Photo Flash: Engeman Thetare's CABARET

The John W. Engeman Theater is proud to announce the cast and creative team for their upcoming production of Cabaret, which begins previews on Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 8:00pm and officially opens on February 5, 2011 at 8:00pm.  Cabaret  will run until March 27, 2011.  This production is based on the 1998 Broadway revival choreographed and co-directed by Rob Marshall and directed by Sam Mendes.   
 
Set in 1931 Berlin, Cabaret takes place in and around the seedy Kit Kat Klub, one of the many cabarets that populated Berlin at the time.  Clifford Bradshaw, a young, American writer, comes to the city in the hopes of finding inspiration for his new novel.  It is at the Kit Kat Klub that he finds his inspiration - Sally Bowles, a young, English cabaret performer.  They fall in love and begin to enjoy their life together.  Their joy is short-lived; however, as the growing influence of the Nazi party begins to infect every aspect of life in Berlin.  The hardships the people of Berlin are forced to endure and the declining state of the city, are commented upon by the ever-present Emcee and the cabaret girls at the Kit Kat Klub.  Meanwhile, Cliff and Sally struggle to keep their relationship alive under these difficult circumstances.  Both powerful and thought provoking, Cabaret boasts an impressive list of songs such as Willkommen, Two Ladies, The Money Song, and the title song Cabaret. 
 
Cabaret is produced for the John W. Engeman Theater by Richard T. Dolce, the theater's Producing Artistic Director. 
 
BT McNICHOLL, the Director, won the 2003 Australian "Tony" Award (the Helpmann) for his direction of Cabaret, after having been the Associate Director of the Broadway production; he went on to stage record-setting runs of the musical in Paris and Madrid.  Other international credits include premieres of Billy Elliot in Asia and The Producers in Europe.  He has been associated with a dozen Broadway plays and musicals with directors Mike Nichols, Sam Mendes, Rob Marshall, David Hare, James Lapine, Jerry Zaks and Stephen Daldry.  He is the BMI Award-winning lyricist of "The IT Girl" and is proudly part of MGM On Stage.  Regionally, he has staged successful productions for the Goodspeed Opera House and Walnut Street Theater, among others.    
 
The Associate Director/Co-Choreographer is Michael O'Donnell, has recently been an Associate Director (Director: BT McNicholl) on the National Tour of Spamalot, Paper Mill Playhouse's Peter Pan starring Douglas Sills and The Full Monty starring Elaine Stritch.  He was also credited as Writer/Director of the feature-film: "Moving Mike".  The Co-Choreographer is ANDREA CHRISTINE LEIGH, this will be her seventh production of Cabaret, including two National Tours (Asst Choreographer), regionally (Westchester Bway Theatre, Ogunquit, Foothills), and Paris at the Folies Bergere (Asst Choreographer).  Other choreography includes Cabaret for USD and various concerts.   
 
Musical Director, Bruce Barnes Broadway credits include Peter Pan and Cabaret. Off-Broadway credits include Peter and the Wolf, Nunsense, Everything the Traffic Will Allow, Class Mothers of '68.  His National Tours include Cats, Peter Pan, Cabaret, Kiss Me, Kate, Jesus Christ Superstar, Camelot, Happy Days.  
 
The Casting Director is Stephen DeAngelis who has been a member of the John W. Engeman Theater since its inception and has cast all of the main stage productions as well as the ongoing Broadway Concert Series. Stephen is on staff at Grey NYC having cast over 2,200 network television and radio commercials.
 
