Cabaret

2011/2012 Season

“...this is a sexy, flashy, entertaining show...makes for a nicely raunchy cure to the January blahs” - Richard Ouzounian, Toronto Star

“It’s brazen, it’s ribald, it’s wonderfully designed and it’s a great night out.” - Wayne Leung, Mooney on Theatre

Cabaret
Book by Joe Masteroff
Based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood
Music by John Kander
Lyrics by Fred Ebb

Directed by Adam Brazier

Jan 13 - 28, 2012

JUST ADDED: Talk-back with the Director and cast after the show on Saturday, January 14, 2012

In the midst of Nazi Germany, the cabaret is an oasis where people go to escape reality and share in some scrap of happiness. In the cabaret anything goes: loose women, looser men and a cocktail of drugs, booze and music that keeps the fantasy alive. This dark, sexy musical has played around the world to great acclaim and now Hart House Theatre’s skilled, young and dynamic artists will produce the work for the first time the Theatre’s long history.

Three week run
Week 1: Fri & Sat 8pm
Week 2: Wed to Sat 8pm
Week 3: Wed to Sat 8pm + Sat 2pm

Tickets: Adults $25
Students & Seniors $15
$10 student tickets every Wednesday night!

WARNING: SHOW CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT AND PARTIAL NUDITY.

Press

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What's 'ze buzz' about Cabaret:

FOUR STARS “Michael-David Blostein’s delicious drawl pulls us in from his breathy opening number, Willkommen...Adam Brazier’s razor precision and flamboyant whimsicality is evident in his role directing the show...The show smoulders with the carefree allure of booze and jazz…Hart House Theatre’s Cabaret captures that in its indulgent, irresistible entirety.” - Theatromania’s Ava Baccari

“Friday night’s performance got off to a superb start….Blostein’s Emcee is a wonderful mix of joy and cynicism as he narrates the decline of the republic he loves...Ms. Lamanna’s…playful performance of Mein Herr, and at the show’s end, her Cabaret exuded a disillusionment and weariness that kept the audience on the edge of their seats.” - Charlebois Post’s Stuart Munro

“Brazier uses the space brilliantly and scenes flow one into the other, never allowing the pace to lag...It takes a dedicated and talented effort to remind us that this piece can be a powerful commentary on the current state of affairs. Thankfully, that truth is evident and ready to be seen at Hart House Theatre.” - Charlebois Post’s Stuart Munro

"Brazier’s direction doesn’t disappoint. His is a gloriously bawdy, deliberately pan-sexual take on Cabaret with a distinct undercurrent of grit and violence underscoring the proceedings...Right off the top, Michael-David Blostein captivates with his impishly, seductive and dark Emcee character…he’s dark, brazen, naughty and has the comedic timing of the role down pat. He’s magnetic and larger-than-life, this Cabaret belongs to him!” - Mooney on Theatre’s Wayne Leung

“It’s brazen, it’s ribald, it’s wonderfully designed and it’s a great night out. Whether you’re new to the show or already a fan this production is well worth a visit.” - Mooney on Theatre’s Wayne Leung

“Michael-David Blostein as the emcee…led the night with flamboyant masculinity and, along the way, fleshed out the play’s political dimension, as his performance transitioned from carefree to harsh in parallel to the rise of the Nazi Party...The supporting cast captures the mad spirit of the seedy cabaret…With amusingly explicit choreography…the musical numbers were all delivered with great nuance and extravagance.” - The Varsity’s Assunta Alegiani

“Delivering a free and fun-loving Bowles and a rigid and formal Bradshaw, both [Courtney Lamanna and Keenan Viau] are spot on as they explore the qualities of a doomed relationship...None of the Kit Kat dancers miss a beat; their constant presence draws the audience’s attention to that thin line between reality and fiction.” - The Medium’s Darren Savage

“The performances will blow you away and you’d be hard-pressed to find the same vocal talents for such a low price…if you are looking for a good night, some laughs, and stunning talent, Hart House Theatre is ready to oblige…so come to the cabaret!” - The Medium’s Darren Savage

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BUY TICKETS
www.uofttix.ca
416.978.8849

Hart House Theatre
Fri, 2012-01-13 20:00 - Sat, 2012-01-28 22:00

DIRECTOR'S NOTES

Hart House Theatre has a long tradition of quality mentorship initiatives, bringing together experienced professionals and aspiring artists. It is this aspect that drew me to work here. As a young artist graduating from theatre school I longed for the vital mentorship that this facility provides. Tonight you'll see an array of talent from all aspects of life. Some are part-time artists, some recent graduates from theatre programs, while others simply have a theatre habit they can't kick. One thing they all have in common is a love of performance and a desire to express themselves through musical theatre. What a gift, then, to be offered such a classic musical as Cabaret.

It has been our collective goal in creating this production to challenge not only ourselves but the piece as a whole. To try and re-define whose lens we are experiencing the story through and challenge the audience. To that end we have tried to kick up the kink and comment more on the work itself. Our Emcee knows this is the final performance of his show. He serves as a not only a host and guide but also a Greek chorus leader. Both protagonist and antagonist. Both friend and foe to the characters of his story. He invites Cliff into his story to represent everyman. It is through his lens we will see the story and experience this collective’s version of Cabaret.

I would like to thank the very hard-working creative team, who have brought so much of themselves to the work. I would be thrilled to have the chance to work with you all again. Thank you to our patient and skilled Stage Management team; your work is often the hardest and always the first to go unrecognized. To the cast and crew, you are all a source of great inspiration and have served as a reminder to me of why I love the theatre. My final thanks must be to my assistant director, Michael Rubinstein, for his commitment to our vision and his ability to jump in with two feet. It has been a pleasure to work beside you and I look forward to watching your directorial career blossom.

George Bernard Shaw once wrote: "Hell is full of musical amateurs". If that is so, then I’m buying a time share there.

- Adam Brazier

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CAST

Emcee
Michael-David Blostein

Sally Bowles
Courtney Lamanna

Clifford Bradshaw
Keenan Viau

Ernst Ludwig
Glen Mills

Fraulein Schneider
Renée Stein

Herr Shultz
Don Berns

Fraulein Kost
Lauren Toffan

Kit Kat Dancers (listed alphabetically)
Colin Asuncion
Sarah Butler
Valerie Casault
Jasmine Chen
Michael Harvey
Devin Herbert
Mikaela MacGillivray
Melanie Mastronardi
Joseph O'Toole
Stephanie Seaton

Kit Kat Kast (listed alphabetically)
Bil Antoniou (as Max)
Alicia Douglas
Paul Silvestri

Band
Scott Christian - Piano
Robin Claxton - Drums
Bobby Hsu - Tenor Sax, Clarinet
La-Nai Gabriel - Alto Sax, Clarinet, Flute
Josh Penslar - Guitar/Banjo
Karl Silveira - Trombone
Alex St. Kitts - Bass
Eldwin Wong - Trumpet

PRODUCTION TEAM

Director
Adam Brazier

Musical Director
Scott Christian

Choreographer
Amanda Nagy

Set and Costume Designer
Brandon Kleiman

Lighting Designer
Siobhán Sleath

Properties
Jaclyn Zaltz

Stage Manager
Laura Cournoyea

Casting Director
Kelly Boaz

Assistant Director
Michael Rubinstein

Assistant Stage Managers
Aidan Morishita-Miki
Victoria Wang

Dance Captain
Sarah Butler