Watching “Cabaret” is like riding an out-of-control bus just before it crashes.

Themes of chaos and tension build throughout “Cabaret,” opening this Thursday and playing through April 6 at the University Theatre. Directed by Ed Brazo and choreographed by Paul Besaw, the program is visual bliss. From the costumes (many of the actors are dressed in flashy lingerie) to the dance scenes, the aesthetics of “Cabaret” are perfect.

“In here, life is beautiful,” says the narrator in the opening scene. He continues, “The girls are beautiful. Even the band is beautiful.” And for a while it is. Life is easy, without a worry in sight. But a heavy cloud is about to hit Germany that will change everything.

The story takes place in early 1930s Berlin at a sex-peddling club, a backdrop meant to stand out against the Nazi regime that was sprouting just outside its doors. As the emcee of the club, the narrator entertains and makes everyone comfortable while the coitus-driven performers call individual tables to make appointments.

Clifford Bradshaw (Justin Pickersgill) is an aloof American writer searching for his inspiration in Europe who learns of the Kit Kat Club on a train trip to Berlin. Once there, he connects with a lover from his past, Bobby, and one from his future, Sally Bowles (Marcy Goodnow). Sally is the star of the club, a good-time girl from England living her life to the fullest. Her romance with Cliff is the latest in a string of sexual adventures.

Cliff and Sally’s story is at center stage, but relationships of all lengths and depths are intertwined throughout the play, from Kost’s (Lauren Rhetta) cash-fueled, one-night stands with sailors to the deep romance that develops between Fraulein Schneider (Amy Crumpacker) and Herr Schultz (William Powers).

Goodnow surpasses her namesake during the big numbers “Don’t Tell Mama” and “Mein Herr”. She captures Sally’s ambivalence toward self-improvement and desire to continue with her arguably wayward path.

As the emcee, Jamie Price is deliciously lewd and lascivious. His seductive prancing in the first act is fun and great to watch. He is a bystander, perched atop the stage, obscure but curiously watching; however, he is mostly the center of attention. Price’s impeccable timing brings the right amount of humor to the play’s darker second act.

The Kit Kat girls are terrific dancers and give the show its best stage pictures. Their Kit Kat pride is obvious by the passion with which they dance their routines – enough to seduce but loose enough to make it believable, despite their overt sexual groping and strutting.

Although the stage is transformed into another place and time, its racy themes – sexual freedom and freedom of expression against evil and conformity – are as relevant in the musical as they are today. “Cabaret” illustrates the benefits of tolerance and acceptance that are so needed today.

Performances are March 20 to April 6 at 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and 2 p.m. April 6. Tickets are $11 for students, seniors and alumni, and $16 general. Call the CSUS Ticket Office at 278-4323.

Click here to send private feedback about this article to the State Hornet’s Features staff.