The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis opens tonight with a revival of the musical "Cabaret." First performed on Broadway in 1966, the musical is set in 1930s Berlin.
Because it captures the shift and change in power during pre-Nazi Germany, the show gives you more than entertainment. It also gives you something to think about, said Steve Wolff. He is the artistic director for the Repertory Theatre.
Playing the role of the Emcee of the Kit Kat Klub is St. Louis native Nathan Lee Graham. Among his credits are "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" on Broadway and "Hitch," "Zoolander" and "Sweet Home Alabama" on film.
Graham auditioned for the role of Emcee during the 1998 Broadway revival of "Cabaret," but as he put it, "they weren't quite ready for the color contrast."
Having an African American play the Emcee required a new way of thinking, but it actually makes a lot of sense, said director Marcia Milgrom Dodge. During a time when African Americans couldn't perform very freely in the United States, African Americans like Josephine Baker traveled to Berlin and Paris to perform.
Related Event
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Presents "Cabaret"
September 13 - October 6, 2013
various times
Loretto Hilton Performing Arts Center, 130 Edgar Road
For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit theRepertory Theatre of St. Louis website.
Cityscape is produced by Mary Edwards and Alex Heuer, hosted bySteve Potter and funded in part by the the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis, the Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
