WEB PAGE TOOLS ~ Print this article ~ E-mail your opinion on this article OTHER A & E STORIES ~ Marvelous mutants return for triumpant 'X2' ~ Pretty Girls Make Graves and Dance Disaster Movement: Cool names, great show ~ Arts and Entertainment Briefs 'Cabaret' crew prepares for opening of musical - First performance on May 16 Scott McCulloch A & E Editor Preparation for the upcoming musical, 'Cabaret,' entered its final two weeks recently, and SCC's theatre was a flurry of activity as brassy show tunes emanated from the orchestra pit, actors delivered lines with heavy German accents, and the women playing the nightclub performers ("Kit Kat Girls") flamboyantly strutted up and down the stage. Photo by Scott McCulloch Michell Mader as Sally Bowles. 'Cabaret' is a cross-section of Berlin nightlife in the late 20's and early 30's, revolving around the "Kit Kat Klub," where the English entertainer Sally Bowles performs. An American writer, Cliff Bradshaw, takes up residence in Berlin and meets Sally at the nightclub. The story covers the liberal, roaring 20's-style Berlin atmosphere of the time, and takes place in the shadow of the Nazi party's formation and rise to political power. Kristin Holsather plays Fraulein Kost, a character who rents a room in the same house as Cliff Bradshaw. Holsather stressed the importance of the musical's crewmembers having some knowledge of the history and politics of Germany at that time, and that this helped her to bring her character to life believably. "I am playing a character who is possibly a whore. She is also a Nazi sympathizer. I have to try to understand why she is a Nazi sympathizer because I want her to be as human and three-dimensional as possible," said Holsather. "We had a history professor come in and talk to us about Germany at this time. I have also been doing some research on my own." Photo by Scott McCulloch Brad Elmendorf, as the Emcee of the Kit Kat Klub, and the Kit Kat Girls listen to directions from Director/Choreographer Jeff Caldwell. Tuesday, May 6th, was the first day the full orchestra was present, and it was the first time the cast ran through all of the musical numbers, from beginning to end. Called a "sitzprobe" in opera lingo, the entire cast sat in chairs on stage, music in hand, singing. Later in the week would come the "wanderprobe," in which the cast would walk out their parts, without the assistance of sheet music or dialogue on paper. "It was great having the orchestra here. We got to hear what it's going to sound like on opening night," said Corina Sugarman, who plays one of the Kit Kat patrons, among other roles. "I was kind of worried about it coming together, but it's always like that when you do a big musical. When you get the full set on stage, everything falls into place." Stage Manager Lacey Hill, said she, and Assistant Stage Manager Tara Glover had gotten a lot of help from Civic Light Opera's Production Manager, Greg Morales, who met with them several times. Photo by Scott McCulloch Stage Manager Lacey Hill (right), talks with cast members Bryan Webb and Renee Taculad before rehearsal. "He came in and taught us the professional way to stage manage, so we've kind of stepped up the bar," said Hill, who was stage manager for the play "Medea" last quarter. Hill said the stage managers were responsible for keeping up communication with the actors, writing down "blocking" - making sure the performers are in the right place at the right time - and giving light cues, among other things. Musical Director Susan Dolacky talked about the need for all of the people involved in a musical to work well together. "One of the difficult things about doing a musical is that you have three directors - drama director, choreographer, and musical director. Then, for the last three weeks, the conductor also comes in, and all of these people have to vie for time with one another, without anybody's toes getting stepped on." "But that's also one of the fun things about doing a musical - you have all of these different art elements working together." Tickets for 'Cabaret' cost $8 with SCC ID, and are available at the cashier's office in the FOSS Building, or by calling (206) 546-4606. © 2003 Shoreline Community College™