On the night of September 13th, after several hours of a designer-run rehearsal, I slung my backpack over my shoulder. Paired with my beaten-up school backpack, I was wearing a long black dress. There was a reason for my extremely mismatched outfit, and I could tell several members of my cast were unsure why I was wearing something so nice to a designer run.
I slid into the front seat of my car, as my mom began to drive me to the ASU Gammage. I had not been to the beautiful theatre (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) for several months. In fact, the last time I was there, I was onstage performing in Camp Broadway’s Family Finale.
I almost ran into the theatre, anxious to see another show, and as I skidded inside, I was greeted by something unexpected. The actors were already onstage, but they weren’t performing. Every single cast member was stretching on the stage, something I had never seen before. This was a special circumstance, since I was at Gammage to watch Cabaret. Cabaret has had several successful runs on Broadway, and has won several Tony Awards. I had seen the show once before, but I was not expecting what would happen next.
As I took my seat, my eyes were wide with awe as I watched the several actors perform acrobatics and talk onstage. I couldn’t believe that I was so mesmerized by something as simple as common behavior.
Throughout Act One, I was on the edge of my seat watching the Emcee slyly tell the story, intriguing the audience members and sending an unwary sense of mystery throughout the house. The woman who played Sally Bowles had a spectacular voice, which was so clear it easily carried all the way to the back of the audience. The dancers performed stunts that seemed impossible while simultaneously bending in every direction imaginable.
In Act Two, a darker message of the Holocaust emerged in the story, but the show continued to move along in a positive direction, guided by the several members of the Kit Kat Club, and the beautiful ballads sung by loving couple Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz.
The show was something that definitely cannot be missed, and is currently on its national tour. After playing in Arizona, its next stop is Denver, Colorado. I would recommend the show for an older, more mature audience, as it covers some heavy subjects, however, it is 100% worth making the drive and paying the the ticket price to go see this stellar show.
One thing that stuck with me throughout the show was the Emcee’s message: “Leave your troubles outside!” To me, this is truly something that theatre does for everyone. At the end of the show, every single person around me seemed happier and more calm than they had been when they first arrived. Cabaret truly is a magnificent show, and I couldn’t be happier with their amazing cast.