CABARET Dances Into Hagerstown Next Month

In a Berlin nightclub, as the 1920's draw to a close, 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, heady, and tumultuous life of Berlin's natives and expatriates as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich. Cliff, a young American writer newly arrived in Berlin, is immediately taken with 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.

Cabaret is a story that today is a tough sell due to its storyline, but it's a show that has been praised for decades!

Authentic Community Theatre is ready to bring the Kit Kat Club to Hagerstown January 21 and 22. The award winning theatre is ready to make a splash with the production but are also very understanding of what the show could be perceived as. President, Robbie Soto, said "As a theatre community we cant shy away from stories that may be confrontational. This is one of them. The music is amazing and the story just sucks you in. The characters are all so interesting." Soto also plays Herr Shultz.

Timothy Vinson who is playing the sexually ambiguous Emcee said "The show has always been controversial. When the Nazis sing "tomorrow belongs to me" you can't help but be reminded of another slogan with verbiage of hope, but rooted in hatred and bigotry. The song isn't sung by men in uniform with guns, it's sung by every day people who truly believe that these horrific mass killings will really make their country beautiful again. It's a show that makes you ask the question, how long can I run away from a problem before the problem finds its way to involve me."

While the show touches some pretty dark topics from a very dark time in Berlin and the start of the Nazi Movement, the eight time Tony Award winning show is a fun night of great music and dance. Paige Breese, who plays the fun loving Sally Bowels said "Cabaret is a show about finding the beauty in what is right in front of you, despite the circumstances. There will always be politics and social strife, and it is of course important to be informed; but if you allow it to impede your happiness, then you have truly lost."

The show stars Breese as Sally Bowles, in her first leading role with Authentic Community Theatre along side Matty Montes last seen as JD in ACT's production of Heathers as Cliff. Brittany Atwater who is probably best know for her portrayal of Mrs. Potts in ACT's Production of Beauty and the Beast plays Fräulein Schneider with Soto who plays Herr Schultz. Vinson as the Emcee brings his Kit Kat girls and boys with him. Some favorites return to the Maryland Theatre stage like Dalton Korell, Marqouies Allgood, Travis Houtz, Megan Kiley, who is doubling as choreographer again. Chelsea Bondaranko is returning to the Maryland Theatre stage for the first time since her role as Velma in Hairspray. Emmalynn Nunes, who just came off an incredible performance in RENT and Elf the Musical will be dancing her heart away as a Kit Kat Girl. Some new faces to ACT include Sara Elwood, Sean Beseker, and Adam Pomeroy.

The show is directed by first time ACT director Pam Neely.

The Show takes place January 21 and 22 at the Maryland Theatre in Hagerstown MD. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.mdtheatre.org/act#cabaret