CABARET Set as the Next Production at the Washington Crossing Open Air Theatre

"What good is sitting alone in your room. Come hear the music play" when the Washington Crossing Open Air Theatre features the musical Cabaret as the next production. Set to begin Friday, August 26, the musical continues through Sunday, September 4 with performances on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 pm.

The time is 1930s Berlin just before the beginning of World War II when the Nazi party was growing stronger. The setting, the smoky, seedy Kit Kat Klub. It is at the club where young American writer Cliff Bradshaw sees and falls in love with headliner Sally Bowles who performs nightly. Overseeing all of the action at the Kit Kat Klub is the Master of Ceremonies or Emcee. The club itself serves as a metaphor for the ominous political developments happening in Germany at the time.

Based on the book "The Berlin Stories" by Christopher Isherwood, and with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb and book by Joe Masteroff, the original 1966 Broadway production of Cabaret was the winner of numerous Tony Awards including Best Musical and Choreography. Subsequent Broadway revivals in 1987, 1998 and 2014 also received numerous critical accolades and awards. The original Broadway production was turned into a film starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York and Joel Grey, and received eight Academy Awards.

The Open Air Theatre production of Cabaret features a cast familiar to audiences of the outdoor venue. Leading the cast as the Emcee is Louis Palena. Palena has served as co-artistic director of the Open Air Theatre for 6 seasons and starred in numerous productions. He has been seen as Bobby Child in Crazy for You, Frederick Frankenstein in Young Frankenstein, the Cat in the Hat in Seussical the Musical and Sweeney Todd in the musical of the same name. Additionally, he plays Dr. Frank N. Furter in the annual production of The Rocky Horror Show that takes place each Halloween in New Hope. Playing Sally Bowles is Lauren Brader who previously appeared on the Open Air stage in the roles of Maria in The Sound of Music, Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street and most recently as Meg March in this season's production of Little Women. Portraying Cliff Bradshaw is Matt Staley. Staley portrayEd Emmett Forrest, another memorable boyfriend, in the 2015 production of Legally Blonde the Musical. Also in the cast is Toni Thompson as Fraulein Schneider, Chris Uchrin as Herr Schultz, Jill Palena as Fraulein Kost and Patrick Mertz as Ernst.

The Washington Crossing Open Air Theatre production of Cabaret will be performed on Friday, August 26, Saturday, August 27 and Sunday, August 28 at 7:30. The musical returns for a second weekend of performances on September 2, 3 and 4 at 7:30. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children (ages 12 and under). Tickets can always be purchased at the Open Air Theatre Box Office a half-hour prior to the performance. Group discounts are available.

For complete information about the 2016 Summer Season of mainstage shows, children's theatre productions, directions and more, visit the website at www.downtownpac.com. The Washington Crossing Open Air Theatre is located inside Washington Crossing State Park at 455 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road in Titusville, New Jersey. Box Office phone is (267) 885-9857.


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