Audio By Carbonatix
Cabaret The Kander and Ebb musical about the demimonde of sexy singers, writers and hangers-on at Berlin’s Kit Kat Club in the 1930s doesn’t quite come together in WaterTower Theatre’s production. If only the performers were as good as the gloomy, subterranean set by Michael Sullivan. Instead, we get a female Emcee, Ashley Puckett Gonzales, in a too-skimpy S&M costume that shows off more soft white rolls than a German bakery. The star chanteuse, Sally Bowles, gets all the good numbers–“Mein Herr,” “Maybe This Time”–but actress Jennifer Green, a good singer, doesn’t play the melancholy and ennui of their lyrics. The leading man, Clint Carter, is so bland he blends right into the scenery. Too bad. The long-running Broadway revival of this 40-year-old show proved there’s still an audience for Cabaret. Well, maybe next time. Through August 14 at WaterTower Theatre, 15650 Addison Road, Addison, 972-450-6232. Reviewed this week. (Elaine Liner)
Pico de Gallo: The Return of the Queen Chula Cholula (Oscar Contreras) is back. Oak Cliff’s most glamorous drag diva hosts an evening of new vignettes about love and marriage, while she readies herself for her own spectacular nuptials. The young Martice Enterprises acting troupe loves to pepper their topical comedy material with observations about racial, cultural and sexual issues. In a sketch about a black woman who won’t let her Latino boyfriend see their baby, they lay it out there. When the mom (Rhianna Mack) unreels a long string of insults at the man (J. R. Ramirez), he doesn’t understand her slang. “That’s ebonics, bitch,” she tells him. “You ain’t the only one that speaks a foreign language.” Ooh, sister, that’s harsh. But really funny. The ensemble manages to overcome the lousy acoustics at the Latino Cultural Center, and they fill the stage with boundless energy. The second act gels better than the first, but the evening still stands as the brightest burst of comedy on any stage this summer. Through August 13 at the Latino Cultural Center, 2600 Live Oak St., 214-750-7435. Reviewed this week. (E.L.)