Cabaret Article

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AMTSJ takes a trip to sinful pre-war Berlin in ‘Cabaret’ By NICOLE LIEURANCE Decadence, entertainment and vice are the staples of Cabaret,set in pre-World War II Berlin as the city struggles to escape mentally from the horror that is to come. American Musical Theatre of San Jose presents this classic musical in collaboration with Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre and the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St.Paul,Minn. The performance runs March 4-16 at San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Blvd., San Jose. The multi-Tony award winning Cabaret tells the colorful yet foreboding story of the risqué Kit Kat Klub in Berlin,circa 1930.The club is a means of distraction from the outside world, where the Nazi movement is gaining momentum. The cabaret, however, is not immune to the political climate … and there is a haunting desperation present throughout the musical.

The cabaret, however, is not immune to the political climate … and there is a haunting desperation present throughout the musical Cabaret (book by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Fred Ebb and music by John Kander), first hit Broadway in 1966, spawning a movie in 1972 that starred Liza Minnelli as main character Sally Bowles.The musical also had two Broadway revivals,in 1987 and 1998. In this production, Tari Kelly (most recently in Broadway’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas) plays Sally, a free-spirited, saucy cabaret dancer who falls in love with an American novelist,Cliff (Louis Hobson).Their romance is not without troubles, however, nor is that of an older couple,Herr Schultz (Broadway veteran Allen Fitzpatrick) and

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The Emcee (Nick Garrison) bids ‘Willkommen’ to audiences at the Kit Kat Klub in ‘Cabaret.’ Fräulein Schneider (Suzy Hunt). Presiding over Cabaretis the iconic emcee (Seattle favorite Nick Garrison),who coaxes the audience into the show with the opening number, “Willkommen.”The love stories are interspersed with avant-garde cabaret performances that still have enough shock value to warrant a recommendation of ages 14 and up. Cabaret can be dark even in its comedy—a mirror for the nihilism German citizens felt at the time. Still,it can get toes tapping.Sally’s song “Don’t Tell Mama,”as well as the vivacious title number, have a beat that’s hard to resist. Director Bill Berry of Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre says that he studied the historical context of Germany in 1930 to help him interpret the subtext of the musical. “Really, all the cabaret clubs were very in tune with the world around them,” Berry says. “The musical numbers in Cabaret are often a commentary on what’s happening in the world at large.” The harder that characters try to ignore anti-Semitism and Nazism, the more unavoidable such forces become in shaping their lives and relationships. “One way of looking at Cabaretis as a cautionary tale,”Berry says.“The characters are so caught up in their hedonistic lifestyle,they lose control of what’s going on around them.” Berry says that Cabaret lends itself to different interpretations, and he wishes to bring out elements of the show that will make it appealing to a modern audience while

staying true to the original material. “I’m fascinated by Cabaret,”he says. “It’s one of those musicals: every time you see Cabaret you see a different production.” Cabaret features musical direction by Ian Eisendrath and choreography by Bob Richard, whose credits include work on The Tonight Show, The Today Show and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.Recently he staged Broadway’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas.He is also resident choreographer for Sacramento Music Circus. After Cabaret makes its San Jose debut, the show will go on … to Seattle and St. Paul, that is. Tickets are $14.75-$74.For more information, call 888.455.SHOW or visit www.amtsj.org.

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February 27, 2008 | Steppin’ Out | 27