“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary . . . “
Thus begins the most famous of Edgar Allan Poe’s poems, “The Raven,” a mainstay of Halloween literature. At Cabaret Poe, “The Raven” and other poems and stories by the unrivaled romantic horror-meister Poe come to life again at Theatre on the Square on Mass Ave. Fans of the show when it was staged at the Irvington Lodge won’t be disappointed by the new venue — in fact, the larger stage allows the actors to move around with greater freedom.
Cabaret Poe presents a fresh, macabre blend of music, dance, dark humor, and dramatic moments in two acts. Ben Asaykwee is the star, director, music writer, and the heart of Cabaret Poe. Renae Stone as Morella and Julie Lyn Barber as Berenice round out the singing and acting cast, lending beautiful and strong voice to the orignal songs by Asaykwee. “The Shadow,” a dark figure that creeps through the vignettes, is performed by dancer and performer Rebekah Taylor. Jaddy Ciucci will play Berenice and Lauren Briggeman will play Morella in performances on the 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 27, 28, 29.
Familiar stories from Poe depicted in cabaret format include “The Black Cat,” “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” “The Masque of the Red Death,” “The Pit and the Pendulum,” “The Premature Burial,” and “The Tell-Tale Heart.”
Stone gives a compelling reading of “The Raven” in Act II, and “Annabel Lee,” is beautifully sung by Asaykwee (who also wrote the music for the show). Barber belts out “Conqueror Worm,” veering between glee and darkness. Stone gives a mad, comic twist to her roles in “The Masque of the Red Death” and “The Cask of Amontillado.” Together, the cast’s performances inform the audience of the genius of Poe’s work: that the line between genius and madness is thin and easily crossed.
Despite the tragic elements of Poe’s work, there is also dark humor (shall we say gallows humor?) throughout Cabaret Poe, particularly in “The Premature Burial,” which is not a subject most of us would consider funny in the least. Yet Asaykwee, Stone, and Barber manage to make us laugh with a little ditty about a subject most people find terrifying.
The creative set lends a sinister backdrop to Cabaret Poe’s music, dance, and recitations. Through the stories, The Shadow works in the background silently, reminding all that tragedy and death is never far away. With only a few weekends left, don’t miss this year’s Cabaret Poe at Theatre on the Square. Tickets are available online by visiting tots.org.