Back in 1966, the John Kander-Fred Ebb musical "Cabaret" made its debut on Broadway, captivating and unsettling audiences with its portrayal of life in early 1930s Berlin.
Joel Grey took on the role of the Emcee at the Kit Kat Club; a role he would later reprise in the 1972 film adaptation that won an Oscar, urging guests to "leave your troubles outside!"
However, this seemingly inviting offer carries an underlying threat, as the looming shadow of the Nazi Third Reich lurks nearby.
"The cabaret represents a glimmer of hope," shared actress Gayle Rankin. "It's the reason why all these incredibly unique individuals are drawn to it, and how that hope ultimately gets shattered and crushed."
Could "Cabaret" be seen as a cautionary tale? "In my opinion, yes," remarked actor Eddie Redmayne. "It highlights the hope, the happiness, the ambition, but also demonstrates how progress can be stripped away, leading to regression."
In the reimagined rendition known as "Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club," debuting this weekend on Broadway, Rankin takes on the role of the whimsical, carefree, seize-the-moment singer Sally Bowles, a character made famous by Liza Minnelli in the film. "I found myself reflecting on Liza the other night, and I had to tell myself: Stop! Stop it!" she chuckled. "I kept repeating: I honor you, I honor you, I honor you, but now it's time for me to step onto the stage!"
In a captivating performance, Redmayne enthralls the audience with his portrayal of the Emcee. "Every evening, right beneath where you're standing, I make my entrance from down here [with] that iconic drum roll. I stand at the bottom, awaiting to be lifted up to the stage, and it feels like facing the guillotine. And just as the ascent begins, something euphoric takes over."
Both Rankin and Redmayne are no strangers to "Cabaret"; she appeared in a supporting role in the 2014 revival alongside Alan Cumming, while Redmayne (an Oscar- and Tony-award winner) graced the stage in the 2021 London production of this fresh take on the classic.
Redmayne's ties to the play run even deeper: "When I was around 14 or 15, still in school, I was cast as the Emcee. I had never really listened to 'Cabaret' before, so that experience served as my introduction to it. Something about that time resonated with me. I didn't come from a particularly theatrical background. My parents were always incredibly supportive, but from a young age, I just knew, 'This is what I want to pursue.' And my parents would ask, 'Are you sure about this? We hear all the stories about actors struggling to find work. Is this really the path for you?'
"And I'll never forget that after they came to see my school production of 'Cabaret,' they were like, 'Go for it.'
For this production the stage is surrounded on three sides by seats. In a radical re-imagining of the August Wilson Theatre, designer Tom Scutt ripped out the old stage and added seating to create a nightclub in the round.
"It needs to feel different," Scutt said. "It needs to kind of shake us up and take us into a different world, and needs to sort of let us forget where we are and who we are. This can only happen if you are witnessing other audience members going through the same thing as you [are], the same feelings that you are. I think the more we can do that, the better."
Even getting to your seat in this production is an experience. Rather than enter through the theater's front doors, denizens of this Kat Kat Club walk in through the side, for a show before the show. Redmayne said, "You get taken into these cavernous bars, and you pass performers, musicians, extraordinary dancers, with the idea being that once you enter the theater – the theater proper – you have genuinely left all your troubles outside. You're in Weimar Germany."
Acclaimed actress Bebe Neuwirth, a two-time Tony Award winner, shared her thoughts on the enduring relevance of the musical "Cabaret." Neuwirth, who portrays Fräulein Schneider in the production, emphasized the duality of light and darkness present in the show.
Neuwirth highlighted the captivating music of "Cabaret" and its poignant exploration of encroaching evil. She pondered on the universal themes of recognizing and confronting darkness, even in moments of joy.
During a recent interview, Neuwirth reflected on the unsettling presence of looming threats, both on and off stage. She acknowledged the eerie resonance of the show's themes with the current societal climate.
As "Cabaret" marks its 58th anniversary, original Emcee Joel Grey made a special appearance to commemorate his 92nd birthday and extend his support to the new cast members. The company, led by Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin, looks forward to entertaining audiences with their rendition of this timeless classic.
"Oh, my gosh, wait until my mom and dad come over," said Redmayne. "They're so excited. My dad, I spoke to him the other day, he's like, 'I just hate the fact that you're over in New York. I could be there every night!"
For more info:
- "Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club," at the August Wilson Theatre, New York City | Ticket Info
- Tom Scutt Studio
- Thanks to Haswell Greens, New York City
Story produced by Jay Kernis. Editor: Ed Givnish.
See also:
- Joel Grey on the alchemy of theater ("Sunday Morning")
- Liza Minnelli, the one and only ("Sunday Morning")
- John Kander, Lin-Manuel Miranda on "New York, New York" ("Sunday Morning")
- On Broadway: John Kander ("Sunday Morning")
In 2023 Joel Grey and John Kander were honored with lifetime achievement Tony Awards. In this special video tribute, actors who have played the Emcee in the London production of "Cabaret" (Olivier Award-winner Eddie Redmayne, Callum Scott Howells, Matthew Gent, Fra Fee, Mason Alexander Park, and John McCrea) honor Grey and Kander for their astonishing musical theater creations:
