KRIS HARRIS
Special to The Leader
“Cabaret” is an exciting musical that combines a range of subjects from love to politics. What is even better is that it can be seen on campus next week. The musical is being put on by the Department of Theatre and Dance this month as a part of their Walter Gloor Mainstage Series.
At its core, the musical tells the story of an young American writer named Clifford Bradshaw, who comes to 1930s Berlin in search of experiences to write about for a new novel. While in Berlin he comes across the Kit Kat Klub, a ratty cabaret within the city, where he meets Sally Bowles; she is a beautiful singer within the club, whom he soon gets involved with.
The musical is actually based on the 1951 play “I Am Camera,” written by John Van Druten, which in turn was adapted from the short novel, “Goodbye to Berlin” written by the English novelist Christopher Isherwood. The novel is based on some of Isherwood’s real life experiences in 1930s Germany
“Cabaret,” with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, premiered on Broadway in 1966. It has been performed all over the world, reaching the world-renowned West End in London.
Throughout the play, the audience gets to see not only the dynamic of Cliff and Sally’s relationship, but also the glitz of the Kit Kat Klub and the vivid nightlife of Berlin. The rise of Nazi Germany looms in the background, all the while.
This strong juxtaposition of Berlin’s decadence and order is sure to create powerful and moving moments on stage, which Tom Loughlin, director of the musical and Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance, says is the nature of theater.
“Theater tries to present on stage, through the action and behaviors of characters, the thematic content, to make all of us think about whatever aspect of society may be involved in the show,” he explained.
Auditions started the first week of school, in August, and since then students and and faculty alike have been working hard to put together this work of art.
The musical is incorporating cutting-edge technology in their design of the show, as projectors will display high definition images, a first for Fredonia, on three huge screens. The addition is sure to be a beautiful sight for anyone in the audience.
For this, guest designer Christopher Ash, was enlisted. A 2002 Fredonia graduate, Ash went on to receive a MFA in Lighting Design from Yale. Ash has traveled around the country doing projection design for several theatres, valets and dance companies.
One can expect many dance scenes in the play, with “Cabaret” having four big dance numbers. If one looks on the Theatre and Dance Department website, one can find both actors and actresses strutting their stuff with the help of choreographer and professor Samantha Kenney.
The musical contains such strong dance scenes that students of Fredonia’s Dance Department were also recruited in order to portray certain roles—notably the Kit Kat Girls, entertainers within the seedy club.
Loughlin commented on what he hopes those viewing the show will grasp from it:
“I want the audience to leave the theater thinking about something that they haven’t thought about in a long time. In the case of “Cabaret,” I want my audience to leave with the understanding that the choices we make in our lives have consequences in our lives, some of them intended, some of them unintended.
“Ultimately the best thing we can do as human beings is try to walk through life more aware of the consequences of our choices so we can minimize the unintended ones,” he continued, reflecting on the choices the characters of “Cabaret” make during a very turbulent time in Germany’s history.
“Cabaret” will run from Oct. 14-18 in Marvel Theatre in the Rockefeller Arts Center. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 14-17 and 2 p.m. on Oct. 18. Tickets for the General Public will be $25, while for school-aged students and children, tickets are $22. For SUNY students tickets are $14 with an ID.