by: Samhi C. 

Starting at 7:30 on the nights of November 2 to 4 and November 9 to 11, the Behrend Theater Program is hosting a production of the musical “Cabaret” in the Fesenmyer building.

The play was originally produced in 1966 with a book by Joe Masteroff, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The play itself was based on John Van Druten’s 1951 play “I Am a Camera” which was based on Christopher Isherwood’s 1939 novel “Goodbye to Berlin”.

The play comes to us with a ninety-minute Act 1, a fifteen-minute intermission, and a forty-minute Act 2. In the play, which takes place in 1929-1930, a writer named Clifford Bradshaw travels to Berlin, Germany from America in order to inspire himself to write. Instead, he is distracted by the allure of the cabaret, a beautiful woman named Sally Bowles, a friendship with a secret Nazi smuggler named Ernst Ludwig, and the impending doom that begins to befall Berlin as the Nazis take reign.

Directed by Professor Emily K. Cassano, the Behrend’s rendition of “Cabaret” includes the following cast:

• Emcee: Conrad Lloyd / Wyatt Rothaus
• The Kit Kat Girls
  • Rosie: Hannah Roadway / Jenna Alberti
  • Lulu: Kendal Smith / Raquel Rhoads
  • Frenchie: Elliot Swanson / Shawna Daisley
  • Texas: Madison Wager / Hailey DiSanto
  • Fritzie: Norah Dana
  • Helga: Jenna Baker / Caroline Scott
• The Kit Kat Boys
  • Bobby: Wyatt Rothaus / Conrad Lloyd
  • Victor: Oliver Brooke
  • Hans: Jack McBride
  • Herman: Jaymin Willis
  • Gustav: Lyndon Herschell
  • Pierre: Oliver Biehl
  • Antoni: Luis Berrera
  • Sebastian: Griffin Frazier
• Sally Bowles: Molly Hellhake
• Clifford Bradshaw: Jordan Loy
• Ernst Ludwig: Logan Boyle
• Customs Official: Jaymin Willis
• Fraulein Schnieder: Hadleigh Jae Bills
• Fraulein Kost: Norah Dana
• Rudy: Jack McBride
• Herr Shultz: Michael Graham
• Gorilla: Elliot Swanson / Shawna Daisley
• Boy Soprano (Recording): London Sullivan

Emily Wood was the musical’s assistant director. She and Jenna Baker both assisted with choreography. Music was directed by Rhonda Berlin. Alaina Devlin acted as stage manager and Owen Kagle was the stage crew. Alexander Fisher was in charge of lighting. Brendan Nangle handled music tech while Mia Welsh handled sound tech. Costumes were designed by Hannah Roadway and Emily Wood. Brendan Daugherty designed the set and props. Daughterty also constructed the set along with Prof Cassano’s THEA 282 classes. The audiovisual aspects and drapery were handled by a local audiovisual consultancy, Grise Audio Visual.

Side note: Kudos to Daugherty for picking, as a prop, an edition of the Beacon with one of my articles on the front page. That did not go unnoticed. It was the September 28 Edition, which I know because George Looney’s face was on the paper.

The soundtrack consisted of twelve songs in the first act and seven songs in the second act, all performed by various cast members.

Tickets have sold fast and it is advised that if you wish to attend, you buy your tickets in advance, but Prof Cassano states that if there are any open seats on the night of performances those tickets may be sold at the door.

You can read my review entitled “The Cast and Characters of ‘Cabaret’” in the A&E section of this edition.