Cabaret Program

LUCK BE A LADY ASOLOREP.ORG1

DEBORAH COX as Josephine Baker.

ASOLO REPERTORY THEATRE

PRESENTS

16 -

Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards Managing Director Linda DiGabriele Proudly Presents

Book by JOE MASTEROFF

Based on the play by JOHN VAN DRUTEN and Stories by CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD Music by JOHN KANDER Lyrics by FRED EBB

RHODES

Directors are members of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society; Designers are members of the United Scenic Artists Local USA-829; Backstage and Scene Shop Crew are members of IATSE Local 412. CABARET is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC. www.concordtheatricals.com Co-Producers James and Maryann Armour Family Foundation • Kathy Cole, in loving memory of Trent Cole Diane Taylor Foxman, in loving memory of Norman Foxman

*Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. †Dance Captain ‡Fight Captain

UNDERSTUDIES

A. D e WITT Trombone TOM ELLISON. Reeds CARL HAAN Piano 2 DAVID HARDMAN. Drums ISAAC MINGUS. Upright Bass MATTHEW OTTE. Trumpet WOONKUO SOON Violin ANGELA STEINER. Conductor/Piano 1 CHUCK STEVENS Banjo/Guitar/Ukelele

SETTING

Berlin, 1931

asolo rep.org

DRAYTON ALEXANDER, he/they

FIRST SEASON (Dramaturg) is thrilled to be joining Asolo Rep this year as Literary Associate, following a decade working in play development in New York, London, and Singapore. Some dramaturgy highlights include world/NYC premieres of Taylor Mac’s The Fre, Kristiana Rae Colón’s good friday, Nsangou Njikam’s Syncing Ink, Idris Goodwin’s Hype Man: a break beat play, Geraldine Elizabeth Inoa’s Scraps, The Q Brothers’ Liz Estrada, and Catya McMullen’s Locked Up Bs. He led The Flea Theater’s Serials Writers Room for two years and developed plays by Amy Ng, Tuyen Do, and Joyce Julie Lee for New Earth Theatre. Drayton has received an Olwen Wymark Award from the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain and holds an MFA from NYU Tisch Asia.

TIJANA BJELAJAC, she/her

FIRST SEASON (Scenic Design) is a New York/Los Angeles based set designer and visual artist. Most recently she has designed sets for Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors at Capital Repertory Theater, Disney’s The Little Mermaid at Sierra Repertory Theatre, and she has been one of the design assistants on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella (Broadway, spring 2023). Her set designs include Disney’s Beauty and the Beast; Othello; Glass Menagerie; Blood Wedding; Three Penny Opera; Kiss Me, Kate; Amadeus; My Fair Lady. She was associate set designer on the off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors, Signature Theater’s Course of the Starving Class, and Julie Taymor’s The Magic Flute at the Sydney Opera House. Additionally, she worked on set designs for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

PATRICIA DELOREY, she/her

TWENTIETH SEASON (Resident Voice and Dialect Coach) Asolo Rep favorites include: Knoxville, Sweat, Sweeney Todd, The Cake, The Crucible, Gloria, Ragtime, Rhinoceros, Roe, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, The Great Society, Josephine, All The Way, Living on Love, West Side Story, Sotto Voce, Other Desert Cities, South Pacific, The Grapes of Wrath, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Clybourne Park, The Innocents, Twelve Angry Men, Bonnie & Clyde, Doubt, A Few Good Men, A Tale of Two Cities, Equus. Other credits include Pitmen Painters (American Stage Theatre), Studio Six’s production of Plasticine (The Baryshnikov Arts Center), Saturday Night Fever (Royal Caribbean International Cruises), Stone Cold Dead Serious (American Repertory Theatre), and the world premiere of Nocturne (American Repertory Theatre).

LINDA DiGABRIELE

FIFTIETH SEASON (Managing Director) has served as Asolo Rep’s managing director since 1989. Prior to that time, she held other positions with Asolo Rep, including director of touring programs and stage manager. During her 12-year tenure with the touring programs, Linda orchestrated 26 regional and national tours for Asolo Rep’s mainstage and educational companies. She has served several terms on the board of directors for the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), a national organization of regional not-for-profit professional theatres. Linda has been an advisory panel member for the National Endowment for the Arts and, for five years, the John F. Kennedy Center’s Theatre for Young Audiences. She is a past president of the Florida Professional Theatre Association and has served the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs as a member of various panels including the Grant Awards Task Force, Theatre Grants, Arts in Educations Grants, and the Cultural Institution Programs review committee. Other boards of directors’ appointments include ASSITEJ/USA, an international theatre organization for young audiences, the Florida Cultural Alliance, and the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County. A graduate of Florida State University, Linda’s professional theatre experience includes acting and directing. She is honored to have been recognized by the Florida Professional Theatre Association’s Richard G. Fallon Award for Excellence in Professional Theatre and the Florida Theatre Conference’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

FRED

EBB

(Lyrics) was an award-winning lyricist, librettist, and director who frequently and successfully collaborated with composer John Kander. Theatre: Flora the Red Menace; Cabaret; The Happy Time; Zorba; 70, Girls, 70; Chicago; The Act; Woman of the Year; 2x5; The Rink; And the World Goes ’Round - The Kander and Ebb Musical; Kiss of the Spider Woman; and Steel Pier. Film: Cabaret; Norman Rockwell: A Short Subject; Lucky Lady; New York, New York; Funny Lady; Kramer vs. Kramer; A Matter of Time; Places in the Heart; French Postcards; Stepping Out; and the 2003 Academy Award® winner for best picture, Chicago. TV: Liza with a Z; Goldie and Liza Together (starring Goldie Hawn and Liza Minnelli); Ol’ Blue Eyes is Back (starring Frank Sinatra); Baryshnikov on Broadway; An Early Frost; and Liza in London. His last projects included a musical version of The Skin of Our Teeth and Curtains, with book by Rupert Holmes.

MICHAEL DONALD EDWARDS

EIGHTEENTH SEASON (Producing Artistic Director) has served as producing artistic director of Asolo Rep since 2006. He was previously the associate artistic director of Syracuse Stage and served as artistic director of Shakespeare Santa Cruz. A Garland Award and Drama-Logue Award winning director, Michael has directed at Cleveland Play House; Indiana Repertory Theatre; Geva Theatre; Syracuse Stage; The Shakespeare Theatre; San Jose Rep; Opera San Jose; the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; the Old Globe in San Diego; Virginia Stage Company; the Virginia Opera; the State Theatre of South Australia; Opera Australia; Victoria State Opera; and the Metropolitan Opera, where he staged revivals of Aida, The Barber of Seville, Porgy and Bess, and Phillip Glass’ The Voyage In previous seasons for Asolo Rep, Michael has directed  Disgraced; Our Betters; The Grapes of Wrath; Clybourne Park; My Brilliant Divorce; Hamlet, Prince of Cuba; Las Meninas;  La Bête; The Last Five Years; The Life of Galileo; Perfect Mendacity; The Winter’s Tale; Equus; A Tale of Two Cities;  Darwin in Malibu; Nobody Don’t Like Yogi; Amadeus; The Smell of the Kill and, most recently, The Crucible

MICHELLE HART, she/her

TWENTY-FIRST SEASON (Resident Hair/Wig & Make-up Designer) designs for Asolo Repertory Theatre and FSU/Asolo Conservatory. Other credits: Sarasota Ballet, Palm Beach Drama Works, freeFall Theatre, Urbanite Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Banyan Theatre, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Venice Theatre, Dorset Theatre, Barrington Stage, and Open Stage Theatre. She has also done hair and/or make-up for Joan Rivers, Doris Roberts, Martin Short, Jane Russell, Arlene Dahl, Soledad Villamil, Jane Pauley, Richard Dreyfuss, Castille Langdon, Christopher Higgins, Mary Mara, Heather Robb, Lauren Sweetser,  Justin Long, Paul Downs, Douglas Sills, and Nia Hills. Music videos: “Second Chance” by Shinedown, “Reverse Cowgirl” by T-Pain. Film/TV: Lady of the Manor; Paradise, FL; and The Real Stephen Blatt.

CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD

Christopher was a novelist, playwright, screenwriter, autobiographer, and diarist. He was homosexual and made this a theme of some of his writing. He was born near Manchester in the north of England in 1904, became a US citizen in 1946, and died at home in Santa Monica, CA, in January 1986.

JOHN KANDER

(Music) is a Tony, Emmy, and Grammy-winning composer, a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors Award, and a member of the American Theatre Hall of Fame. With frequent collaborator Fred Ebb, he composed the score to dozens of Broadway musicals, including Cabaret, Zorba, Chicago, The Act, Woman of the Year, The Rink, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Steel Pier

JACLYN KANTER, she/her THIRD SEASON (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to return to Asolo Rep, where she previously worked on The Sound of Music and Knoxville. Select credits include Cheek to Cheek (The York Theatre Company), A Beautiful Noise (AEA Tier Three Work Session), On Sugarland (New York Theatre Workshop), and various productions at The Muny and The Santa Fe Opera. Lots of love to the friends and family who support her every step of the way.

JOE MASTEROFF

(Book) was born in 1919 in Philadelphia and had only one dream from infancy: to write for the theatre. After the essential lonely childhood and four-year stint in the Air Force, he came to New York to face his future: book writer or book seller? Luckily, luck intervened. Before long he had three shows on Broadway bearing his name: The Warm Peninsula starring Julie Harris and two musicals, She Loves Me and Cabaret, for which he was the book writer. His other work included the libretto for 70, Girls, 70 and Desire Under the Elms and book and lyrics for Six Wives and Paramour. Thanks to indulgent parents, the New Dramatists, Hal Prince and many others, Joe retired and lived in subdued luxury until his death in 2018.

VICTOR MEYRICH

FIFTY-FOURTH SEASON (Director of Production & Operations) is a graduate of Carnegie Tech and worked at New York Shakespeare Festival, Brandeis, University of California Institute of Repertory, APA, American Conservatory Theater, and again in New York. As head of production and technical staffs, he is responsible for the overall technical operation of Asolo Rep and its facilities. He wrote the architecture program for both the Center for the Performing Arts and the Koski II expansion and is the owner’s representative on both projects. He has been a member of the Asolo Rep family since 1969.

NATALIA

NIEVES-MELCHOR

, she/her

FIRST SEASON (Associate Choreographer) was born in Puerto Rico and raised in South Carolina. Her TV credits include The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. On stage, Natalia has appeared in On Your Feet! at the Westchester Broadway Theatre and at The Muny. Also, at The Muny, she appeared in Legally Blonde and worked as a Swing and Assistant Choreographer for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat during the 104th season. Natalia attended Pace University as a Commercial Dance BFA major. She is represented by CESD Talent Agency in New York City.

ALISON NOVELLI, they/them

FIRST SEASON (Intimacy Coordinator) is an intimacy professional, facilitator, and consultant. They are passionate about decreasing stress and co-creating alchemically resilient artistic spaces. Credits include Stephen King’s The Stand (CBS), Cursed/Too Bad (King Princess), numerous shorts: Save the Date, Pair, Pillow Talk... For stage: Much Ado About Nothing (Hudson Shakespeare Company), The Easiest Thing (dir. Daniel Rattner). Alison is dedicated to creating dynamic stories of intimacy for stage and screen with an emphasis on authenticity, dignity, and compassion. cheektocheekintimacy.com

CORY PATTAK

SECOND SEASON (Lighting Designer) Previously at Asolo Rep: The Sound of Music. New York: The Lucky Star (59E59), Final Follies (Primary Stages), Stalking the Bogeyman (New World Stages), The Eyes of the World (Carnegie Hall), Handle with Care (Westside Theatre), Freddie Falls in Love (Pershing Square), Unlocked, The Blue Flower (Prospect Theatre). Regional: Resident LD for the Broadway Center Stage series at the Kennedy Center, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Weston Playhouse, Olney Theatre, Old Globe, Portland Stage, Goodspeed, Kansas City Rep, Ogunquit Playhouse, Syracuse Stage, Miami New Drama, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Westport Country Playhouse, and the National Tour of Flashdance. International credits include  Singing in the Rain, Sunset Boulevard (São Paulo, Brazil), shows with Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises. corypattak.com IG: @corypattak

JOSH RHODES, he/him

NINTH SEASON (Director/Choreographer) is thrilled to be back in Sarasota. At Asolo Rep, Josh directed Hair, Ana Isabelle and Friends, The Sound of Music, Evita, and Guys and Dolls, and choreographed the world premiere of Knoxville, Barnum,  Working, My Fair Lady, and Yentl. Other directing credits

include Mack & Mabel, Grand Hotel (NY City CenteEncores!);  The Who’s Tommy (Kennedy Center); Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville (Old Globe Theatre); Paint Your Wagon, Jersey Boys (Muny);  Guys and Dolls (Old Globe); Spamalot (5th Ave.); Showboat  (Bucks County Playhouse); and Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. He also  choreographed the Broadway productions of Cinderella, It Shoulda Been You, First Date, and Bright Star. On London’s West End, he choreographed Carousel at the English National Opera and Sweeney Todd starring Emma Thompson. Other choreography credits include Company starring Neil Patrick Harris, Sondheim: The Birthday Concert (PBS), and the U.K. tour of Doctor Dolittle. Josh is forever grateful to Michael Donald Edwards for so many years of friendship, leadership, and vision.

MARK ROSE, he/him

THIRD SEASON (Violence Coordinator) is a NY based fight choreographer, actor, and stuntman. His previous Asolo Rep credits include fight choreographing Rhinoceros, Lifespan of a Fact, The Motherf**ker with the Hat, Romeo & Juliet, and The Tempest. Mark’s work has also been seen at Trinity Rep, Opera North, Legoland NY, and Walt Disney World.

