From April 7-16, the University of Utah’s Theatre Department is performing the classic musical “Cabaret” in the Babcock Theatre. The production was absolutely stunning in all aspects; everything from set design to costuming, the live musicians to the actors was absolutely perfect. With an all-student stage management team, a student band leader, costume designer, assistant director and assistant choreographer, the productions that come out of the Babcock Theatre are a fantastic opportunity for students to gain experience working in musical theater while earning credits for school. “Cabaret” is a fun but impactful musical placed in Berlin, Germany in the late 1920’s that provides insight into the homophobia and antisemitism of the time. Be prepared to laugh, cry and beam with pride at the incredible talent displayed by the U’s theatre department. 

Perfect Performers

The casting choices made for this production were better than any casting I’ve ever seen before. Everyone played their part perfectly – which was particularly difficult considering many of them had to play two or more characters throughout the show, and there was no one that stood out as a weak link. Hannah Staudinger (Sally Bowles) and Caleb Hunt (Clifford Bradshaw) had fantastic on-stage chemistry and absolutely owned their roles. Staudinger brought the classic number “Maybe This Time” to life, bringing tears to everyone’s eyes, and Hunt gave the audience a masterclass in cognitive dissonance as Bradshaw balanced his writing career with his homosexuality and the political situation in Germany all in one big juggling act.

There was, however, one star that didn’t just shine on his own but brightened everyone around him, and that was Evan K. Beesley as the Emcee. The Emcee is the thread that ties the whole story together, gradually declining both mentally and physically as the Nazis come to power. Beautifully subtle details like his Star of David necklace clue the audience into his religion and heritage early on, but the truly beautiful thing about Beesley’s performance is that the necklace is his own. “As someone who also identifies as Jewish, putting on this show has meant so much to me,” he said in a recent interview. “The power this show has to awaken audience’s minds to their part in complacency, and how ignorance will ultimately be their downfall is such a staggering but important story to be told.” He also touched on the recent racist, sexist and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that is passing through Congress, noting that “it is the duty of every citizen to understand and be cognizant of what is happening around them.” 

Costuming, Composition and Everything in Between

The U clearly has no shortage of talent, considering the prowess of the cast and crew in the production. Everything was done with precision and a level of professionalism that one would expect to see at the Eccles Theater. One of the highlights of the overall setup was the physical layout of the theater. It’s comparable to a theater in the round, where guests can choose to sit on one side of the stage or the other. However, instead of a round stage that seats the audience in a full 360 around the production, the stage is a long rectangle spanning the length of the room that is used like a runway of sorts. With audience members on both sides of the room, the experience becomes so much more immersive and intimate. Although “Cabaret” was featured as a Broadway production back in the 1960’s, it’s clear that an intimate environment like the tiny, underground Babcock Theatre is where it really shines.

In such a close environment, the actors have to adjust their behavior to account for the fact that the audience is all but in the production with them. The cast was phenomenal in that sense, going up to people before the show began and treating them as if they were patrons of the Kit Kat Club – a nightclub that’s the main setting of the musical.

Costuming is a huge part of “Cabaret,” not only because it’s a period piece and has to convey that, but also because the costumes are highly symbolic. In the end, as the only American character in the show is leaving to return to the United States, everyone else is dressed in all white to represent the “purity” that the Nazis sought. The Emcee is put into a pair of white striped pajamas with a Star of David sewn to the chest, and the rest of the cast lays out a sheet of white fabric across the bright red stage for him to walk on. The costumes were stunning and tailored perfectly to all aspects of the show. 

Not a Dry Eye in the House

When I first took my seat in the Babcock Theatre, “Cabaret” was a big empty bubble above my head. I knew nothing of the story or even the soundtrack but was excited by the first number, expecting a “Moulin Rouge”-esque tale surrounding a nightclub and a forbidden love affair. What I didn’t expect, however, was to leave the theater having bawled my eyes out starting from the final song all the way to my car in the parking lot. The emotions in the theater were so palpable and so sincere that on two separate occasions, the audience didn’t even know if they wanted to applaud the actors exiting the stage. Does one really want to applaud the song in which the entire ensemble plus the Emcee raise their arms in a Nazi salute? Does one really want to applaud as a musical that started out as a raunchy love story slowly becomes an all-too-real tale about hatred and discrimination creeping its way into even the happiest of places? What hurt more than anything, however, was climbing out of my seat and making my way to the exit when I was stopped by a pile of shoes; the shoes which all of the actors had taken off throughout the final number and placed before the audience with an old Jewish man’s cane propped on top. 

In the end, “Cabaret” is an awe-inspiring musical that is so important in this day and age. The U’s theatre department put their heart and soul into every bit of the production, and it truly shows. As Emcee Beesley said, “this show is incredibly written, and I can’t wait for everyone to see it, thank you for coming!”

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