The Design Team includes: Court Watson (Scenic Designer) who returns to the John W. Engeman Theater after traveling to Germany to design Jekyll & Hyde. Court also designed Little Shop Of Horrors, Lend Me A Tenor, Other People's Money, The Foreigner, Run For Your Wife and Fiddler On The Roof for the John W. Engeman Theater.  Gail Baldoni (Costume Designer) Costume Designer Design credits include My Fair Lady starring Kelsey Grammar at The New York Philharmonic, Wonderful Town at New York City Opera and an Emmy nomination for NBC's "Another World".  Richard Latta (Lighting Designer) whose regional credits include All Shook Up, Les Miserables, The Devils' Music, Chicago, Dracula, Spamalot, Sunset Boulevard, Sound of Music, Drowsy Chaperone and Fiddler On The Roof; CRAIG KAUFMAN (Sound Designer) recent credits at The John W. Engeman Theater include Fiddler on the Roof and Run for Your Wife, other recent credits include Sunday in the Park with George at Porchlight Theatre in Chicago and Perez Hilton the Musical at The New York City Fringe Festival.  Mark Adam Rampmeyer (Hair and Wig Designer) returns for his fourth season at the John W. Engeman Theater.  Currently his work can be seen in The Roundabout Theatre Production of The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore with Olympia Dukakis.  Recent Broadway credits include West Side Story and The Farnsworth Invention with Hank Azaria. Mark joins the John W. Engeman Theater this season in a full time role as Artistic Administrator in addition to his design responsibilities.
 
The Production Manager is Michael J. Leslie.  The Production Stage Manager is ROBERT V. THURBER.
 
The Cabaret cast features: Kate Fahrner (Sally Bowles) who recently appeared in the Nation Tours of Wicked as Glinda, Lincoln Center's South Pacific, Cats and The Full Monty.   Adam Greer (Clifford Bradshaw) whose credits include Mary Stuart and Cymbline at Lincoln Center, Hamlet, What You Get and What You Expect, and Straight Jacket.  Jon Peterson (Emcee) was recently featured in a one-man show called Song Man Dance Man; he also appeared in Singin' In The Rain as CosMo Brown.  On Broadway he played the Emcee in Cabaret.  Scott Robertson (Herr Schultz) has appeared in Cabaret at Studio 54, Damn Yankees with Jerry Lewis, Boys From Syracuse, Mayor, Grease, Pajama Game and Music Man.  Lori Wilner (Fräulein Schneider) was recently on Broadway in A Catered Affair, The Diary of Anne Frank with Natalie Portman and Linda Lavin, Fiddler on the Roof opposite Harvey Fierstein, Awake and Sing and Those Were the Days.  Fred Rose (Ernst Ludwig) appeared in Cyrano de Bergerac on Broadway with Kevin Kline and Jennifer Garner; Company, Cabaret and The Phantom of the Opera.  Laura Shoop (Fräulein "Fritzie" Kost) Broadway credits include Fiddler On The Roof, Oklahoma, Bernarda Alba; and at Carnegie Hall Jerry Springer:The Opera.  She was also in Run For Your Wife at the John W. Engeman Theater.    
 
The cast also includes: TAMMASO ANTICO (Victor) who toured with Cabaret, Hairspray and Altarboyz; Richard Costa (Hans) credits include Spamalot, Cabaret and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes; ERIC JETNER (Bobby) performed in Cabaret, Zorro and Fame the Euro Tour.  Michael Murnoch (Herman, Max) credits include Hair, Grease and Cabaret.  SHANA MAHONEY (Texas) appeared in the 1st National Tour of Cabaret, other credits include Cats, Evita and Forbidden Broadway; KELLY PAREDES (Helga) previously toured with Cabaret in Korea, Japan and North America; Christina Pawl (Rosie) was in the original cast of the revival of Cabaret, Meet Me in St. Louis and South Pacific at Lincoln Center.  VIRGINIE PERRIER (Frenchie) appeared in Grease, Singin' In The Rain, Zoro and Cabaret;and AUDREY SENNESSE (Lulu) whose credits include Cabaret, Grease, My Fair Lady, West Side Story and Hair.  ANDREA CHRISTINE LEIGH (Ensemble, Gorilla) who recently appeared in National Tours of Cabaret, Oklahoma!, Phantom and Brigadoon and  ANDREW LEGGIERI (Ensemble) whose credits include Damn Yankees at the John W. Engeman Theater; Tour credits include Grease and Fame. 

Photo Credit: Scott A. Kraft