CELINE ROSENTHAL, she/they

SIXTH SEASON (Local Casting; Associate Artistic Director) is a Tony-nominated producer and “Key” member of The Ring Of Keys and New Georges Affiliate Artist. They are in their sixth season at Asolo Rep, having directed Camelot, The Lifespan of a Fact, Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, and co-directed We Need A Little Christmas with Michael Donald Edwards. Celine has developed new work with NYMF, The New Georges, The Musical Theatre Factory, The Kidoons, Tamasha, and National Queer Theatre, as well as creating Asolo Rep’s premiere new work series, Asolo Rep: Ground Floor. Other Recent Projects: Trayf (New Rep); Drowning in Cairo (N.Q.T); A Doll’s House, Spike Heels (Studio Theatre); Motherf**ker with the Hat (FSU/Asolo Conservatory); the Award Winning short film Wildflower. Celine was a member of the 2018/19 MTC Directing Fellowship class, and was awarded an SDC Observership and Asolo Rep Directing Fellowship. They are an alumnus of the Commercial Theatre Institute, BMI Lehman Engel Workshop, NYU Tisch (BFA), and The New School for Drama (MFA). celinerosenthal.nyc

NIA SCIARRETTA, she/her

ELEVENTH SEASON (Production Stage Manager) Favorite Asolo Rep credits include stage manager for Knoxville, The Great Leap, The Sound of Music, Into the Breeches, The Music Man, Sweeney Todd, Sweat, Shakespeare in Love, Roe, and the 2020-21 Terrace Stage season, as well as assistant stage manager for Rhinoceros, Guys and Dolls, All the Way, South

Pacific, and Hero: The Musical. Previous off-Broadway credits include work on Jesus Hopped the A Train, In the Blood, and The Wayside Motor Inn at the Signature Theatre. Nia has also worked with Creede Repertory Theatre, the Hangar Theatre, the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, the Flea Theatre, and Penguin Rep.

DeWANDA SMITH SOEDER, she/her

SECOND SEASON (Cultural Competency Coordinator) is an Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) strategist whose cultural competency process is based on her research thesis, “Theatre as a Diversity Intervention.” At Asolo Rep, DeWanda has provided cultural competency coordination for the world premiere of Knoxville and facilitated affinity spaces for Our Town, Eureka Day, and Hood. Other credits include cultural competency coordination for Confederates, Once on This Island, and King John (Oregon Shakespeare Festival). She holds the following credentials: MA in Psychology, BS in Health and Human Services, Certified Diversity Professional (CDP), Prosci Certified Change Practitioner (CCMP), Instructional Design, OD/Human Interaction (NTL), Emotional Intelligence (The Hay Group), and Adjunct Professor of Psychology.

ANGELA STEINER, she/her

SECOND SEASON (Music Director and Additional Arrangements; Conductor) is a Denver based music director, pianist, composer, voice coach, and orchestrator/arranger. Originally from Wichita, KS, she has music directed at theatres all over the United States. Creating and collaborating on new musicals is her favorite. She most recently music directed the Colorado premiere of Futurity. In the past year, she helped bring to life Neyla Pekarek’s (formerly of the Lumineers) Rattlesnake Kate at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Other favorite productions include Indecent, Oklahoma, and The Who’s Tommy (Denver Center), Hair (The Old Globe), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Alabama Shakespeare Festival) and Sweeney Todd (Asolo Rep). Angela holds a bachelor’s degree in piano from Wichita State University and a master’s in collaborative piano from the University of Northern Colorado.

KEN TRAVIS

FIRST SEASON (Sound Design) Broadway: In Transit, Aladdin (and all international companies and tours), Jekyll and Hyde,  A Christmas Story: The Musical, Scandalous, Newsies, Memphis, The Threepenny Opera ,  Barefoot in the Park , and  Steel Magnolias. Regional and off-Broadway: Annie National Tour, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, The Public Theater, The New Group, The Civilians, Atlantic Theater Company, Soho Rep, Classic Theater Company, Playwrights Horizons, Signature Theater, Mabou Mines, Old Globe, Alliance Theater, Shakespeare Theater Company, ACT Seattle, 5th

Avenue Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Seattle Repertory Theatre, LA CTG, The Guthrie Theater, McCarter Theater, Paper Mill Playhouse.

JOHN VAN DRUTEN

John was an English playwright and theatre director. He began his career in London, and later moved to America, becoming a US citizen. He was known for his plays of witty and urbane observations of contemporary life and society.

ALEJO VIETTI

THIRD SEASON (Costume Designer) Originally from Argentina. New York: Broadway’s Allegiance, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (also West End - Olivier Nomination, National Tour, Australia, and Japan), and Holiday Inn, as well as works for the Radio City Rockettes, Roundabout Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, NYC Center Encores!, Atlantic Theatre Company, NYC Opera, Primary Stages, and MCC, among others. Has also extensively designed for regional theatres across the US, commercial projects, and dance. Other credits: Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame in Japan, Germany, and Austria, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Minnesota Opera, Donetsk Opera (Ukraine), Colorado Ballet, and the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Recipient of the 2010 TDF Irene Sharaff Young Master Award. @alejo_vietti_costume_design

LEE WILKINS

FIFTH SEASON (Associate Director) is thrilled to be back at Asolo Rep after working on Ana Isabelle and Friends, The Sound of Music, Evita, and Guys and Dolls. Most recently directed the Disney Branded Television showcase at D23 as well as working with his husband Josh on Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at The MUNY. Lee has worked on many shows in many theatres across the country and could list them here, but he’d rather take this space to celebrate the beauty that is Asolo Rep and its incredible artistic leader Michael Donald Edwards. Thank you, Michael, for 17 glorious seasons! “Darling” you are loved. It is always a pleasure to return to home.

TARA RUBIN CASTING

(Casting) Asolo Rep: Hair, Eureka Day, Grand Horizons, Camelot, The Sound of Music, The Music Man, Evita, Guys and Dolls, Beatsville, Living on Love (New York Casting), Luck Be A Lady, HERO: The Musical. Selected Broadway and National Tours: KPOP, Mr. Saturday Night, Six, Ain’t Too Proud, King Kong, The Band’s Visit, Prince of Broadway, Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon, Dear Evan Hansen, Cats, Falsettos, School of Rock, Bullets Over Broadway, Big Fish, Billy Elliot, Shrek, Spamalot, …Spelling Bee, The Producers, Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera. Selected off-Broadway: Sing Street, Trevor, Between the Lines, Clueless, Gloria: A Life, Smokey Joe’s Café, Here Lies Love. Film: Here Today.

GABE AMATO, they/them

FIRST SEASON (Victor) is thrilled to be performing at Asolo Rep this year. Tours/ Regional Theatre: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (The Muny), R&H Cinderella (17-18 Tour) Training: BFA Musical Theater from LIU Post. All the love to my Mom, Grandmother, family back home, the city girlies, and Ben. I wouldn’t be here without you guys. AEA Member

ANNELISE BAKER, she/her

FIRST SEASON (Texas) is ecstatic to be a Kit Kat Girl at Asolo Rep! She was recently in the workshop for the new Outsiders musical directed by Danya Taymour. As a performer, Annelise made her Broadway debut in the original cast of Jagged Little Pill in 2019 and opened with it again on Broadway in 2021. Her previous credits include Opera: The Merry Widow (The Metropolitan Opera and The Lyric Opera of Chicago) directed by Susan Stroman. Off-Broadway: Speakeasy (Bond45). Regional: Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Merry-Go-Round), Chicago (Riverside), Oklahoma (Paramount), and West Side Story (Drury Lane).

