Nathan Lee Graham, Hunter Ryan Herdlicka & Liz Pearce Star in The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis' CABARET, Beg. Tonight

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (The Rep) presents the sensational musical Cabaret, with book by Joe Masteroff, music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and directed and choreographed by Tony Award nominee Marcia Milgrom Dodge. This classic American musical will be performed on the Browning Mainstage of the Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts, 130 Edgar Road (on the campus of Webster University), Webster Groves, tonight, September 11-October 6, 2013.

Curtain times are Tuesday at 7 pm; Wednesday-Friday at 8 pm; selected Wednesday matinees at 1:30 pm; Saturday matinees at 5 pm; selected Saturday nights at 9 pm; Sunday matinees at 2 pm; and selected Sunday evenings at 7 pm. Ticket prices start at just $16.50 (previews) and $20 (regular performances). To purchase, visit The Rep Box Office, located inside the Loretto-Hilton Center, charge by phone by calling (314) 968-4925, or visit The Rep's Online Box Office at http://www.repstl.org.

Major sponsorship for this production is provided by Emerson.

In this multi award-winning musical, a young, naïve American writer arrives in 1930s Berlin and is swept away by the decadent pleasures of the sexy, seedy world that is the Cabaret. At the center of it all is the beguiling Sally Bowles, who takes the stage every night. Inside the Kit Kat Klub life is beautiful, but outside the world is about to change.

African American actor and Webster University Conservatory of Theatre Arts alum Nathan Lee Graham (Broadway: Priscilla Queen of the Desert and The Wild Party; Film: Zoolander, Sweet Home Alabama and Hitch) will play the Emcee in The Rep's production. "Yes, our story is centered on the German-Jewish-Nazi conflict, but the person who invites the audience into this story; the one who breaks the fourth wall and comments on the action; the one who satirizes the plight of Sally Bowles and her unlikely suitor, Cliff; the one who portends to know the outcome, is the Emcee. What an exciting opportunity to add another layer to this story in a way that makes it even more provocative in its telling in the year 2013," said director and choreographer Marcia Milgrom Dodge. "Our production will explore the insidious progression, the slow unfolding, of how the Nazis insinuated themselves into the German psyche. Our scrappy nightclub is the metaphor for Hitler's rise to power; Sally Bowles' myopic perspective on life reflects the political apathy among some Germans; Cliff's sense of foreboding suggests the opposite," said Dodge.

"I am thrilled that we will be opening our season with the landmark musical Cabaret. It promises to be a very exciting adventure. Marcia Milgrom Dodge attracted a magnificent cast to perform in this highly entertaining and consequential musical. Being able to share it with our audiences is something we are all looking forward to," said Steven Woolf, artistic director of The Rep.

The cast of Cabaret at The Rep is Blake Ellis as Ernst, Nathan Lee Graham as the Emcee, Hunter Ryan Herdlicka as Cliff, Michael Marotta as Herr Schultz, Mary GorDon Murray as Fraulein Schneider, Liz Pearce as Sally Bowles, Dana Winkle as Fraulein Kost, and Bradley Benjamin, Blake Clendenin, Carl Draper, Timothy Hughes, Jolina Javier, Dennis Kenney, Sean Maddox, and Angelica Richie in the ensemble.

The Rep's production of Cabaret is directed and choreographed by Tony Award nominee Marcia Milgrom Dodge.

The creative staff also includes; Michael Schweikardt (Frost/Nixon at The Rep), set designer; Angela Wendt (Rent on Broadway), costume designer; John Lasiter (Sunday in the Park with George at The Rep), lighting designer; sound design by ACME Sound Partners (Tony nomination Porgy and Bess on Broadway); Glenn Dunn, stage manager; and Shannon B. Sturgis, assistant stage manager.

For more information about The Rep's production of Cabaret including a guide introducing the characters, plot and background on the play; photos related to the production; and more, visit The Rep's comprehensive public website at http://www.repstl.org.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride