Photo by Jason Hillman
Last February at the Historic Pabst Brewery’s Best Place, Cabaret Milwaukee introduced the first episode of their original noir crime trilogy The Jealous Revolver, a staged 1940s radio show filled with music, dance, theater and local historical elements anchored in by segments of a ’30s-style organized crime drama. This weekend in the intimate basement of the Brumder Mansion, Cabaret Milwaukee opened Episode 2 , an exciting, fast-paced continuation featuring stellar performers directed with great insight by Josh Bryan.
The Brumder offers unbeatable ambiance and intimacy for this show, enveloping guests with warm gold and earth tones, velveteen curtains and soft lighting of the era. Bryan makes unique use of the cozy space, offering a one-of-a-kind viewing experience by situating the bar as the focal point of the action. Performers are little more than six feet away from the audience at any given moment.
Radio host Richard Howling, played with appreciable wit by Evan Maruszewski, sets the evening’s tone with a rich voice and entertaining stage presence. The first variety act features the sultry smooth vocal jazz musings of Jen Cintrón’s Sadie Starlight. We are also introduced to The Klatter Sisters, who are down to two in this episode. For Sunday night’s performance, Julianne Frey took the lead on vocals due to Sarah Mellström coming down with laryngitis. Mellström instead adeptly played the melodica with Frey, and Maruszewski voiced her spoken lines to great effect. The sung advertisement bits are quite ingenuous and add welcome comic relief to the intense drama segments.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
What’s great about this trilogy’s writing is those who haven’t seen the first episode are effortlessly brought up to speed on where the show left off (so there’s no excuse not to see it). Amanda Marquardt’s Vivica, Ryan Nelson’s Joey and Dora Diamond’s Stella (who replaced Sarai Anzaldua Mueller due to health problems) have marvelous chemistry on stage. The three have assumed control of the speakeasy-brothel and there is emphasis on Stella and Viv working out good deals on alcohol and taking better care of the brothel girls, one of them being Anna, played with provocative nuance by Selena Milewski. Just as things seem to be improving, the thought-dead Tony (played impeccably by Brian Miracle) returns to the establishment with a cane, gimp and palpable anger. Tony’s focus on revenge sends relationships tumbling and inevitably murders occur. We are left hanging in the best of ways, anxious to find out what’s going to happen in Episode 3 .
The radio acts in between each drama segment are definitely worth mention. Alice Wilson gives us a stellar performance as a drunken Mrs. Millie, a woman offering household advice to women; Michael Palmisano’s comic bit about rampant knocker exposure due to tight sweaters was uproariously funny; Danielle Webber’s tap dancing was quite impressive; and instrumentalists Scott Hlavenka (guitar) and Anthony Stibbe (piano) embodied the music of the era with bravura.
Through Nov. 8 at the Brumder Mansion Bed & Breakfast, 3046 W. Wisconsin Ave. For tickets, call 414-902-3895, email cabaretmke@gmail.com or visit cabaretmke.com.
