Community Corner

CABARET @ Staples High School July 24-26

What good is sitting alone in your room when the Staples Players Summer Theatre is re-reviving one of its most popular shows?

            Cabaret—the renowned but edgy musical that’s currently seeing a fresh run on Broadway—is being staged in Westport once again.

            “Players has a long history with Cabaret,” said David Roth, the director of Staples Players, who himself had the lead role of Emcee in a 1984 production when he was a senior at Staples High School.

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“The show has been done many times over the course of Players’ 50-plus year history,” he said.

            Two former Players who performed in the 1993 production—Kat and Jess Eggart—have returned to Staples 20 years later to choreograph the current show. Other talented help is coming from Don Rickenback, musical director, Peter DiFranco, set designer & technical director, and Priscilla Stampa and Marjorie Watt, the show’s costume designers.

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            Cabaret tells the story of a raucous nightclub in pre-World War II Berlin, hosted by the provocative Emcee, fueled by the intriguing Kit Kat dancers, and connected to the lives of several people experiencing the start of Hitler’s rise to power.

            “We feel that the message of the show is very important to share with students and audiences,” said Kerry Long, co-director of the production. “It’s about people being sucked into an attractive world that turns out to be far uglier than they ever imagined.”

Based on the writing of Christopher Isherwood, with book by Joe Masteroff, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, the original 1966 play won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical. It later gained more fame—and eight Oscars—as a 1972 film directed by Bob Fosse, starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York and Joel Grey.

            Cabaret, which Staples Players is presenting by special arrangement with Tams-Witmark Music Library of New York City, is currently on Broadway in a Roundabout Theatre Company production with Alan Cumming, where he’s revived his 1998 role as Emcee for a limited engagement. Westporters, however, will see a topnotch production staged locally by the talent pool that, in recent years, has brought West Side Story, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Avenue Q to life.

            Evening performances are 7:30pm, Thursday, July 24, Friday, July 25, and Saturday, July 26. There is also a 3pm matinee Saturday July 26.

            Ticket are $15 for Adults, $10 for Students, with a special $5 matinee price for Seniors at Saturday’s afternoon show. For tickets, visit www.staplesplayers.com. If the production is not sold out in advance, tickets may be available at the door 30 minutes prior to curtain.

            Due to subject matter and material, parental guidance is encouraged.


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