‘Cabaret’ Opens Friday at YSU Theater
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – University Theatre will present “Cabaret” for six weekend performances Nov. 15-24.
The landmark musical is directed by Matthew Mazuroski, professor of the theater and dance department at Youngstown State University. It features music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb and book by Joe Masteroff.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15, 16, 22 and 23; and 2 p.m. Nov. 17 and 24, in Ford Theater, lower level of Bliss Hall, on the YSU campus.
“Cabaret” is set in a Berlin nightclub as the 1920s draw to a close and German society is slowly yielding to the emerging Third Reich. A garish master of ceremonies welcomes the audience and assures them they will forget all their troubles at the cabaret.
With the emcee’s bawdy songs as wry commentary, “Cabaret” explores the dark and tumultuous life of Berlin’s natives and expatriates.
Cliff, a young American writer newly arrived in Berlin, is immediately taken by English singer Sally Bowles. Meanwhile, Fräulein Schneider, proprietor of Cliff and Sally’s boarding house, tentatively begins a romance with Herr Schultz, a mild-mannered fruit seller who happens to be Jewish.
Musical numbers include “Willkommen,” “Cabaret,” “Don’t Tell Mama” and “Two Ladies.”
“’Cabaret’ is theater that entertains while also engaging the audience emotionally and intellectually,” says Mazuroski. “For me, this story is a cautionary tale of what can happen when people are distracted by political divisions, economic hardships and the need to escape from the reality of what is happening around them.”
The cast includes Rosie Bresson as the master of ceremonies, AnnMarie Lowerre as Sally Bowles and Nathaneal Montgomery as Cliff Bradshaw, as well as Nathan Wagner, Ace Lowry, Ben Mowrer, Hannah Rosser, Anna Anders, Ciara Rosario, Lexi Denney, Kamryn Rudolph, Madi Pomeroy, Taryn Patterson, Michael Miller, Daniel Navabi, Mitchell Sharp, Adam Dominick, Savannah Bell, Lexi Cerny, Samantha Gurd and Destinee Thompson.
The production will include live music by the Musical Theatre Ensemble, conducted by Kent Engelhardt, with members David Rajski, Santino Almasy, Darren Thompson, David Klasovsky, Jeffrey Williams, Joseph McKinney, Sean Williams, Owen Davis and Noah Landry.
Technical staff includes Music Director Maria Fenty Denison, choreographer Amy A. Wright, scenic sesigner Todd Dicken, production manager and technical director Ryan Fitzpatrick, sound designer Mazuroski; Costume designer Katherine N. Garlick, properties designer Wendy Akers, and lighting designer James Oakry.
Tickets are $16 ($8 for non-YSU students, YSU faculty and staff with valid ID, YSU alumni, senior citizens, and groups of eight or more). For reservations, call 330 941 3105 or go to YSU.tix.com. All seats are general admission.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
