by Masteroff, Kander & Ebb, directed by Alan Paul, choreographed by Katie Spelman, Olney Theatre Center, MD
costumes: Kendra Rai, lighting: Colin K. Bills, sound: Matt Rowe
cast: Jessica Lauren Ball, Jessica Bennett, Ben Gunderson, Mitchell Hébert, Andre Hinds, Hailey Ibberson, Lina Lee, Greg Maheu, James Mernin, Donna Migliaccio, Mason Alexander Park, Connor James Reilly, Bridget Riley, Alexandra Silber, Tom Story, Katy Tabb, Louisa Tringali, Rick Westerkamp
9 Helen Hayes Award nominations, including Best Set Design
"The production’s attractive scenic conception allows us to feel, rather than simply observe, the lure of a society’s disasterous and willful moral myopia. The orchestra basks center stage, among crystal chandeliers and red satin-draped music stands, evoking cocktail hour in a 1930’s movie. How tempting it would be to succumb to the elegant diversion and ignore inconvenient truths, namely, the rise of Nazism."– Celia Wren, The Washington Post
"When one walks into the theatre your jaw drops at the gorgeous set design by Wilson Chin. You see the Kit Kat Klub in all its glory with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, five steps which seem to blend right into the audience and the lights will later light up whenever an actor steps on them."– Charles Shubow, Broadway World
"This production may be one of the best yet, for that you can thank Alan Paul and set designer Wilson Chin, who’s turned the stage into a combination of a recital and a vaudeville show."– Gary Tischler, The Georgetowner
"Set designer Wilson Chin’s Kit Kat Klub is cosseted in opulence, complete with red velvet and sateen and sleek Art Deco fixtures, softly lit with several crystal-drop chandeliers. I prefer Chin’s take to the Broadway revival that focused more on the explicit nature of Berlin’s sex culture than on the underlying causes of Germany’s decline, which are more of what makes this show timeless. I have always loved this masterpiece, but of all the productions I’ve seen, I love this version best of all."– Whitney Fishburn, DC Metro Theater Arts
"Wilson Chin’s set, dripping with chandeliers, and the low-golden tones of Colin K. Bills lighting design, create the grim glamour of the Kit Kat Klub."– Norah Dick, Maryland Theatre Guide
"From the moment one walks into the theatre, one will be aware of Wilson Chin’s imposing set, featuring Cabaret’s traditional mirror facing the audience, in this case fan-shaped with an etched-in Deco design, in a room decked with crystal chandeliers and a staircase that will be illuminated, and it is clear we are in for a superbly-presented spectacle."– Jack L.B. Gohn, Broadway World
"Rather than being a dive, the Kit Kat Klub is an upscale Art Deco venue with chandeliers, an orchestra playing the latest jazz in evening dress and stage performers sporting flamboyant, expensive costumes. Such a focus on the club’s elegance drives home the point that the Nazi movement was not a fringe phenomenon developing from the most desperate people but reached the highest echelons of German society."– Mark Dreisonstok, The Sentinel
