Life Is A ‘Cabaret’ On Opening Night

Cabaret is the latest traveling Broadway show to make a stop in Sioux Falls.

There are two more opportunities to catch the show. The last show is on Thursday night at the Washington Pavilion. 

I'll admit that I didn't really know what the show was about. I knew a couple of the more popular songs like "Maybe This Time" and "Cabaret" because they get covered a lot. And I assumed it was about a Cabaret show hence the title, which it is. The show is full of sexual imagery and innuendo, but it does actually get really emotionally heavy by the end.

The show is set in Berlin, Germany in 1929-1930. The Kit Kat Club is where Sally Bowles works and meets an American named Cliff. She wants to be a performer, he wants to be a writer, and there is plenty of gin to go around.

It is set right before the Nazis take over, leading up to World War II. There is some real heavy imagery in the second act in the form of a dancing gorilla. There is quite a somber and moving moment at the very end. I don't want to ruin that wardrobe reveal though.

It is similar to Pippin in the fact that it doesn't end happy. Most musicals are comedic and everything wraps up by the end in a pretty little bow and the crowd sings along. Cabaret is not that.

The songs I knew from the show definitely have different meaning now that I've seen the show in context.

The interesting thing about the cast of Cabaret is that the company are also the band. A lot of the cast members sing, dance, act, and play an instrument. The band is on stage the whole time. Pretty impressive.

I really enjoyed the show. Even though it was different than I expected, I enjoyed it.

I would definitely hesitate bringing younger people to the show. If you choose to bring kids, just be ready to have a conversation about the subject matter.

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