IRIS BEAUMIER, she/her

FIRST SEASON (Sally Bowles) is excited to debut at Asolo Rep with this amazing show. She recently made her Broadway debut as The Narrator alternate in The Little Prince and previously played Josephine Baker in The Dark Star from Harlem at LaMaMa Theatre (AUDELCO Best Lead Actress Award). Select Regional: Ragtime (Theatreworks Silicon Valley), Godspell (Theatre Aspen), Marvelous Wonderettes (St. Louis Rep), and Dr. Rees Ziti’s Pageant (ArsNova ANTFest). TV/Film: Modern Love (Amazon), Blindspot (NBC), Alternatino (Comedy Central), and Mariannes Noires (Round Room Image), a documentary about Black French womanhood. Carnegie Mellon University, proud NYC native. @iris.beaumier

EMILY BORDLEY, she/her

FIRST SEASON (Frenchie) graduated from Point Park University with a BFA in Dance & a minor in Musical Theater. She has performed works by Lisa Stevens, Marc Robin, and Kiesha Lalama. Immediately after graduation, she was cast in Engeman Theater’s Aida,

Fulton Theater’s Evita, and Axelrod Theater’s production of Grease as Frenchy. Making her Asolo Repertory Theatre debut, she is excited to bring this show to life. Keep up with her at @emily.bordley on all social media platforms!

ALAN CHANDLER, he/him

SECOND SEASON (Clifford Bradshaw) Regional Theatre: Knoxville (Asolo Repertory Theatre); Time Stops! (The Kravis Center - FL); Gruesome Playground Injuries, Lone Star, Oliver! (HART Theatre - NC); Pretty Theft (COW Theatre - NYC); Coriolanus, Arcadia, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Great God Brown, The Drowsy Chaperone (Loessin Playhouse - NC). Grateful to Mom, Hannah, and family. I love you, Kyra!

ABBY CHURCH, she/her

FIRST SEASON (Fräulein Kost/Fritzie) Broadway: How to Succeed... (Rosemary u/s), White Christmas. Tours/NY: Billy Elliot (1st Nat’l), 42nd Street (Asia), multiple City Center Encores, Irish Repertory Theatre. Regional favorites: Thoroughly Modern Millie (Millie), Matilda (Miss Honey), Into the Woods (Cinderella), The Drowsy Chaperone (Janet), Crazy for You (Polly), Legendale (Zelayna – US premiere), Great American Trailer Park (Pickles), and many more. Currently featured in commercials/print/VO for Delta, Disney, Bowflex, Zicam, Dave & Busters, Wren, Riunite wine, and Sling TV. BFA in Acting, Ithaca College. Cheers to Bloc and special thanks to Audrey and Silke. Love to the Church-Phillips-Lang-Hunt-Smith family and her cat, Dr. Anthony Meowci. For Shaun, always.

LINCOLN

CLAUSS, he/him

FIRST SEASON (Emcee) is thrilled to be making his Asolo Rep debut. Select credits include Bat Out of Hell (NYC/Toronto), FLY (La Jolla Playhouse), Sweeney Todd (The Muny), Burn All Night (American Repertory Theater), Evocation to Visible Appearance (Actors Theatre of Louisville, Humana Festival of New Plays). He recently starred as Evan Blake/Wolf Spider on the CW’s Batwoman Training: Ball State University. Gratitude to Josh and the entire Asolo Rep team, with Big Love to his folx back in Indy and New York. @lincolnclauss

CHRISTIAN DOUGLASS, he/him

FIRST SEASON (Max) is overjoyed to make his debut on the Mertz stage and is a third-year student at the FSU/Asolo Conservatory. Previous credits include Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf in Into the Woods, Pharaoh/ Jacob in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Glen in The Wedding Singer at The Bigfork Summer Playhouse He enjoys long car rides and quick walks on the beach. Big thanks to Jolene, Mom, Dad, Ryan, Katelyn, and Aunt Rose.

YONI HALLER, he/him

FIRST SEASON (Herman) is thrilled to be making his Asolo Rep debut, and in such an iconic show! Regional: North Shore Music Theatre, New London Barn Playhouse, The Lexington Theatre Company, Theatre by the Sea, Goodspeed Festival of New Musicals, Hartford Stage. BFA The Hartt School, proud alum of Walnut Hill School for the Arts. Rep: Ann Steele Agency. Thanks to everyone at Asolo Rep for this incredibly special opportunity! All the love to my friends, family, and Tanner.

LEEDS HILL, he/him

FIRST SEASON (Hans) is thrilled to be back at the Kit Kat Klub. Broadway: Cabaret (Bobby/“Two Ladies”/Emcee u/s). He understudied Alan Cumming and played the Emcee 7 times on Broadway. National Tours: Cabaret, Mary Poppins (Neleus). Select Regional: Lumiere u/s (understudying Gavin Lee) in Beauty and the Beast (Paper Mill Playhouse), Greg in A Chorus Line (TUTS), Ozzie in Jerome Robbin’s Broadway (The Muny). Immense gratitude and love to my family for all of their support! @leedshill

PHILIP HOFFMAN, he/him

SECOND SEASON (Herr Schultz) was last seen at Asolo Rep 30 years ago, in Frank Wildhorn’s Svengali. A veteran of 12 Broadway shows, including Into the Woods, Falsettos, Is There Life After High School?, Baby, The Scarlet Pimpernel, A Catered Affair, and Cabaret (2014). Off-Broadway: Merrily We Roll Along, A Letter to Harvey Milk, All in the Timing. Regionally: Angels in America, Perestroika, Speed-the-Plow, Hairspray, Lend Me a Tenor, Jekyll & Hyde, and three productions of Titanic. TV: Billions, Bull, Law & Order, The Blacklist, FBI: Most Wanted,

Madoff, Orange Is the New Black, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Plot Against America (HBO). 1philiphoffman.com

EMILY KELLY, she/her

FIRST SEASON (Rosie) is thrilled to be performing at Asolo Rep for the first time in Cabaret! Favorite credits include Grand Hotel (Encores! City Center), Jersey Boys (Francine, Maine State MT & The Fulton), Matilda (Acrobat, Engeman Theatre), A Chorus Line (Maggie, Westchester Broadway), and Mamma Mia! (Ali, Maltz Jupiter & Broadway at Music Circus). Originally from Sacramento, CA; proud Indiana University grad, go Hoosiers! Big thanks to Josh Rhodes and The Collective Talent. All my love to Alex, my amazing fam, and ever-supportive friends! @emckelly

KELLY LESTER, she/her

FIRST SEASON (Fräulein Schneider) is originally from Los Angeles but is now based in NYC. Theatre: Denise in The Baker’s Wife (off-Broadway), Old Lady in Candide (Bangor Symphony Orchestra, ME), Princess Puffer in The Mystery of Edwin Drood (CT Repertory Theatre), Mame (Mame), Urinetown (Pennywise), The Spitfire Grill (Hannah), The Boy from Oz (Marion). TV: Law & Order season 21, Sprung, City on A Hill, Halston, Law & Order: SVU, Angie Tribeca. Film: Your Place or Mine, Becoming Bond, Mr. Church, J. Edgar. Married to actor Loren Lester, parents of 3 actress-daughters: Jenny, Lily, and Julia. kellylester.com and @kellylesternyc

CORINNE MUNSCH, she/her

FIRST SEASON (Helga) is thrilled to be making her Asolo Rep debut! Previous credits include Cheek to Cheek with Randy Skinner (off-Broadway), The Nutty Professor (Ogunquit Playhouse), Judy in A Chorus Line (Signature Theatre), Beauty and the Beast and Mary Poppins (Paper Mill Playhouse). Nat’l Tours: Bullets Over Broadway, Elf, Seven Brides… TV: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Mountains of gratitude to Josh Rhodes and this beautiful cast, crew, and team. She’s sending love to her family at CESD- Rebecca and Sofia, and to her family at home- Avery and their pup Pearl. corinnemunsch.com

