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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT NOVEMBER 10, 2022
YOUROBSERVER.COM
In here, life is
beautiful MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR
I
n the twilight of the Jazz age, author Christopher Isherwood was down and out in Berlin. His “Goodbye to Berlin” told the fictional story of those hard times. In 1966, playwright Joe Masteroff,
composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb distilled a great story from Isherwood’s prose and John Van Druten’s stage adaptation. A hit Broadway musical called “Cabaret” was the result. Thanks to the musical’s perennial revivals (and Bob Fosse’s 1973 film adaptation), many theatergoers (and critics) know the story by heart. The musical’s tale of a struggling writer, a burlesque bimbo, a seedy nightclub and its decadent performers and patrons is as familiar as “A Christmas Carol.” We’ve seen it all before. Or have we? Josh Rhodes, director and choreographer of the Asolo Repertory Theatre’s upcoming production of “Cabaret,” has a different take. In his reimagined version, the Kit Kat Klub’s performers are artists, not decadent losers. His Sally Bowles is no bimbo — she’s an emerging star along the lines of Josephine Baker. His Emcee isn’t a cynical showman on the fringes of society; he’s an artistic director who’s created an alternative society for nonconforming artists he cares about. I’ve never seen that before — and I can’t wait to see it. Based on our following conversation, you’ll probably feel the same way. SEE CABARET, PAGE 2
Courtesy photo
Iris Beaumier and Lincoln Clauss star in the Asolo Repertory Theatre’s production of “Cabaret.”