Cabaret: A Timeless Musical with Timely Themes
This November, the University of Minnesota is bringing the celebrated musical Cabaret to life in a groundbreaking collaboration between the Department of Theatre Arts & Dance and the School of Music that showcases the strengths of both programs. “We are looking for opportunities to come together and build on each others’ strengths and expertise,” says Margaret Werry, chair of the Department of Theatre Arts & Dance. “Musical theatre is the obvious place to do that.”
Patrick Warfield, director of the School of Music, echoes this sentiment. “[This opportunity] allows our students to experience different faculty approaches and learn skills from across disciplines,” he says. “We don't see this as a one-off collaboration, but rather as a first step in thinking about how our departments can work together in educating student musicians, actors, dancers, creators, and producers for the future.” This interdepartmental partnership is made possible with the generous support from alumni Paul & Rebecca Wigley.
In a time marked by political turbulence and uncertainty, the themes of Cabaret resonate more powerfully than ever. This classic musical serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities of societal complicity and political responsibility. “[Its] themes feel especially timely to us in this contentious election season,” says Werry. “It was an experimental piece in its day and did challenging things with the form—it still feels fresh and edgy, even today.”
“Cabaret is a perfect work with which to start our collaboration,” Warfield says. “A politically motivated work, it begs to be treated as both a piece of history and a jumping off point for reinterpretation.”
So, what’s it like to be part of this show at this moment in time? We asked some of the performers and directors.
Cast Members
Hometown: Woodbury, Minnesota
Role at the University: Fourth-year student, theatre arts BA
Role in Cabaret: The master of ceremonies, who acts as a host for the musical
What excites you about being a part of this performance?
Just being in the show itself excites me. The material is so rich and incredibly well-crafted. The music by John Kander and Fred Ebb is fun to sing and perform. It has the magnetic energy that so skillfully echoes the jazzy style that would be performed in the cabarets of Germany at that time. It will be hard for some audience members to not walk away from the show with their hearts broken.
What message or theme from Cabaret resonates with you?
The idea of denial being our biggest downfall. Practically every character in the musical struggles with some form of denial, whether it be in their sexuality, their relationships, or most importantly, in what is happening and who is rising to power right outside the cabaret in Berlin. We as people tend to shield ourselves from acknowledging the issues surrounding us and instead distract ourselves with simple pleasures because it's easier to do that than face the truth that things might not be okay. What Cabaret does so beautifully is call this out and force the audience to consider what this idle denial we are so guilty of can lead to. The play asks us "what would you do?" and I think the answer is to stop denying what is happening and to do something about it.
Hometown: Fargo, North Dakota
Role at the University: Third-year student, theatre arts BA with a focus on performance creation
Role in Cabaret: Clifford Bradshaw
What excites you about being a part of this performance?
Cabaret is such a timeless piece, and no matter how many times it is done, the state of the world around us is always seen within the play. The play allows for so much exploration and deep self-reflection. I find it very exciting and also challenging; a good challenge, of course.
What has been the most challenging aspect of preparing for this performance?
The most difficult part for me has been diving into the mind of Cliff and trying to understand him. He goes about his world in a way that I wouldn't and his own identity is very different from mine. That has been the most difficult part, and I don't believe I am quite done yet. This is something that I will constantly be balancing and traversing each and every time I go on stage. I find that to be the joy of theatre!
Hometown: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Role at the University: Fourth-year student, dance with a fashion studies minor
Role in Cabaret: Cigarette Girl; is also assistant choreographer, dance captain, understudy for any of the Kit Kat dancers, and worked on building the set
What excites you about being a part of this performance?
I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with such a talented creative team and cast! Over the past four years, I've worked as a musical theatre choreographer with the charity group Fine Arts For Friedreich's Ataxia in my hometown, and that experience has greatly enhanced my ability to choreograph for the stage. I'm excited to bring those skills to this performance and to continue growing alongside this amazing group and learning more about how to really bring characters to life on stage through dance.
What has been the most challenging aspect of preparing for this performance?
One of the more challenging parts of preparing for this performance was understanding how to perform as a character in the show and not just be myself dancing in a role. In my past experiences performing as a dancer, I am bringing and performing myself to the stage, embodying a story, feeling and style that I can usually relate to and find within myself to communicate to the audience. This role requires embodying a character with her own history and context. I play “Cigarette Girl”—she is set against the backdrop of Cabaret, during the rise of the Nazis, which brings a whole new depth and responsibility, especially given the current parallels in today’s world.
Hometown: New York City, New York
Role at the University: Fourth-year student, theatre arts BA
Role in Cabaret: Sally Bowles
What excites you about being a part of this performance?
The experience has been incredible so far. I feel very proud of the work that has gone in already. Something that makes this show such a beast is how relevant it is and the timing of when we open. We are set to open two weeks after the 2024 presidential election, so the political sector in the United States right now is super heightened and it’s very difficult to think about some of the themes in this play without being reminded of our own lives and what could happen in the next few months.
I’m so excited for people to see this show. It’s so beautiful and haunting and I, for one, can’t wait to see how people take the messages from this production and take initiative to lead the life they want to live. And beyond just the individual impact that I believe this show will have, I hope that people can learn from a production like this and be incentivized to do something within larger communities and not just within their personal lives.
What’s been the most challenging aspect of preparing for this performance?