NATALIA NIEVES-MELCHOR, she/her

FIRST SEASON (Lulu) was born in Puerto Rico and raised in South Carolina. Her TV credits include The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade On stage, Natalia has appeared in On Your Feet! at the Westchester Broadway Theatre and at The Muny. Also, at The Muny, she appeared in Legally Blonde and worked as a Swing and Assistant Choreographer for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat during the 104th season. Natalia attended Pace University as a Commercial Dance BFA major. She is represented by CESD Talent Agency in New York City. @natalianievesm

BLAKE PRICE, he/him

FIRST SEASON (Ernst Ludwig) is exhilarated to be making his Asolo Rep debut! NYC: NYMF, Freedom Summer (Mickey Schwerner). US National Tours: A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Monty Navarro). Regional: Florida Studio Theatre - Maytag Virgin (Jack Key), North Shore Music Theatre - Oklahoma! (Curly McLain), Palm Beach Dramaworks - The Spitfire Grill (Joe Sutter), Texas Shakes - Carousel (Billy Bigelow). TV/ Film: FBI: Most Wanted (Officer Tillman), Land of the Outlaws (Bobby Ames), Duress (Kurt). Education: BFA Music Theatre Performance, Western Michigan University. Rep: The Price Group, NYC. Twitter/IG: @blakewprice, blakewprice.com

MICHAEL SELTZER, he/him

FIRST SEASON (Bobby) is thrilled to be making his Asolo Rep debut. Based in NYC, he made his Broadway debut in West Side Story as a principal cover for The Jet Boys. He has performed regionally in venues such as The Muny (Jersey Boys and Paint Your Wagon), and The Weston Playhouse (Hair, Lost in Yonkers,  Mamma Mia, and Guys and Dolls). Michael received his BFA in Musical Theater from The Boston Conservatory and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association. Much love to Josh, Lee, Angela, and his family.

JOE AYERS, he/him

FIRST SEASON (Swing) has had the pleasure of working on and off stage at companies such as ACT, Asolo Rep, San Francisco Playhouse, Cal Shakes, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Aurora Theatre Company,

Berkeley Playhouse, 6th Street Playhouse, and Center REP. He holds three BA degrees from UC Berkeley in Theater and Performance Studies, Dance and Performance Studies, and English. He is currently an MFA Acting candidate at the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training in Sarasota, FL.

SYLVIA DAY, she/her THIRD SEASON (u/s Fräulein Schneider) is thrilled to be back at Asolo Rep, where her credits include Fountain (Adelaide/Ensemble), Grand Horizons (u/s Nancy), Sweeney Todd (u/s Mrs. Lovett - performed), Sweat (u/s Tracey), and A Doll’s House, Part 2 (u/s Nora). Off-Broadway credits include 50 Shades of DAY, which she wrote and directed. Locally, she has performed at Florida Studio Theatre, Hermitage Artist Retreat, and SaraSolo Festival. Sylvia has also performed extensively in Europe and speaks five languages. sylvia-day.com

GABRIEL KEARNS, he/him

FIRST SEASON (Swing) is overjoyed to be a part of this fantastic cast and community here at Asolo Rep! Previous Regional: The Cher Show, Newsies, A Chorus Line, Legally Blonde, Saturday Night Fever. National Tour: Hairspray as Sketch and u/s Link Larkin. He is from Houston, TX, and graduated with a BFA from Montclair State University. He would love to thank his entire family, Tara Rubin, Jack, and Dana! @gabrielkearns

MARK KONRAD, he/him

EIGHTH SEASON (u/s Herr Schultz) is delighted to be back again with the Asolo Rep family. Past Asolo Rep credits include u/s Tim, The Cake; Wingblatt, Both Your Houses; Ensemble, The Grapes of Wrath; Senator Dugan, Philadelphia Here I Come; Head G-Man & u/s Martin (performed), You Can’t Take it With You; Wirtz, Operation Epsilon. TV/Film credits include 30Rock,  One Life to Live, and the award-winning Blue Collar Boys. And numerous independent films, short films, music videos, and industrial films.

LIZZIE MARKSON, she/they

FIRST SEASON (Swing) is honored to be here. Huge thanks to Josh, everyone at Asolo Rep, JWS, TR Casting. Select Credits: Farewell National Tour of Mamma Mia! (Sophie), West Side Story at IHI Stage Around Tokyo (Anybodys), Next to Normal (Natalie). Love to my family and close circle. For my resilient queer siblings, Jewish ancestors, and the descendants of millions of people who, without hate, could’ve been here to laugh and cry next to you in the theatre. lizziemarkson.com

KAITLYN MAYSE, she/they

FIRST SEASON (Swing) In honor of Sally Bowles (and so many people who find themselves in similar situations), Kaitlyn has donated to the NNAF. National Tour: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Cinderella), Bandstand (Julia u/s). Select Regional: The Little Mermaid (TUTS), Oklahoma! (The Engeman), Beauty and the Beast (Belle, Variety St. Louis), 1776 (Martha Jefferson, Cardinal Stage). Thank you to Josh, Lee, Danny & Meghan, Tara Rubin Casting, and Bryan. For Edie and Sharon, always. @kaitlynmayse

PETER S. RAIMONDO, he/him

FIRST SEASON (Swing) is a third-year student with the FSU/Asolo Conservatory. He is from Buffalo, NY, and holds a BFA in Theatre Performance from Niagara University. His Conservatory credits include Belleville (Zack), The Learned Ladies (Clitandre), Twelfth Night (Antonio), and Asolo Rep’s BardWired: Much Ado About Nothing (u/s perf., Claudio). Peter is grateful for the love and support of his family, and thrilled to be alongside his cohort, beginning their first season with Asolo Rep.

JOHN VISO, he/him

FIRST SEASON (Swing) is a New York City based performer who was born and raised in Kansas City. He is a Ball State University BFA Musical Theatre alumnus. He would like to thank his friends and family for always supporting his dreams. John is represented by The Price Group. His credits include: MSC Cruises (RWS Entertainment); A Chorus Line, Newsies (The Lexington Theatre Company); Anything Goes, Newsies (Porthouse Theatre); Bright Star (Phoenix Theatre). @visoinlights

AFFILIATIONS

Asolo Repertory Theatre is a constituent of the Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national service organization for theatres. Asolo Rep is a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), the national association of non-profit professional theatres; Florida Professional Theatre Association (FPTA); the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County; and the Manatee County Cultural Alliance.

UNION CREDITS

Asolo Rep operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States; the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society; and the United Scenic Artists Local USA-829, IATSE Local 412 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Moving Pictures Machine Operators of the United States and Canada.

Asolo Rep programs do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, sexual orientation, handicap or age in accordance with federal law.

DAVID A. D e WITT

THIRD SEASON (Trombone) is in his third season at Asolo Rep. David moved to Sarasota in July 2016 after retiring. He taught for 35 years in the Rochester and Buffalo, NY, public schools. He performs with The Manasota Trombone Consort and The Sarasota Jazz Project Big Band, to name a few..

ELLISON

EIGHTH SEASON (Reeds) Asolo Rep: Luck Be a Lady, West Side Story, Josephine, Guys and Dolls, Beatsville, Evita, Ragtime, The Music Man, Sweeney Todd, The Sound of Music, Hair. National Tours - 42nd Street, Pippin, Kinky Boots, The Book of Mormon, Chicago. Leader of local Big Band Sophisticated Swing. Member of local Motown group the Soul Sensations; Bachelor of Music from SUNY Fredonia (New York State).

