"Soul Kittens Cabaret" Review: We Need More Fantasia

Adultery, addiction, and betrayal threaten to tear apart a Detroit nightclub, as well as the seven women who serve as the club’s main attraction in “Soul Kittens Cabaret.” The stage play, written and directed by Nicci Gilbert (the former lead singer of Brownstone) is available now on DVD.

The action begins when a newcomer (Sarallison Duke) comes to the cabaret to become a Soul Kitten. She’s a sweet, innocent girl, so of course, it’s only a matter of time before she gets herself involved in the seedy dark side of showbiz. But the girls have even more to deal with when a jealous businessman sets out to destroy the club so he can take it over and sell the land to a casino developer.

The whole reason I’m telling you about the DVD is that Fantasia Barrino is billed as one of the stars. But it turns out that Fantasia’s part is merely a cameo. It’s a good cameo, but I was disappointed that her part never came full circle.

There’s some good singing in the play (especially from Terrell Carter) and some good dancing, but the story is a little too long and needlessly complicated. And some of the acting comes off a little over the top, but I’ll chalk that up to the play’s transition to film. It also really could have used another appearance by both Fantasia and Faith Evans as the Good and Bad Conscience.

You can see the trailer for “Soul Kittens Cabaret” here.