Breathing new life into an oft-performed, classic musical is no easy task. Even famous directors with plenty of resources and talent at their disposal struggle to stage classics in fresh, innovative ways. Given the difficulties involved, could a student-run theatre troupe like Scotch ‘n’ Soda live up to the challenge?

Last Thursday in Rangos, Scotch ‘n’ Soda presented their version of the musical classic “Cabaret,” directed by Meredith Spisak. Based on John Van Druten’s famous play about 1930s-era Berlin during the rise of Nazism, “Cabaret” has been performed on the stage countless times. Scotch‘n’Soda’s version was a run-of-the-mill affair, with mostly average performances and a few excellent surprises thrown into the mix.

The play had a small, simple set that effectively conveyed the split personality of a world on the brink of the Second World War. The set’s upper level was composed of the apartments where the play’s main plotline develops, while the lower level represented the seedy atmosphere of Berlin’s Kit Kat Club.

The orchestra delivered a decent performance, but by the end of the first few musical numbers, the repetitive piano tunes were more tiring than entertaining. The costumes were appropriately indecent, with the Kit Kat girls decked out in black, lacy lingerie and skimpy satin nightgowns, while Sally Bowles strutted in flashy ’30s gowns and coats.

Darren Canady played the young American writer Clifford Bradshaw, who comes to Berlin seeking inspiration for a new book. Canady played a louder, more boisterous version of the traditional Cliff. He soon meets and falls in love with Sally Bowles, a wasted, cynical young singer at the Kit Kat Club.

Alex Aspiazu, who played Sally Bowles, gave a performance that left much to be desired. Her on-again, off-again British accent undermined the credibility of her character. As a singer, she lacked the big musical voice necessary to carry through Sally’s club performances. During her rendition of the famous number “Cabaret,” she seemed to be severely straining her vocal chords. Aspiazu is an actress suited to more physical roles, and was much better in the dialogues. Her quick, energetic movements fleshed out the inner, turbulent moods of her character.

By far the most convincing and touching performances were those of Fraulein Schneider, played by Helen Gruner, and Rudolf Schultz, played by Joe McDermott. Schneider is Cliff’s landlady, a lonely middle-aged matron who has lost all hope of finding love. Her song “So What?” expressed her bitterness over her hard life, and put her in a sympathetic light. To her surprise, she falls in love with Schultz, a sweet, polite Jewish grocer. Their rendition of “Married” served as a touching tribute to their love. Their acting proved that an understated performance is often better than a dozen histrionics.

As the romance between Schneider and Schultz deepens, the world around them begins to crumble as the Nazi Party rises to power in Germany. The Nazi menace is best embodied by the Emcee of the Kit Kat Club. Played by Matt Heap, the Emcee was the play’s show-stealer. With his lanky, stringy frame and effeminate movements, Heap played his character with a mix of intense ferocity and a snide, sarcastic manner. His rendition of “Tomorrow Belongs to Me,” the Nazi anthem about Germany, and “I Don’t Care Much,” in which he disparages Jews, was chilling. Even when not performing, the Emcee was always in the background, a menacing presence foreshadowing the rise of Nazism. His performance was one of the best of the night.

The few exceptional performances just managed to save this exceptionally standard rendition of the famous classic from mediocrity.

 talkback to the pulse