Sierra Stages Presents CABARET

This summer, Sierra Stages brings the legendary musical "Cabaret" to Nevada City with an all-local Nevada County production playing from July 11 through August 3 at the historic Nevada Theatre. With a book by Joe Masteroff, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, this musical masterpiece marks the 11th annual summer musical presented by Sierra Stages. "Cabaret" is based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood.

Inside Berlin's seedy Kit Kat Klub, a flamboyant Master of Ceremonies invites patrons to partake in a decadent underworld of musical numbers, kick lines and torrid affairs - a welcome escape from the ever-growing Nazi influence just outside its doors. As the political unrest nears a tipping point, the beautiful life the cabaret promises slowly begins to fade, putting love, friendship and loyalties to the test. This Tony Award-winning sensation, featuring such well-known songs as "Willkommen," "Maybe This Time," and "Cabaret," is a daring and dazzling musical you won't want to miss.

First produced and directed by Harold Prince over 50 years ago, "Cabaret" became a critical and box office success, won the 1967 Tony Award for Best Musical, and ran on Broadway for over three years in its original production. The 1972 film adaptation directed by Bob Fosse won eight Academy Awards. Since then, there have been two re-workings of the musical resulting in three versions of "Cabaret": In 1987, Prince helmed the first Broadway revival in which the show's creators added back some of the darkness they believed audiences would not have accepted 20 years earlier and incorporated some of the songs written for the film. In 1993, British director Sam Mendes went further and radically re-envisioned the show, setting all the scenes on the stage of the Kit Kat Klub, trimming some of the "extraneous" musical numbers, and focusing even more on the underlying darkness of the show. In 1998, this version (with further changes and Rob Marshall as co-director) opened in New York and ran for almost six years on Broadway.

The 1998 version of "Cabaret" has become the version that is most frequently performed today, and is the version that will be presented by Sierra Stages. "We have had 'Cabaret' on our short list of musicals for a long time," says managing director Peter Mason, "and when we were putting together our 2019 season, we decided it was the right time to do the show. 'Cabaret', with its terrific score and enduring story, continues to have great resonance 53 years after its original production. In telling a story of how a society dealt (or did not deal) with the economic and social problems of post-World War I Germany and the rise of the Nazis, Prince, Masteroff, Kander and Ebb created a timeless cautionary morality tale about what can happen when we allow political extremists to demonize minorities and paint a picture of imminent destruction, then promise a return to the normalcy of a time (that never really existed) when things were simpler and less scary."

The Sierra Stages production of "Cabaret" is directed by Scott Gilbert, with choreography by Brian Arsenault and music direction by Ken Getz. Scenic design is by Gabriel Hannaford, lighting design is by Devin Cameron Jewett and Erin Beatie, costume design is by Paulette Sand-Gilbert, and sound design is by Greg Cameron. The local Nevada County cast includes Casey Burke, Micah Cone, Heidi Grass, Jonathan Hansard, Sue LeGate Halford, Louis Flint Ceci, Shannon Harney, Michaela King, Lauren Langley, Laura LeBleu, Emily Rose Perry, Angela Williams, Daniel King, and Cosmo Merryweather.

Performances of "Cabaret" are Thursdays at 7 PM, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, and Sundays at 2 PM. All seating is reserved. Tickets for the first two "preview" performances on Thursday July 11 and Friday July 12 are $25. Thereafter, tickets are $35 (rows A-H) and $25 (rows J-O). On Thursday, July 18, Sierra Stages offers a "Pay What You Can Performance" with tickets available at the box office beginning at 5:30 PM. Sierra Stages also offers group rates for groups of 10 or more, as well as Student Rush for $15 at the door 30 minutes before each performance (age 25 & under with a valid student ID). For tickets and information, visit www.SierraStages.org or call Sierra Stages at 530.346.3210. Note that "Cabaret" is recommended for ages 16 and up, for mature themes: There is no official rating system for live theatre, so please use your judgment based on your child's age and maturity level.

Following "Cabaret", Sierra Stages will conclude its 2019 season with a relatively new work: "The Thanksgiving Play" by Native American playwright Larissa Fasthorse. Four mismatched artists attempt to devise an ethnically sensitive play for the local schools to celebrate both Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Month - with no Native American actors. In this wickedly funny satire, political correctness, ego and just plain ignorance collide as these well-meaning self-proclaimed artists try to perform a Thanksgiving miracle (without killing any turkeys). "The Thanksgiving Play" is directed by Sandra Rockman, and runs from September 19 through October 5 at the historic Nevada Theatre.

Sierra Stages is a nonprofit community theater based in western Nevada County with a mission to provide quality productions that are affordable and accessible to everyone. Since it began 11 years ago, Sierra Stages has presented 37 plays and musicals at various local venues, including the Nevada Theatre, Miners Foundry Cultural Center, The Center for the Arts, and Off Center Stage.