, from March 3 to 19.
The musical, originally written by Kander and Ebb, covers Germany right before it was Nazi Germany, as it was becoming Nazi Germany and after it became Nazi Germany – and how this dramatic shift in politics affected a particular group of friends living in Berlin.
Each character in the performance was, individually, a full person, stricken with elements of both good and evil, struggling with identity, money and the weight of decision at a time of economic depression and rampant anti-Semitism.
When dealing with issues like warmongers, treachery and genocide, if you don’t add in a little bit a humour, you’re going to be met with a lot of tears. The cast of VCP was well aware of this fact, and the show was funny and entertaining despite the weight of its subject matter. For instance, one parodic scene starred the MC, David Wray, and a character described as his Jewish Girlfriend, an anonymous cast member dressed in a gorilla suit.
Wray’s song involved a surprisingly playful and campy take on anti-Semitism. The seriousness of the topic comes out at the end of the song, however, when the MC says, “If you could see her through my eyes, she wouldn’t look Jewish at all.” It’s brilliant, haunting, funny and completely accurate.
I spoke with Reut Shilton, the stage manager, about the audience’s reaction the first time a swastika shows up on stage. People generally respond like I had – with a gasp.
Shilton, who saw it coming, found the moment quite comical. Wray agreed. They both said, yes, swastikas are scary, but when you’re only playing pretend, the way people react to them can also hold quite strong comical value.
Shilton, Wray and Jenny Edwards, another member of the VCP cast, each said the play’s thesis was simple – “Life is a cabaret.” As Wray put it, “The message behind [the show is] there are serious moments, sad things that have happened in the past, but we all need to learn how to laugh at ourselves.”
York students can expect more intimate and engaging theatrical works to come out of VCP next year, as the cast remains tight-knit.
“What I love most about [VCP] and why I have stuck with it is […] the family which it has created for me,” said Wray.
Hopefully, this dynamic will continue to produce performances with a keen edge and an illuminating view of tough issues.