I think it’s a real challenge to bring honesty in this show because there are a lot of things said and done that just feel so diabolically ironic and yet realistic. Growth comes from discomfort. And in this production, there is a lot about being uncomfortable and feeling helpless and victim to circumstances that are out of your control. What do you do? Let it take over or do you fight back? Do you fight for what you believe in or stay anonymous and complicit in order to save your back? The entire ensemble and team have worked to show both the ugly and beautiful parts of life in order to motivate audiences to think about what kind of world they want to live in and how they plan to go after that life.
Musicians
Hometown: Flandreau, South Dakota
Role at the University: Third-year student, music education
Role in Cabaret: Trombone
What excites you the most about being a part of this performance?
I have been in a ton of theatre performances, including musicals, but I've never played in the pit before. This is a new experience for me. I'm excited to get back into the theatre world!
What’s one part of the score that stands out to you?
I really like the use of different colors throughout the score. I like how the trumpet and trombone utilize different mutes to create unique musical textures. Also, I really enjoy whenever the keyboard player uses the accordion setting. It makes me laugh!
Hometown: Edina, Minnesota
Role at the University: First-year student, music and computer science majors
Role in Cabaret: Reed 2 - clarinet and tenor saxophone
What excites you the most about being a part of this performance?
I love playing in ensembles, I think what excites me the most is just being able to play in an ensemble with good music.
What has been the most challenging aspect of preparing for this performance?
The most challenging aspect [has been] learning some of the jumps in the music, since they felt very unnatural to me.
Hometown: Hudson, Wisconsin
Role at the University: Junior, music education
Role in Cabaret: Reed 1 - clarinet and alto saxophone
What excites you the most about being a part of this performance?
This is my first time being involved with the theatre department, and I am very excited to meet new people and to perform and collaborate in a different context.
What’s one part of the score that stands out to you?
My favorite piece of this production is “Mein Herr.” I really like the sassy, independent tone of this song, and the clarinet part that I play for it is very fun and lighthearted.
Hometown: Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
Role at the University: First-year student, trumpet performance
Role in Cabaret: Trumpet
What excites you the most about being a part of this performance?
I’m thrilled to perform in the pit with my friends. Cabaret is full of humor, and supporting that with music makes it even more fun. There are moments so upbeat, they almost make me forget we're performing a show about society’s decline. (Oops, spoiler!) It’s the perfect mix of comedy and depth, and playing through that is a blast.
What’s one part of the score that stands out to you?
"Maybe This Time" really stands out to me. It’s such a catchy song and so fun to play—I always catch myself singing it in the shower afterwards!
Hometown: Shoreview, Minnesota
Role at the University: Fourth-year student, bass performance and music education
Role in Cabaret: Bass
What excites you the most about being a part of this performance?
I love playing in pits.
What has been the most challenging aspect of preparing for this performance?
Scheduling conflicts.
Hometown: St. Michael, Minnesota
Role at the University: Third-year student, cello performance
Role in Cabaret: Keyboard 2/Synthesizer
What excites you the most about being a part of this performance?
Being able to play piano in a theatrical setting! I’ve played cello for musicals before, but never keyboard. Piano is my first instrument, so I am excited to get more experience with it while also playing such a fun show!
What’s one part of the score that stands out to you?
One part of the score that stands out to me is “Maybe This Time” because it is so iconic!
Hometown: Eagan, Minnesota
Role at the University: Third-year student, percussion performance
Role in Cabaret: Drums/Percussion
What excites you the most about being a part of this performance?
The last time I played in a musical was before I started at UMN so I'm excited to play in a show again!
What has been the most challenging aspect of preparing for this performance?
As a percussionist involved in a musical, the role can be complicated. This musical in particular has a large list of percussion instruments that I have to play throughout the show! Sometimes the switches between instruments can be very quick!
Directors
Hometown: Mendota Heights, Minnesota
Role at the University: Pursuing a Master of Music in choral conducting
Role in Cabaret: Music director
What excites you the most about being a part of this performance?
I am excited to be working with such skilled theatre faculty and students, and playing Kander and Ebb's masterful score with School of Music musicians.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of preparing for this performance?
It has been a rewarding process to work in collaboration with the School of Music and the Department of Theatre Arts & Dance.
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Role at the University: Senior teaching specialist/Director of intimacy, Department of Theatre Arts & Dance
Role in Cabaret: Director
What excites you the most about being a part of this performance?
The talent and passion of our cast and artistic team. I feel really grateful to be collaborating with the School of Music, and I am especially inspired by our talented musical director, Jack Johnston. I am excited about the vivid visual world that our designers are creating. I have enjoyed discovering all of the nuances of this play with our talented actors as they bring the characters and the Cabaret to life—and I am really excited to share our work with an audience!
What has been the most challenging aspect of preparing for this performance?
Navigating the challenging themes in the play with care for the cast and our audience. While it is a wonderfully entertaining show, Cabaret also reflects a painful and horrific moment in history that we want to represent truthfully while being sensitive to our audience. As part of our rehearsal process, our cast and artistic team have hosted several guest speakers who have led dramaturgical discussions about Weimar Germany, antisemitism, and the complicated role of the artist in speaking to their society. We have discovered a lot of discomfort in ourselves as we have worked to bring this time in history to life, but we feel that this discomfort is essential to the message of the play.
Performance Information
“Come to the Cabaret—where life is beautiful, the girls are beautiful, even the orchestra is beautiful… and a society dances on the brink of collapse.”
November 15 – 24
Rarig Center
This story was written by Regina Ramos-Francia Ylizaliturri, an undergraduate student in CLA.
