Mask and Bauble’s latest show, the Tony Award-winning musical “Cabaret,” is a tough undertaking.

First, like any well-known and beloved show, it must both honor and differ from the original; in this case, actors have to live up to the Oscar-winning performances of Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey (who also starred in the stage version) in the famous film, yet still give their own interpretations of the characters, songs and dances.

Second, since “Cabaret” is set in 1930s Nazi Germany, the musical’s cast must have both believable German accents, as well as be able to effectively convey the historical setting of the rise of Nazism in an appropriate and convincing manner.

Finally, the show’s primary setting, the seedy Kit Kat Klub, where scantily clad girls dance provocatively while grabbing their crotches and breasts and imitating various sexual positions, must be highly sexualized and certainly push the envelope of decency. Considering all of these challenges — as well as the potential awkwardness of staging such a sexualized production at a Jesuit university, and requires simultaneous acting, dancing and singing — this Broadway classic is certainly a gutsy undertaking.

In spite of these difficulties, director Sally Jesmonth (SFS ’08) is pleased with the progress being made by the cast and crew. “Everything’s coming along,” she says. “There’s some really good energy in this.” Jesmonth also praised the developing skills of the many first-year students participating in the production.

Regardless of the difficulties the students of Mask and Bauble have grappled with, this particular production still leaves something to be desired.

“Cabaret” is certainly good, but far from great and not especially memorable. The songs will be stuck in your head for days after you leave, but the actors and their interpretations of them will not.

The set, in particular, is well-done, garnished with flashing lights, a graffiti-esque background and cabaret club tables where audience members can sit at the front of the stage — just like at a real club. The live orchestra was a nice touch, and the musicians played well.

The supporting cast is excellent: Joelle Thomas (SFS ’10), as Fraulein Schneider, not only sings her numbers in a beautiful, clear voice, but her scenes with the also excellent Herr Schultz (Brad Glasser, COL ’11) are romantic, sweet and heartbreaking. Will Pridmore (COL ’10) as Ernst and Matt Lai (COL ’11) as Cliff, the American writer Sally Bowles falls in love with, are also spectacular; Lai’s final scenes are especially poignant in their equivalent rage and defeat.

Unfortunately, the two main roles, Sally (Liv Bennett, COL ’10) and the Emcee (Tom Casserly, COL ’11), fail to live up to expectations, despite being tours de force with their commanding stage presence and over-the-top personas. It wasn’t that Bennett or Casserly was awful; it was more that they were just good, not remarkable.

Bennett, for one, is admirable in her purely dramatic scenes; she had good chemistry with Lai and finely exhibited Sally’s characteristics of exhibitionism, overt sexuality and craziness. Her musical numbers, though, leave her seeming somewhat stiff. Her movements do not effectively convey the seedy sexuality of the club (something all the dancers have a problem with) and her voice was not quite strong enough for the central act of the Kit Kat Klub. Sally is a character most actresses would die to play, but Bennett never really owns her. Her portrayal lacks the va-va-voom sultriness and lost-little-girl sympathy inherent to Sally, and I found myself wondering how her Sally even became the star of the club. (Although Bennett accounts for this somewhat subdued approach by pointing to her character’s growing recognition of the “very grave, deep situation” that lends “Cabaret” its setting.)

Casserly, though he seemed more comfortable on the stage than Bennett, is similarly underwhelming. He sings and dances perfectly, but lacks real inspiration and force. He is the show’s host, after all, and needs to command the stage and audience. Casserly falls short in these capacities, and was off the mark in some scenes, interrupting the metaphorical flow and message of the action.

It wasn’t that this “Cabaret” was terrible. In fact, most audience members will thoroughly enjoy this fun, decadent vision of the Broadway classic. But it could have been more.

At the end of the day, though, this is still a world-renowned musical, and the compelling power of Fred Ebb’s songs and Joe Masteroff’s book shine through and redeem the more lackluster elements, making it a safe bet for any musical fan.

“Cabaret” runs through Sunday, April 20, in Poulton Hall. Visit http://performingarts.georgetown.edu for more details.