CARL HAAN

FIRST SEASON (Piano 2) is originally from Chicago but recently relocated to Sarasota from NYC and is super excited to join the Asolo Rep family so soon after moving. He has been blessed to play on Broadway, off-Broadway, regionally, all around Chicago, for a national tour, and on the high seas. He is most proud of teaching at Wagner College and with Rosie’s Theater Kids. Much love to Tugba. XOOX

HARDMAN

FIRST SEASON (Drums) is the former Director of Percussion Studies at the University of Central Oklahoma and originally from Richmond, IN. He has played and/or recorded with numerous world-class musicians, including jazz artists Phil Woods, Bill Watrous, Nat Adderley, and the Woody Herman Band, and pop acts Aretha Franklin, Yes, Ray Charles, and Barry Gibb. He is a member of the Brass Band of Battle Creek and has performed with several symphony orchestras.

ISAAC MINGUS, he/him

FOURTH SEASON (Bass) is a double bassist, cellist, and electric bassist based in Sarasota. He studies neuroscience, psychology, and music at the New College of Florida and is expecting to graduate in January 2023. He intends to pursue a career in clinical neuropsychology following completion of his graduate studies. As a music educator and performer, Isaac has performed, taught, and conducted ensembles in a variety of venues for jazz, classical, rock, and other genres.

MATTHEW OTTE, he/him

FIRST SEASON (Trumpet) is originally from Manchester, NH, and an established freelance musician and educator in the Dallas - Ft. Worth Metroplex and Central Texas area. He has performed with the Missouri Symphony Orchestra, Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of New Spain, Allen Philharmonic, Lone Star Wind Orchestra, Waco Symphony, and several other ensembles. Matthew received his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas and his master’s degree from Baylor University.

WOONKUO SOON

FIRST SEASON (Violin) was born in Singapore. He received his degrees in violin performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He was the first prize winner of the 1987 National Music Competition in Singapore and has performed with many orchestras and theatres in the US. From 2004 to 2017, he was the concertmaster of The Lion King national tour, before retirement.

CHUCK STEVENS

SECOND SEASON (Guitar) has toured the world as a jazz guitarist, as a reader in orchestras for various Broadway shows, and performed throughout Asia as a guitarist and singer. After graduating from Rutgers University in 2001 with a bachelor’s in Music Performance, he moved to New York City, where he performed extensively in jazz clubs such as Blue Note, Smoke, and Smalls. He recently moved back to the US after performing extensively throughout Asia, and began performing in the greater Tampa area with well-known musicians including James Suggs, Chiara Izzi, and Mark Moultrup.

TOM

DAVID

ARTISTIC

Producing Artistic Director

Michael Donald Edwards Managing Director Linda DiGabriele General Manager Corinne Deckard

Associate Artistic Director Celine Rosenthal

Literary Associate Drayton Alexander IDEA Specialist DeWanda Smith-Soeder Company Manager

Cameron Thorp

Artistic Administrator Jessica Eckenrod Assistant Company Manager Gabi Simon

Literary & Casting Apprentice Meredith Bartmon

BUSINESS OFFICE

Finance/Human Resources Director Margot Curry

Human Resources Manager Linda LaCaprucia Staff Accountant Anja Morehouse Business Associate Ellen Dudley Systems Administrator Aron Lamerson

DEVELOPMENT

Interim Development Director

Sarah Johnson

Fellowships/Endowment Associate

Angel Hissom

Corporate Partnerships

Associate Molly Maginn

Development Data Associate/ Special Events Assistant India Marie Paul

EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT

Muriel O’Neil Education & Engagement Director Sara Brunow

Education & Engagement Coordinator

Elizabeth Guilbert

Community Engagement

Associate

Gaby Rodriguez

MARKETING

Marketing & Communications Director

Angela Lakin

Associate Director, Marketing & Communications

Tara McNamara Graphic Designer

Wes Duvall Graphic Designer Joseph LaCrue

Video Media Associate Sophia Marquart

Marketing & Design Associate Emily Goldstein

PATRON SERVICES

Ticket Services Manager

Katie Springer Assistant Ticket Services Manager Rachel Morris Assistant Ticket Services Manager Heidi Thomas House Services Manager Karen Collins

Customer Service Representatives John Anderson, Terry Fazio, Savannah Heslap, Brian Kaplan

PRODUCTION

Production and Operations Director

Victor Meyrich

Production Manager

Mike Rodgers

Technical Director David Ferguson

Associate Technical Director

Shane Streight

Scene Shop Foreman

Peter Macbeth

Assistant Shop Foreman Mark Beach

Senior Properties Master Frank J. Paul Assistant Properties Master Adam Spencer Property Artisan Bill Fenner

Scenic Charge Artist

Jo Ann Waters-Atkins

Assistant Scenic Artist Peter Everly

Scenic Painters

William Park, Orlando Sánchez, Danielle Dygert

Scenic Craftsmen Mike Donoho, Taj Mederios, Allie Phillips Safety Manager

Emily Damm

BACKSTAGE CREW

Master Stage Carpenter Jeff Ellis

Master Sound Engineer Matthew Parker Audio 2 Sean Robinson Audio 3 John Sullivan Master Electrician Ethan Vail

Assistant Electrician Michelle Marcus Spot Operators Steve Cooksey, Oliver Vasquez Wardrobe Supervisor Jodi Urias Wig Assistant Lisa Dufresne

Dressers Deborah Bokleburg, Rietta Jordan

Theatre Properties Head Christy Perry Flyman Christian Wadman Grips Vlastek Valla, Geovi Urias

COSTUME SHOP

Costume Shop Manager David M. Covach

Assistant Costume Shop Manager Jordan Jeffers

Resident Hair/Wig and Makeup Designer Michelle Hart Lead Draper Laine June Marr

Drapers

Jessica Hayes, Skyler Niedziela

Lead Cutter/First Hand Teresa Consolvo

Cutter/First Hand Kris Grooms, Wes Wyman Lead Stitcher Maureen Klein Stitchers

Meg Carlson, June ElisabethTaylor, Cassidy Van Brink Crafts Artist Sarah Cox

STAGE MANAGEMENT

Production Stage Manager Nia Sciarretta

Stage Managers & Assistant Stage Managers

Alexa Burn, Jaclyn Kanter, Kristin Loughry, Jynelly Rosario, Jacqueline Singleton

PRODUCTION SUPPORT

Associate Set Design Jeff Behm

Graduate Set Assistant Laura Swarner

Graduate Costume Assistant Andrea Herrera

Associate Lighting Design Ethan Vail

Lighting Programmer Paul Vaillancourt

Graduate Lighting Assistant Joe Crumlish

Assistant Voice and Dialect Coach Dreaa Kay Baudy

Musician Contractor Mark Neuenschwander

Stage Management Apprentices Grace Pierce, Jackie Richards

Cabaret culture reached its zenith during the Golden Age of Germany’s Weimar Republic. Spanning from 1919 to 1932, this short-lived period has become known for its high living, vibrant urban life, diversity, commitment to democracy, and the popularization of new styles of music and dance. Our cabaret brings to life the final days of this sliver of time in Berlin – 1931 – as the impending rise of Nazi Germany threatened this Golden Age.

