CABARET Now Playing at The University Theatre

The University Theatre's season finale is opening with a big, inviting party. That's one reason why Act 1 of "Cabaret" is so adored and a reason the musical's ending hits so hard, said Markus Potter, director and artistic director/assistant professor in the Department of Theatre & Dance. "It's fun, until it's not."

"Cabaret" takes audience members to the Kit Kat Club and Fraulein Schneider's boarding house in Germany 1930, with the rise of Nazism as the backdrop. The show compels us to ask "what would you do?" if you were faced with the threat of hate and oppression or if you saw a friend's ignorance and apathy might cost them everything, Potter said.

"'Cabaret' doesn't show us the horrors of the Holocaust; instead, it shows how hard it was to even imagine those horrors until it was too late to stop them," said professor Henry Bial, whose research centers on the portrayal of Jewish people in theatre and popular culture. Bial will play the role of Herr Schultz, the love interest of Schneider, who will be played by Laura Kirk, associate teaching professor in the Department.

Performances are April 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 27, and 29 at 7:30pm and April 22, 23, 29 and 30 at 2:30pm on Stage Too! Crafton-Preyer Theatre at Murphy Hall, and all performances have sold out already, with new overflow seats added. Tickets can be reserved at kutheatre.com, by calling 785-864-3982, or in person Monday-Friday noon-5pm at the Box Office in Murphy Hall. Stage Too! is a configuration of the Crafton-Preyer Theatre where both the audience and playing area are on stage. It provides a more intimate setting.

"Cabaret's" highly celebrated musical score gives fuel to choreography by Michelle Heffner Hayes, professor in the Department, who has deviated from Bob Fosse's original work. Musical direction is provided by Ryan McCall, musical director and faculty member in the Department.

Students are working side-by-side with faculty in the areas of performance, design, direction, and stage management. Some of these company members are featured in the production's podcast, "Willkommen: A Companion Podcast to The University of Kansas's Cabaret," which can be found at https://wilkommenkucabaret.podbean.com.

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