Cabaret Plays Theatre Memphis, Opens 3/11

The Tony Award Winner for Best Musical, Cabaret, opens on the Theatre Memphis Lohrey Stage March 11, 2011, with a cast that features Cassie Thompson as Sally Bowles, Stephen Garrett as Clifford Bradshaw and 2010 Ostrander Best Actor winner Jonathan Christian as the Emcee. Experience the thrills and threats of 1930's Berlin with a young writer and a charmingly care-free nightclub performer who navigate and negotiate their way through an increasingly dangerous world during the rise of the Nazi party. This classic musical by the legendary duo John Kander and Fred Ebb features such remarkable songs as Willkommen, Don't Tell Mama, Two Ladies, Perfectly Marvelous, and, of course, Cabaret.

Mitzi Hamilton, based in Chicago now and returning to direct her ninth show at Theatre Memphis, performed in the original touring company for Cabaret and then moved to the Broadway production. She has a unique perspective on the subject. "I wanted to portray the feeling of the original Broadway script ... we are not doing the movie version " said Hamilton with a laugh. "Sally Bowles (the leading character) has moxy. Her carefree lifestyle is in such contrast to the horrific world around her and her casual approach to life is what makes her interesting. "

Thompson and Garrett are both company members for Theatre Memphis' ShoWagon, a professional touring troupe that caters to outreach and education to children throughout the MidSouth. As teaching artists they rehearse or perform together almost every day and the rehearsal process for Cabaret has them together rehearsing at night now, too. Garrett says, "It is like night and day, but it is sort of seamless. You go from acting like Humpty Dumpty to the guy whose girlfriend is having an abortion - all in a day. But in the end, acting is acting. If you take it seriously ... it all works out." Thompson agrees, to a point. "I have to put them in separate baskets. Each show is so different that I need some time and space to make the transition. It is all about the job and being prepared."

Performance dates for Cabaret are March 11 - April 3, 2011. Shows are at 7:30pm Wednesdays, March 23 and 30 and Thursdays, 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays with matinees on Sunday at 2pm. Tickets are $28 for adults, $15 for students with a valid ID. Call 901.682.8323 to purchase tickets or go online to www.theatrememphis.org.

A special preview performance benefiting Friends for Life will be held March 10, 2011. Tickets for the preview event are $35 per person and can be purchased by calling 901.272.0855, ext. 264. Open bar and hors d'oeuvres begin at 6pm. Performance is at 7:30pm.

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants.

Visit our website at www.theatrememphis.org.

Theatre Memphis receives funding from ArtsMemphis, Tennessee Arts Commission and National Endowment for the Arts.

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