The Weimar era saw the birth of sophisticated revolutions in art and entertainment, including Bauhaus, New Objectivism, the silent films of Fritz Lang, and the theatre of Bertolt Brecht. Cabaret stood above all of these as Berlin’s greatest cultural achievement. Immortalized in art and film, Weimar cabaret became known for its color, freedom, decadence, and sharp political commentary. As German society split into polarized camps following inflation, economic depression, and political unrest, the cabarets provided a glitzy paint job covering a sober message of the danger to come.

Berlin was a bustling international metropolis in the 1920s, with tourists flocking from around the world to experience the city’s burgeoning arts and entertainment scene. Like in Paris, where Josephine Baker was the biggest star of the day, Black culture swept Berlin, with American jazz being the rage in the clubs and cabarets. Across the continent, American artists like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington were embraced by the avant-garde, Pan-Africanist cabaret culture, and the performing arts served as a main source of income for Berlin’s population of Black Germans.

For our production, we have embraced the possibility that Sally Bowles’ decision to leave England for Berlin was fueled by the dream of becoming the next Josephine, an opportunity denied to her in Britain. This opens up another facet in our story, as Sally and Cliff Bradshaw’s interracial romance is paralleled by the love between Fräulein Schneider, a Christian, and Herr Schultz, a Jew. How safe will either of these relationships be in the years to come?

Welcome to our cabaret, a glamorous, glitzy place where life is beautiful… so long as the chaotic world outside doesn’t slip in through the cracks.

B y D e W an D a S mith S oe D er , W ith D rayton a lexan D er

C O NVERSATI O N WITH

A

Sarasota audiences know that director/choreographer Josh Rhodes always creates thrillingly original productions of classic musicals. As rehearsals began for Cabaret, Drayton Alexander, Asolo Rep’s new Literary Associate, sat down with Josh to discuss how this production is creating an unforgettable experience of Weimar Berlin.

Photo by Cliff Roles.

Drayton Alexander: Josh, I’m so happy we have finally gotten you down here to direct Cabaret.

Josh Rhodes: Michael’s been asking me to direct it for years, and I’ve turned him down every time. I wanted to be sure that when I did the show, I would have something unique to say, and it took me some time to find the story that we could tell that matched the urgency and vitality of this musical, while also being entertaining as hell.

DA: That was one of the biggest surprises for me. I’m so used to seeing this show where the club is seedy with ramshackle performers, but you’ve gone the opposite route: this cabaret is a showcase of phenomenal talent.

JR: And it should be. These cabarets were the height of entertainment, and the more that things were falling apart, the greater the shows they put on. Here’s something fascinating: after 9/11, people couldn’t buy enough alcohol and nail polish, because when you are blue, you will paint those nails and you want to party. So, the Kit Kat Klub gives you an escape, but escape doesn’t mean it’s mindless. The cabaret holds a mirror up to society, it makes political commentary, but it’s first and foremost about the energy created by all these young artists who are determined to have a good time and make great art.

DA: Which is so key, because we’re talking the 1920s and early 1930s, which was a real Golden Age for Weimar Germany. Berlin was a hotbed of culture and arts and pushing boundaries.

JR: It was this cultural revolution in Berlin. Germany was a true democracy, political and social opportunities were being created for women, for Jewish people, for gay people, for Black people. It was a haven, and folks were going there from all over Europe for the artists and for the experience. It wasn't Nazi Germany yet. This is still that sliver of time when something beautiful could happen.

DA: Even as things are going a little crazy. In this brief decade, Germany is going through constant political and economic upheaval. There’s high unemployment and a government that can’t quite function the way it’s supposed to. There’s a growing lack of trust in institutions. All of that’s very present in the Kit Kat Klub you’ve created.

JR: This is a show about survivors, about artists who are finding beauty and joy as a way to keep living. When I sat down to work on the set,

I said to our brilliant set designer Tijana, “I would love this to be a room that was once glorified by brilliant artists who made something beautiful even though it might be a little older and needs a couple more coats of paint.” I wanted to celebrate that artists were thriving in this era, even if the make-up and the nail polish are covering up their poverty, even if while they’re dancing they’re also looking for someone who will buy them a meal afterward.

DA: You say this is a world of survivors, and perhaps the greatest survivor of them all is Sally Bowles. How did you approach this character?

JR: Sally is such a great contradiction: this vibrant life force who is also broken and a bit lost. I think she has an innocence, a guilelessness, and a hedonistic quality that makes her feel childlike, but she’s also deeply intelligent. She knows how the world works. And she’s an incredible entertainer It’s become this cliche – “Oh, Sally’s a bad singer” – but I think it’s so much more compelling if Sally is a phenomenal performer who should be the star of Berlin, but she just can’t quite get her life together. And with Iris Beaumier in the role, we open wonderful possibilities about Sally’s journey and her ambitions that haven’t been seen before. You know, she was sitting in England seeing Josephine Baker be this huge star in Paris, and she thought, “I can do that, I can be Berlin’s Josephine.” And part of the tragedy is that she could, but things keep going wrong along the way.

DA: Josh, our audiences have come to expect some sort of Big Awesome Moment from you. Without giving anything away, what can you tell us about what you have in store?

JR: Well, for this production, I’ve really pulled out all the stops, so you can expect surprises galore the whole night. But in terms of those moments that we’ve had in shows like Evita and The Sound of Music, I think those tend to come at the end, and they’re answering the question of: What is this story about? What do we want the audience to walk away thinking of? And the genius of Cabaret is that it is about an event that affected the entire world, millions of people, but it’s told through the lives of six people in a rooming house and another 15 people in a cabaret. It’s this very intimate story that is about the entire world. The final gesture of the show is about finding a way to bring all of us together to remember the larger event.

Alejo Vietti, Costume Designer

The design was very much led by the idea of escape and of glamour, of the necessity of escape in difficult times. When you look at the 1930s, you have the most glamorous movies coming out of the Great Depression, because people need that dream. That’s why they go to this cabaret, to get away from the everyday problems, so the dancers at the club should be kind of magical and sexy and dreamlike.

The world of the Kit Kat Klub is created through a collaboration between director and designers.

Our cabaret is a place where you can leave your troubles behind.

Director Josh Rhodes and designers Tijana Bjelajac, Cory Pattak, and Alejo Vietti collaborated to create a deliciously intoxicating world.

Rhodes, Director

The club is this fake world that they can go in, leave behind their poverty, and put on something gorgeous for the night to give the illusion of grandeur.

Tijana Bjelajac, Set Designer

We wanted a cabaret that would envelop you in this bubble. You can tell that the club used to be very glamorous and beautiful, and even though it’s fallen on tough times, they’re still working very hard to maintain this beautiful escape from the heaviness and danger. They really try to keep the world at bay, but the reality nevertheless seeps into the club.

Cory Pattak, Lighting Designer

Tijana has created a world that is surrounded by darkness, and people can appear and disappear out of lots of different places in the set. We’re utilizing multiple scrims, which create a haziness where you can sort of see through them, but they’re also a bit of an obstruction.

Tijana Bjelajac

It was important for us that the audience in the theatre feel like they are drawn into the bubble, and so we have a space for everyone in the set: orchestra, performers, and audience. That’s why the design falls off the stage and into the Mertz – we are in this bubble together.

