Last updated October 23, 2008   

Cabaret

Music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, book by Joe Masteroff

directed by Leah Burgy

Auditions: January 12 (vocals and dance), 13 (readings), 14 (callbacks), 2009
Note: Auditions start at 7 p.m.

Performances: March 20, 21, 26, 27, 28, 29(m), April 2, 3, 4, 5(m), 9, 10, 11, 2009

Wilkommen! Bienvenue! Welcome to the Kit Kat Klub, whose quirky inhabitants keep up appearances as the world around them threatens to explode.

Winner of 12 Tony Awards in three separate Broadway incarnations and 8 Academy Awards for the 1972 film adaptation, this musical from the creators of Chicago and Kiss of the Spider Woman brings to life the dark, sexually charged decadence of 1930’s Berlin, on the eve of Hitler’s rise to power.

At once defiant and melancholy, brazen and gleeful, Cabaret sizzles and provokes with songs such as "Wilkommen," "Money," and of course, "Cabaret." Join the Master of Ceremonies as he beckons you to "leave your troubles outside", and experience the steamy, seedy world of Cabaret.

Mature themes and sexual content. Suitable for adult audiences.

What the reviewers said:

“Forty years after its premiere, Cabaret increasingly looks like one of the defining musicals of the postwar era.” - The Guardian

"No one interested in that rarest of things, a serious-minded, politically motivated musical which scorns a happy ending, will resist the emotional punch and pull of Kander and Ebb’s glorious Cabaret… Cabaret, showing itself at the last a great musical, timelessly appeals for humanity in the sight of political and sexual fascism. I find it overwhelming." – Evening Standard

“There is no doubt that this is a strong and daring revival of a great musical that combines unforgettable songs with genuinely gripping and disturbing drama.” – The Daily Telegraph

“But beyond the show itself, this Roundabout production and its historically significant run -- has quietly enriched the world of the stage (and to some degree the screen) in ways that not many shows can claim.” - New York Times

Cast of characters

• Emcee (25-45, tenor/baritone) - Enigmatic Master of Ceremonies at the sleazy Kit Kat Klub. German accent and good dance abilities required.
• Sally Bowles (25-40, alto) - British nightclub singer whose brassiness covers insecurities. British accent and good dance abilities required.
• Cliff Bradshaw (25-45, baritone) - Idealistic American novelist visiting Berlin for inspiration. No dance.
• Fraulein Schneider ( 60+, alto) - Pragmatic German landlady. German accent required. No dance.
• Herr Schultz (60+, tenor/baritone) - Gentle, optimistic Jewish shopkeeper. German accent required. No dance.
• Fraulein Kost (30-45, mezzo/alto) -Tenant in Fraulein Schneider’s house that makes a living “servicing” German soldiers. Also a Kit-Kat girl German accent and good dance abilities required.
• Ernst Ludwig (30+, tenor/baritone) - Charming German businessman who befriends Cliff, but turns out to be a Nazi. German accent required. No dance.
• Kit Kat Klub Girls and Boys (4 women and 4 men, all vocal ranges) - Sexy, quirky, naughty inhabitants of the Kit Kat Klub. Good dance abilities required.

This production will be cast with actors 18 and over. All who audition should plan to attend the first two nights and be available if called back for the third.

Actors should prepare a one-minute vocal audition piece (approximately 16 bars) for the first night of auditions, ideally from musical theater but not from Cabaret. Please bring sheet music for our pianist. Auditions without musical accompaniment are not permitted.

For more information contact director Leah Burgy ( leah.burgy@oregonstate.edu) or musical director Dow Yeh ( yehd@hotmail.com).

Director

Cabaret marks Leah Burgy’s directorial debut at ACT. Prior to this production, she directed Jesus Christ Superstar and The Fantasticks at CCT, and she has been on the production staff or crew for numerous shows at ACT, CCT, and OSU. Most recently, she was the assistant director for ACT’s production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and technical director for Hello, Dolly. Leah is a faculty member at OSU and lives in Corvallis.

Web links

• Production Web site