“Cabaret,” set in 1931 Germany during the rise of Third Reich, is a musical not often put on by high schools because of its controversial material.
But later this month, students at the county’s High Tech High School will perform their interpretation of the show created by John Kander and Fred Ebb in the 1960s.
The music centers on the English Cabaret performer Sally Bowles and her relationship with a young American writer, Cliff Bradshaw, in 1930s Berlin as the world is thrown into turmoil with the arrival of the Nazis.
The Kit Kat Club and its dancers stand as a metaphor for Weimar Germany, a society where debauchery was omnipresent.
“[Our production] sticks more to telling the story of these people that were suffering in this time and how poor it was and how inconvenienced everyone was, and just how everybody in that community needed each other to survive in a struggling economy and struggling world,” said High Tech High School Musical Theatre Director Alex Perez. “There are so many similarities to what we’re dealing with today.”
Perez said that the students studied the time period for months, reading Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” and watching past “Cabaret” productions. Their version will combine the original with the 1972 Bob Fosse film and the most recent Broadway revival.
“I think the audience will remember our version of it emphatically.” – Rod Shehperd
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High Tech’s production will also feature their Music Department, which has combined the music used in the film and stage version, a hefty task for such a complex score. Cindy Yin has taken on the task of assistant student director and has been transcribing sheet music for months.
The school lacks some necessary instruments, like the viola, so they’ve worked in others in order to keep key music moments.
“We’re helping [students] become exposed to the history behind our world, and ‘Cabaret’ is an example of it,” said Music Department Director Rod Shepherd. “I think the audience will remember our version of it emphatically.”
Mature subject mater
In the play, the high school students will act as dancers and prostitutes living seedy lives. Perez explained that in order to tell the story of that time truthfully, the grit in the musical has to come through. He said that the department was grateful for a school and parents who understand that.
Nicole Ramirez of Union City plays a Kit Kat dancer as well as Fräulein Kost, a prostitute.
“While she is a prostitute, she is also a person, so I had to understand why she chose that profession and how she struggles with the economy as people do today,” said Ramirez.
Josette Dwyer, who plays one of the Sally Bowles in the production, said that she was “pretty amazed” that they were dealing with material that university productions do.
The other Sally, played by Ruby Hankey of Jersey City, said that it was important to expose the turmoil of 1930s because many of the same issues, like prostitution, war, and genocide, still exist in the world even if it is not at our doorstep.
Perez chose to cast both actors to the part because of how strong their auditions were. While they both had apprehensions about sharing the role, they now agree that it strengthened their performances.
“We’re all a team,” said Kevin Tobon, of Union City, who plays the master of ceremonies.
Message behind show
Under the guidance of Perez and Shepherd, the students have been able to explore and grow into their own characters.
Sonia Dasilea of North Bergen plays a Kit Kat Club dancer. Dasilea, who has studied dance, said that she made her character a newcomer to the Cabaret who is still “sassy” and not yet tired of selling herself on stage each night for “one mark.”
Yin said that she has grown musically in her ability to compose and hopes that their production stays with the audience.
“It’s sort of this hopelessness, because in fact the audience is the show, because you sat back and let all of this happen all over again, and now it’s you’re fault,” said Yin.
Perez said that this production was perfect for the department’s 10th anniversary and for the current economic state.
Performances will be on the weekends of April 24 and May 3 on Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sundays at 1 p.m. Tickets are $15 and are limited. For more information or to reserve seats, call the Music Theatre Department at (201) 854-2903.
“What the show is for me is, you need to go on living life and you need to think about the people around you,” said Ramirez. “You can’t turn a blind eye to things, and I hope it kind of wakes up a couple of people in that it makes them realize they need to do things if they want to see change in their life.”
Tricia Tirella may be reached at TriciaT@hudsonreporter.com.