“We have no troubles here”: A look back to Cabaret 1998
By Diana Vidals
So, life is disappointing? Forget it! We have no troubles here!
The 77th Annual Tony Awards® | Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club Performance | CBS
This past April, Cabaret returned to Broadway in its fourth revival, starring academy-award-winning actor Eddie Redmayne as the Emcee. Redmayne made waves across the internet for his performance at the 2024 Tonys of the musical’s opening number, “Willkommen.” Donning a blue party hat, rubber gloves, and marionette-like movements, his nightmarish interpretation left viewers divided. In a heated debate of right interpretation or wrong, there was one set standard: Alan Cumming’s Emcee.
Based on the 1951 play I Am A Camera, Cabaret first opened on Broadway in 1966 with music written by Kander and Ebb and a book by Joe Masteroff. It was followed by its 1977 film and 4 revivals. Set in 1929, Cabaret follows Clifford Bradshaw, an American writer looking for inspiration in Berlin. There he begins a love affair with Kit Kat girl, Sally Bowles. Together the two lavish in the carefree lifestyle of the Weimar Republic unaware of the dark and ominous changes taking place around them. With numbers such as “Don’t Tell Mama” and “Meir Herr,” Cabaret welcomes you to the sultry, carefree lifestyle of the Weimar Republic. Through characters like Fraulein Schneider and Herr Shultz, a couple caught in the crossfire of the nation’s changing political climate, the show shows the dark side of the Weimar Republic, instilling a chilling sense of impending doom in between its lively numbers at the Kit Kat Klub. More than anything, Cabaret serves as a cautionary tale, denouncing hedonism and highlighting the importance of morality.
Though it has seen many revivals, its 1998 Broadway revival stands out as one of the most revolutionary re-envisioning of the iconic musical. Directed by Academy Award-winning director, Sam Mendes and starring Alan Cumming as the Emcee and Natasha Richardson as Sally Bowles, both of whom won Tony Awards for their performances. The production first originated in 1993 at the Donmar Warehouse, where Mendes found new and exciting ways to deliver the show before it was brought to Broadway in 1998.
The Set
One of the most notable changes that Mendes’ vision brought to Cabaret was the set. Rather than be seated at a theater, Mendes reconfigured the environment to model a club. Audiences were seated at tables with red Tiffany lamps and served food and drinks by waitresses. Music performed by the orchestra (which doubled as the dancers) could be enjoyed before the show. Despite this transformation, the “club” was far from glamorous. Mendes imagined the Kit Kat Klub as a third-rate club so imperfections such as broken light bulbs and ripped costumes were visible. Additionally, the waitstaff were garish, bruised, and tattooed. They doubled as dancers and members of the orchestra, stretching on stage and interacting with the audience. At the Kit Kat Klub audiences weren’t watching the show, they were part of it.
The Emcee
Mendes furthered this “you-are-there” vibe through the Emcee. Alan Cumming’s Emcee was a big step away from his predecessor, Joel Grey. Donning nothing but a bow tie, black slacks, and suspenders redesigned into a makeshift harness around his crotch. He wore makeup and bore bruises up and down his arms. He is cheeky, hyper-sexual and dangerous. As a character, the emcee serves as an observer along with the audience, demonstrating the moral and social decline of Germany through song and dance. Throughout the show, he can be seen popping in and out throughout the show as a German guard and a cabaret dancer in drag. In his first number, “Willkommen” he is sultry and fun, luring the crowd into his world. Cumming interacted heavily with the crowd, even dancing with them during the “Entr’acte”. However, by the second act, the mood darkens, revealing the true nature of the times and unraveling the Emcee and Kit Kat Klub’s “trouble-less” world.
The Music
With songs written by the iconic duo, Kander and Ebb, Cabaret has fun and alluring songs such as “Willkommen” and “Don’t Tell Mama” while also delivering dark and heart-wrenching numbers such as “I Don’t Care Much” and the show’s title song, “Cabaret”. In this production, Mendes made revisions to the music, adding “Mein Herr” ( initially only featured in the 1977 movie), combining “Sitting Pretty” with “Money” and adding “I Don’t Care Much”. With his “un-glamorous” set, Mendes had a strict vision for the music. Not only did he cast actors with little or no musical experience, but he also had them double as members of the band!
Today, Cabaret remains an iconic piece of musical theater history, and with it, stands Mendes’ revisioning and re-working of the show. Though 58 years old, Cabaret and its themes remain prevalent and as important as ever! I highly recommend watching the 1998 version, which can be found on YouTube, or if you’re lucky enough, watching its newest revival at the August Wilson Theatre!
