Interview: Obie-winning Actress Shannon Cochran Talks Roundabout Theatre's National Tour of CABARET

Roundabout Theatre Company presents Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall's Tony Award-winning version of Kander & Ebb's wildly popular Broadway musical, CABARET. True, it is a revival, but the grittiness of Mendes and Marshall's production sets it apart from its forebears.

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Grittiness aside, CABARET takes place in Weimar Germany at its peak. (Imagine America's Roaring Twenties or CHICAGO.) The bubbly is flowing, the parties are long, the skirts are short, and the music is hot. Sexy, carefree cabaret performer Sally Bowles makes sure of that. If anyone wants to go to hell in a fast car just to keep it hot, it's Sally. But hell is hotter than she thinks. Hell is the impending formation of the Hitler regime and the enacting of one of the world's greatest atrocities. "[W]ith the rise of Hitler and Nazism, life in Berlin changes for everyone," says CABARET performer Shannon Cochran.

The musical begins before the tragedy. In 1929, American novelist Clifford Bradshaw arrives in proto-Nazi Berlin with the hope that Germany's good times will spark his imagination. Sally fulfills his wish. Well, she certainly sparks something, and Cliff falls for her, a dancing, singing minx with a regular gig at the Kit Kat Club, which Cochran describes as a "raucous, risqué nightclub."

Fraülein Schneider, Cochran's CABARET character, is decidedly less spicy and seemingly minor. The Fraülein is simply a boardinghouse owner who rents to the love-struck Cliff. But her story is much more epic than meets the eye. She has a Jewish lover, Herr Schultz, in an atmosphere of overwhelming anti-Semitism. Fraülein Schneider and her beau quickly realize the doomed future of their love. Foolishly, Sally and Cliff do not. Fraülein Schneider's response to this willful ignorance is "What Would You Do," Cochran's second number in the show. Not coincidentally, Cochran says the number is one of her favorite songs to sing. "[It is] a scorching indictment of Cliff, Sally, and all the people who stick their heads in the sand when trouble is approaching," she says.

There are many versions of CABARET. This particular production is a revival of a revival. But Cochran made sure to put her own spin on the role. Traditionally, the Fraülein is portrayed as grey, plain, and dour. Cochran's version of the character is significantly more regal. "[T]here can be dignity and grace in many different roles, even for the very poor or downtrodden characters, and Fraülein Schneider is one such proud and dignified character. She's a graceful survivor," says Cochran.

Cochran is sure the touring version of CABARET will make a believer out of even the most resistant audience member. "It's a look at a period in Germany that was bohemian and exotic, just before World War II and the Holocaust. Combining sexy, funny musical songs and dances with a really strong and powerful storyline, there's something for everyone in the show," she says. "I don't know of any other play that does that."

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CABARET. Through March 27. 7:30 p.m. Sunday; 8 p.m. Saturday; and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Hobby Center/ Sarofim Hall, 500 Bagby Street. thehobbycenter.org

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