As the semester draws to a close, the Cabaret Theater will mark its centennial year. The theater began the fall celebration with a hugely popular production of Ovid’s Metamorphosis back in October, and it will conclude its fall season with a production of Joe Masteroff’s “Cabaret.”
The upcoming production is directed by senior Abigail Worden and choreographed by senior Marrett Laney.
“The director and choreographer are … both students, which is kind of unheard of for this kind of thing,” said senior Jason Crouse.
The fact that this play is directed and choreographed by undergraduate students is not the only unique thing about this production. Laney will also be playing the role of The Emcee, and it is believed she will be the first female to play this part.
“Throughout the production, we can see this bending of gender stereotypes and roles. It’s really amazing,” Laney said.
“Cabaret” is a dark show highlighting an ailing Berlin nightclub, the Kit Kat Klub, and the rise of Nazi power in Germany. While the overall mood is serious, there are many moments of relief.
“[This is] not a feel-good show, but it is very entertaining. A lot of the musical numbers involve a lot of dancing. There will be a lot of times when you’re laughing as well, but a lot of metaphorical bombs get dropped … There will be laughing, crying, surprises, and all sorts of well-rounded cathartic experiences,” Crouse said.
Another aspect of the show that appealed to many was its historical grounding and underlying message of how we can learn and develop in the midst of a changing world.
“Well I believe this play has a great message throughout. It talks about some of the great … history of World War II … and it is cool to look back at our past, because a lot of this is based on fact,” said the stage manager, junior Jesse Evans-Jenkins.
“Cabaret” will feature such songs as “Maybe This Time,” “Mein Herr,” and its namesake “Cabaret”, all performed within the Kit Kat Klub, which itself serves as a metaphor for the political developments in the Weimer Republic.
“This show gets up in the audience members’ personal space and forces them to confront questions about how they would handle these situations … this audience interaction is one of my favorite aspects of the show, and The Cabaret [Theater] is the perfect space for this,” Laney said.
Show times for “Cabaret” are 8 p.m. on Thursday Nov. 19 through Saturday Nov. 21 and 2 p.m. on Sunday Nov. 22. All shows will be shown in The Cabaret Theater, located in the basement of the Student Union. Admission is free for students with their Capital ID, but reservations are strongly recommended and can be made at 614-236-7174. Sunday’s show has already sold out.
