CABARET Opens September 7 At Gallery Players

Gallery Players will open its 53rd season with Cabaret; book by Joe Masteroff, based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood; music by John Kander; lyrics by Fred Ebb. Gallery will be producing the 1998 revival script co-directed and choreographed by Rob Marshall, directed by Sam Mendes, and made famous by Alan Cumming as Emcee.

Cabaret opens Saturday, September 7 and runs for 16 performances through Sunday, September 29.

Performances are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 PM, Saturdays (September 20 and 27) at 2 PM, and Sundays at 3 PM. There will be an artist talk back following the Sunday, September 15 performance.

In a Berlin nightclub, as the 1920s 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 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.

Led by the creative team of director David Thomas Cronin, and choreographer and assistant director Shiloh Goodin, Gallery will offer a fresh perspective while also paying homage to this masterpiece of American musical theatre by drawing correlations between the political and cultural climate of 1930s Germany and that of today. This production does not make an effort to downplay the raw human issues and emotions that this piece deals with.

Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for seniors over 65. This production contains mature themes and is recommended for audiences over 18 years old. Tickets can be purchased online at http://galleryplayers.com or by calling Ovationtix at 212-352-3101.

Bringing Cabaret to the Gallery stage are: David Thomas Cronin, Director; Shiloh Goodin, Assistant Director and Choreographer; Jason Liebson, Music Director; Jerry Mittelhauser, Scenic Designer; Annie Garrett-Larsen, Lighting Designer; Joseph Shrope, Costume Designer; Rachel M. Cullinane, Props Designer; Sean Ramos, Sound Designer; Jonas Barranca, Fight Choreographer; Nicole Bilbao, Associate Choreographer; Benjamin A. Vigil, Production Stage Manager; Kirill Polich, Assistant Stage Manager; Dominic Cuskern, Producer; and an ensemble featuring Jonas Barranca*, Daniel Benjamin Capra, Kiara Danielle*, Cait Farrell, Mikey Giordano, Liz Gurland, Jae Hughes, Lauren Joyce, Victor Kholod, Lorinne Lampert*, Brian Edward Levario, Ryan S. Lowe, Erica Lustig*, Thomas Lynch, Kevin McAuley, Anthony Obnial, Heather Olsen, Paul Page*, and Theresa Rowley. (*Equity member appearing with permission of Actors' Equity Association without benefit of an Equity contract in this Off-Off Broadway production. Equity approved Showcase.)

Cabaret is presented by arrangement with Tams-Witmark, a Concord Theatricals Company. Gallery Players is located at 199 14th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215 (between 4th and 5th Avenues in Park Slope). Take the F, G, or R train to 4th Avenue / 9th Street. Website: http://galleryplayers.com