Cory Pattak

I’m not just lighting the stage, but the auditorium as well. From the moment the audience enters, they’re in this world, and I really hope that it does feel like they are being transported back to another time and place, like they’re a patron at the Kit Kat Klub, rather than sitting in a theatre in Sarasota.

Alejo Vietti

The dancers in the cabaret, they know that they are creating a fantasy for the audience, and their costumes for these musical numbers reflect that.

So in designing, I can be playful or provocative. I’m definitely pulling on the eroticism the club.

Josh

Cory Pattak

A lot of my work is making sure that we use the light to really sculpt the dancers, so we see the fullness of their expression, every little finger move, every little move of their foot. That means we have a lot of light from the sides and from behind, so we capture that silhouette. We want to see the performers and their bodies as a shape and as a whole.

The cabaret never really goes away in our production. Even when we’re in other locations, the Kit Kat Klub lingers, so we’re always in that dark, smoky world. It’s a fantasy that envelops the reality.

Josh Rhodes

The show begins with the word “Welcome.” The Emcee invites us to join him in this escape, so it was important to me that he be relatable as a person, rather than being otherworldly or ghostly. The audience should feel like he’s our friend, that we want to hang out with him even if he doesn’t always tell us what we want to hear. Alejo began by finding a silhouette that is very recognizable, that looks like someone you might see on the street outside

Alejo Vietti

The Emcee is a fascinating character, because he doesn’t participate in any of the scenes in terms of the storyline of the show, but he’s a very pivotal character, the one that carries us through the world. He also has some of the most politically charged content in the show, like the songs “Money” or “If You Could See Her,” which are done in a very ironic way. So, I wanted to be playful and reflect that façade by having a little fun with the stuffiness of the European upper class, so he’s wearing a reinterpretation of formal wear in a kind of irreverent way, with many different fashion influences.

Josh Rhodes

He’s in a version of the suit all night, because we want him to be identifiable as a traditional MC, but we also deconstruct the outfit and complicate his narrative. Every version of the outfit has a toughness and a softness, with elements of masculine glamour and feminine glamour. There are these layers to how he presents himself.

Tijana Bjelajac

The set plays a lot with layers and levels. The structure goes very high and very deep, and you can see all the way to the back wall, but it is also very close to the audience. The entire design has these contradictions.

Josh Rhodes

I love that it’s this beautifully realized club, but it’s hollow – you can see right through it like an X-ray. I wanted the sense that it’s incredibly strong but could fall down at any moment. And then Tijana is such an incredible painter that I asked her to create an original artwork for us.

Tijana Bjelajac

As we look through the set, we see a huge mural on this old, ruined wall. Someone painted a face, and we don’t know if it’s screaming, or laughing, or singing, or crying… or doing all of that at the same time. That’s the essence of the world of this play.

Alejo Vietti

The thing with Sally that I think is fascinating is that even though she is in both the world of the cabaret and the real world outside the club, she lives in her own world, the world that Sally wants to be in. She talks about how she paints her nails green and she’s definitely a cockeyed optimist. I think she sees things through multicolored, tinted glass. She sees the glass half-full at all times. So, you’ll see certain patterns that run through her clothing, whether she’s at the club or the boarding house, because for Sally, they’re all a creation. Of course, that means we have to go even further with her cabaret costumes.

Josh Rhodes

I tend to free associate when I do my research, and I saw an image of an actress wearing nothing but suspenders and beautiful long black pants, and I was like I would kill for Sally Bowles to wear that. Of course, Alejo is a big movie buff, so he knew right away that it was The Night Porter, and he made his own version. I like that it mixes toughness with softness. She has the gloves and the military hat, so she feels very strong, but she’s also very exposed. I just think that is Sally Bowles right there. She’s a walking broad nerve that is going to survive. She’s the cockroach of Berlin, she’ll outlive all of us.

Set renderings by Tijana Bjelajac. Costume renderings by Alejo Vietti.

Asolo Rep’s Capital Campaign for Growth and Expansion

Cabaret was the first show to rehearse in the new Margot and Warren Coville Rehearsal Hall at the recently opened expansion of Asolo Rep’s Robert and Beverly Koski Center. This expansive super rehearsal hall is large enough to accommodate full sets and even features a built-in pit, giving artists an opportunity to work with key production elements from the very beginning of the rehearsal process.

Attention now turns to the final phase of the expansion project - renovating two existing buildings on the Koski Center campus in order to complete the master vision of an all-in-one theatre-making center. These renovated spaces will furnish a complete costume suite (construction and storage), classrooms, and additional rehearsal and studio spaces.

propel Asolo Rep into

contact: Sarah Johnson · sarah_johnson@asolo.org

PHOTO BY CLIFF ROLES

Josh Rhodes directs the cast of Cabaret in the Coville Rehearsal Hall.

PHOTO BY SOPHIA MARQUART

Join us in the Pursuit of Excellence!

You’ve already chosen the very best way to support Asolo Rep by purchasing a ticket for Cabaret! But did you know that box office income alone cannot cover production costs? For a resplendent musical like Cabaret, expenses can mount up quickly!

In 2006, Asolo Rep champions Lee and Bob Peterson founded the Artistic Excellence Society to implement the ambitious artistic vision of Michael Donald Edwards’ inaugural season. Since then, AES funds have enabled Michael to choose productions that embody a spirit of risk-taking, collaboration, and innovation: the spectacular entrance, from on high, of Ana Isabelle in Evita; the life-size, life-like railway carriages in Murder on the Orient Express; the Cook Theatre transformed into a raucous wrestling ring in The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity!

June 30 marks Michael’s departure from Asolo Rep at the completion of his 18th season. Cabaret, The Three Musketeers, and Man of La Mancha will receive special production enhancement, made possible by gifts to AES. You purchased your ticket, perhaps you even made a gift in support of this season. Will you consider an additional contribution in Michael’s honor and join us as an AES Champion this special year?

Contact Interim Development Director Sarah Johnson at sarah_johnson@asolo.org to make a 100% tax-deductible gift.

Thank you

to our donors for your new and increased gifts. (Gifts pledged or received for the 2022-23 season between August 1 and October 18, 2022)

DIRECTORS SOCIETY, BRAVO

Georgia and Terry Anderson

George and Susan Brooks

Doug and Kathy Engebretson Karen W. Harris, in memory of Bert M. Harris

Dorothy Lawrence Jerome Levy

John and Judith Lynch Professional Facilities Management, Inc.

Martin D. and Barbara H. Rich Family Charitable Foundation

Vinod and Gail Sahney

PARTNERSHIP WITH FSU/ ASOLO CONSERVATORY

Gary Cook

The Elster Foundation

EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT

Barbara and Tom Gardner

CELESTIAL ANGELS

Mr. and Mrs. Alden Abraham Donald Fosselman

Dr. and Mrs. William B. Grubb Jr. William and Sandra Heerman Michael and Janice Novello

Sora Yelin, in memory of Cary F. Yelin

ATTENDANT ANGELS

Linda and Gene Crump

Drs. Michael and Ann Day

SPIRIT ANGELS

Dr. Jameel Audeh

Jean and Ted Ingersoll

ASOLO REP ENDOWMENT FUND

The DeCecco Family, in memory of Dominic DeCecco

BROADWAY BEGINS HERE, ASOLO REP CAPITAL FUND

Lynn Chancer

Nannette Sloan, in honor of Ann and Tom Charters

Ana Isabelle in Asolo Rep's production of Evita.