Cabaret Tickets

The musical is set in Berlin during 1929-1930. It focuses on nightlife at the seedy Kit Kat Klub and tells the story of a relationship between an English cabaret performer Sally Bowles and young writer, the American Cliff Bradshaw. A sub-plot involves the fated romance between German boarding house owner Fraulein Schneider and her elderly suitor Herr Schultz. However, the most important and interesting character is the Emcee, who presides as master of ceremonies at the Kit Kat Klub. She is shown as a symbol for the society.

The musical was not created in a day. Initially, a musical called Berlin written by Sandy Wilson. His producer's option on the novel and play expired; Hal Prince picked it up and commissioned Masterhoff, Ebb, and Kander to work on a totally new project. Their version was a play preceded by a prologue of songs describing the Berlin atmosphere from a wide variety of viewpoints. Then it was modified a bit and combined became two separate stories in one, the first a cabaret (http://www.cabaret-tickets.net) centered on the decadence of the seedy Kit Kat Club, the second a story set in the real world in which the club existed. The combination of scenes with songs and various cabaret numbers were also included to beautify this social commentary with a novel concept.

The musical first saw the light of the day after twenty one previews. The original Broadway production was opened on November 20, 1966 at the Broadhurst Theatre. Directed by Harold Prince and choreographed by Ron Field, the musical was a huge success completed 1,165-performance run. The show was later revived in 1986, at the Strand Theatre; in 1987 at the Imperial Theatre; in 1993 at the Donmar Warehouse and 2006 at the Lyric Theatre.
The second Broadway revival was a transfer of the Mendes-directed Donmar Warehouse production. Co-directed by Mendes and Rob Marshall and choreographed by Marshall, it opened after 37 previews on March 19, 1998 at the Kit Kat Klub, housed in what previously had been known as Henry Miller's Theatre. Later that year it transferred to Studio 54, where it remained for the rest of its 2377-performance run, becoming the third longest-running revival in Broadway musical history. The cast kept changing accordingly.

The musical is specially acknowledged for its memorable music. The cabaret number "Two Ladies", "Sitting Pretty", "Money"; "I Don't Care Much," "Mein Herr" and "Maybe This Time," and "Tomorrow Belongs To Me" are all time hits. The climax is most dramatic as it was unexpected and well-choreographed. Cabaret is a classical that offers much more than usual song-dance routine and high scale drama. This is a must watch for everyone who wants to travel through the history of musicals.
ere is a cabaret and there is a master of ceremonies and there is a city called Berlin. It is the end of the world and we are fast asleep in the darkness, silence. A drum roll builds steadily like a wave, and produces a sharp reverberation. From the orchestra, a steady vamp begins in a nightclub called ‘The Kit Kat Klcub’. As the pulse grows stronger a spotlight on the stage grows brighter and EMCEE steps in. Chalk white face, crimson lips, he is as menacing as he is fascinating.

Emcee welcomes us and we follow-into the decadent provocative world of the cabaret. Also is seen a little middle-class lass from Chelsea, Sally Bowles, is working as a singer at Berlin’s Kit-Kat Club. She is doing her best to live the thrillingly decadent life which the city is supposed to offer. Into her orbit comes Cliff Bradshaw, a young American novelist. Cliff travels with Ernst Ludwig who is smuggling secret documents from Paris to Berlin. Ernst directed Cliff to meet the landlady Fräulein Schneider for renting her house. Their other fellow lodgers are the cheerful whore, Fraulein Kost, and the gentle, graying Fruiterer Herr Schultz.

It is New Year’s Eve so Cliff decides to go to the Berlin Kit Kat Klub. Sally calls him on the telephone and soon moves determinedly in to join him in his room in the boarding house. Baggage in tote she tells him that everything will be fine As the clouds gather, Sally, now pregnant by Cliff, is still determined to show the world what a good time she is having. Cliff is poor but refuses to let her have an abortion and gets a smuggling job from Ernst.

Meanwhile, Fräulein Schneider is being courted by the owner of the local fruit shop, Herr Shultz. Schultz brings a pineapple to Fräulein and she is touched by the gift since pineapples don’t grow in Germany. One of the tenants in Fräulein’s building catches Herr Schultz leaving her flat. He lies and says they are going to get married in a few weeks. Considering it not a bad idea, an engagement party is held for Herr Schultz and Fräulein Schneider.

Back at the flat, Fräulein later tells Herr Schultz that their engagement is off. The Fruiterer is Jewish and, when some Nazi sympathizers break up their engagement party, Fraulein is obliged to let her dream of a marriage go. Cliff finds he has been almost unwittingly couriering Nazi funds for one of his language pupils. Refusing to continue to do so, he is beaten up and is time for him to leave Berlin. Self-deluded Sally, on the other hand, cannot let the party end and has her child aborted. Cliff leaves for Paris and then America and Sally doesn’t feel the need to use the ticket Cliff bought her.

All responsibility gone, Sally goes back to the Kit Kat Klub and tells everyone to come to the Cabaret. Back in the cabaret, Emcee introduces the same show as before. Herr Schultz relocates his business to another part of Berlin whereas Fräulein Schneider continues to live in her flat alone.

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About the Author:
Jack Shelby grew up in Miami and attended the University of Florida. A freelance journalist by profession, he is an avid theater and concert visitor. He also enjoys photography, basketball and guitar.