Director's Note

Tonight you will see Modern, Abstract, & Non-representational Art - or as the Nazis in 1930’s would have called it, "degenerate art." Any art, performance, or person that didn't fit in their “ideals” were labeled “degenerate.” Artists of the time used this avant-garde art form to push against oppression –by painting or performing- the artist's purpose was to undermine the existing order and to replace it by another. To exist and be seen.

The musical Cabaret is a tender and tragic tale set in 1930’s Germany. It carries a desire to understand the past and the actions that must be taken for our present and future. Although this musical is set in a different time, make no mistake, it is about the lives we are living right now. The characters are caught between the unstoppable forces of fear of the “other,” nationalism, survival, and love.

Performance is intrinsically beautiful, but finite. Yet, because of its finality it holds more meaning and that makes it all the more powerful. Sally Bowles sings about how life is like the theatre; both intrinsically beautiful, broken, and finite.

“Life is a Cabaret, Old Chum,
And I love a Cabaret.”

Our choreographer, Danielle, shares these words from Eve Ensler
“Theater has an incredible capacity to move people to social change, to address issues, to inspire social revolution.”

Welcome to the Kit Kat Klub, a safe space for outsiders. Thank you for coming in.

Britannia Howe

Choreographer's Note

Many might remember the iconic 1972 film Cabaret directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse (and then uncredited Gwen Verdon). It has become a musical theatre classic no doubt; but few acknowledge the genesis of musicals and how one might be inspired to ultimately morph the originals into new ideas. Cabaret is no exception. While I could write a dissertation on John Van Druten's 1951 play, I Am a Camera which was adapted from Goodbye to Berlin (1939), this entry focuses on choreography specifically.

The original choreographer of Cabaret’s stage production that premiered on November
20, 1966 at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York City, was Ron Field, a man often forgotten in musical history despite winning the Tony Award for Best Choreography for Cabaret in 1967. So why are we so unfamiliar with his work? I urge you to reflect on the ramifications of omitting particular people and their stories from the history.

An important part of the choreographic process for this project was to consider the intersection between the original stage and film versions of Cabaret and identify where my own, the cast’s, and creatives’ lived experiences exist in the work. After all, we are the sum of our parts and those lived experiences reside in our bodies and can inform our movement choices in an authentic and meaningful way. Another important part of the choreographic process was the immersive quality of the cabaret itself, how the audience becomes transported to a time past with historical movement vernacular and dialogue of an era long gone but still very much relevant today.

I feel deeply honored to have had the opportunity to collaborate with this team that
allowed for freedom of expression in all parts and understood that dance, along with all parts of a musical, can be a catalyst for storytelling.

To Miss Maxine Ross, this one’s for you!

Danielle Sheather

Dramaturg's Note

Cabaret is a play guided by the major themes of self-delusion and struggling against apathy. Those who venture inside the Kit Kat Klub seek a fantastical world of illusion where they may forget the most horrific and uncomfortable parts of their reality. What ultimately results from this is a crushing and spellbinding story of shattered dreams. In essence, no one can escape reality forever. Even the most powerful illusions are disrupted.

Not only do the characters find delight in the performances of the Kit Kat Kids, but they also seek a version of their lives that is untouched by the cruelty that slowly seeps into the story. Cliff and Sally find comfort in an idealized version of their love affair, as do Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz. At first, these moments seem light, even hopeful, but there is another darker side to these simple little lies. These delusions are specifically created in order to make their realities more appealing, but they make it impossible for the characters to stand against what makes them so uncomfortable.

By the end of the night, the curtains of illusion fall away. What once was carefully separated from reality is no longer shielded. Most importantly, the illusion of theatre is taken away, and the audience cannot distance themselves anymore. Our Emcee is the voice of the cabaret, “your host,” and unafraid to connect the real space the audience occupies to the action on stage. Cabaret is a piece about not just illusions, but confronting what has

created those illusions in the first place.

Bee Manesse

Rehearsal Photos