Cabaret on Broadway

Hey There Love Bug,

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of checking out the national tour of the Tony award winning musical, Cabaret!  I didn’t really know what to expect since I had never seen the film or researched the plot, so I was kind of excited to be totally surprised for once!  I have to say, I was totally blown away with the show and can’t wait to see the film now!  Here are 5 reasons you’ll want to check out Cabaret when it comes to a city near you!

5. The Storyline

Cabaret takes place during the 1930s in Berlin, when World War II was underway and there was much turmoil in Europe.  Cliff, an American writer, arrives in Berlin and decides to live in an inexpensive boarding house where he befriends the tenants and ends up checking out the local cabaret style lounge, the Kit Kat Club.  Here he meets Sally Bowles, the lead performer at the club.  Despite being confused over his sexuality, they fall for each other.  The Kit Kat Club is a place where many go to get away from the political events taking place during this era.  While Sally and Cliff are the main storyline here, there are a few other relationships that the audience follows along with since these characters live in the boarding house as well.  I am a huge history fan and I personally love anything vintage.  This storyline was unique and had several twists and turns which made it exciting and fun.  I also love that there were several ‘laugh out loud’ moments included in the dialogue (since this was a rather dark time in history).  It was also interesting to see the incorporation of so many issues that occurred back then and are still spoken of or dealt with today (Nazis, homosexuality, etc.).

4. The Costumes

Anything vintage makes my heart beat a little faster and this show did just that with their awesome costuming.  I absolutely loved the design of the old school coats, dresses, wigs, and make-up looks.  The characters were well put together, right down to the cigarettes.  My absolute favorite costuming though had to be the Kit Kat Club ensemble and Sally’s performance outfits.  Fishnet stockings, feather boas, garter belts, messy hair, and black leather were all part of this bad ass girl group.  I honestly felt I was taken back to this historical time in history, and truthfully, I didn’t want to leave!

3. The Band

I’m no stranger to broadway and i know the orchestra is always below the stage.  Not this time!  Cabaret had the entire orchestra above the actors heads on the actual stage.  It was such a unique look and I loved how many of the extras on stage would swiftly walk up and down the stairs and hang out with the band during the show.  The music was spectacular and watching the instrument players was refreshing, since the audience normally doesn’t see them in a typical play setting.

2. The Emcee

There is usually a character or two that steals the show, and the emcee did just that.  The Emcee is the narrator for the entire show, and I have to say, he is extremely hilarious.  His erotic behavior and fast one liners had the entire audience in laughter multiple times during the show.  He even interacts with the audience just as act 2 begins.  I really enjoyed his performance!

1. It’s Raunchy

By now you can most likely assume this play isn’t geared towards the little ones.  While this show is amazing, you may want to leave your little love bugs at home to check this one out.  I really don’t mind raunchy material if it is presented well and I loved how it was incorporated into the plot for this show.  I felt the raunchy material really spiced things up and gave it more of an edge.  While this is set back in the 1930s, the content is still very relatable to things today.

I give Cabaret 5 out of 5 stars for its amazing acting, music, and overall quality f the show!

Have you seen Cabaret on Broadway?  What did you think?  Comment below!

XO, NAT

Disclosure:  All images and opinions are my own.