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Life Is A Cabaret Old Chum

Willkommen, Bienvenue and welcome to our first ever Cabaret blog! ‘IT COULDN’T PLEASE ME MORE’ that September is approaching quickly, which means the team is extremely excited to get started on this ‘PERFECTLY MARVELLOUS’ show and see all your talent faces at auditions. My name is Anthony and I am the director for Cabaret. We have plenty of information on the blog to have you ‘SITTING PRETTY’ when it comes to September!



Life Is a Cabaret Old Chum…

‘SO WHAT?’ is Cabaret. What is it about? Well…

Cabaret is a musical based on a book written by Christopher Isherwood, with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. It has also taken material from John Van Druten’s 1951 play I Am A Camera.

Set in 1931 Berlin as the Nazis are rising to power, it is based in nightlife at the seedy Kit Kat Club and revolves around young American writer Cliff Bradshaw and his relationship with an English cabaret performer, Sally Bowles.

It also features the doomed romance between German boarding house owner Fräulein Schneider and her elderly suitor Herr Schultz, a Jewish fruit vendor. Overseeing the action is the Master of Ceremonies at the Kit Kat Club, who watches over the undercurrents and developments of ignorance, prejudice, and sexuality in a politically pivotal time of late Weimar Germany.

It is an entertaining, yet dark, musical that incorporates all singing, dancing, and acting. The audience is whisked away into the world of Berlin nightlife for an evening of glitz, glamour, and entertainment.



In Here, Life Is Beautiful. The Girls Are Beautiful. Even The Orchestra Is Beautiful!

As one of histories most famous musicals, Cabaret was an obvious choice for our bid. The story and message behind the musical are exceptionally emotive like no other and Kander and Ebb were able to create characters and form a story that is not only eye opening but also revolutionary.

It’s an extremely famous classic, featuring all three disciplines of performance, which is one of the reasons for why I believe that it will be such a success for MTS, due to the huge amount of talent we have amongst our members. It has a huge variation of songs and characters, making it appealing to all types of performers, not just the current members of MTS.

Its potency and relevance never fade and its impact is always relatable to any audience and will be one of the most classical pieces that audience have watched since it was put on 5 years ago.

Our main hope is to bring a unique style of musical theatre back to MTS and create a show that is memorable for both cast and audience alike.



What Good is Sitting Alone In Your Room, Come Hear The Music Play!

While most audition information will feature on our audition pack, we do have some information to get you ahead of the game.

First and foremost, do not worry about auditions. They are not a scary event, but more of a way of the team getting to know who you are and where you could sit in our show.

Just turn up on one of the evenings and a member of the lovely production team will book you into one INDIVIDUAL slot (where you will perform your chosen audition song) and a GROUP slot (where you will be taught a short section of dance, which you will perform in your group in front of the panel). The audition process will be approximately 30 minutes long! You are then free to go!

You will need to prepare a verse and chorus of a song. Sing something that shows off your skills (dancing, acting or singing), whilst also fits in with the musical style of Cabaret. Please don’t be afraid to show us your range in all three disciplines as we have a wide range of character abilities to cast.

Don't worry if you're not the strongest dancer, singer or actor! We have such a range of characters in the show that don't have to be amazing at all three! We are looking for potential and who we think suits each part the best! Our main advice is to have fun and show us what you can do.

But don't be scared to come and audition! It's such a great chance to get involved with one of the most fun and caring societies on campus! MTS committee and Cabaret crew will be around campus all week so feel free to ask any questions or message the Facebook page!



Its Only Politics, and What Has That Got To Do With Us?

Obviously, as a team we understand that there are many issues raised in the show that are controversial. Do not feel discouraged from auditioning as we are striving to make sure that these themes are dealt with appropriately, whilst also sticking to the integrity of Kander and Ebb’s piece.

Themes and issues raised include:

¥ Sexuality

¥ Ignorance

¥ Rise of the Nazis

¥ Anti-Semitism

If you have any questions or problems with the material in the show feel free to drop the creative team a message and we will be more than happy to give you more information on our concept.



Auf Wiedersehen, A Bientot, Goodbye

I hope this has given you some more insight into our auditions. But if you want more information or you want to get to know our faces we will be at the MTS booth in Freshers Fayre. Come say hi and ask us as many questions as you want.

You can like us on Facebook @RHULMTSCabaret, there is also a link to our official audition page. Again, don’t hesitate to message this page with any questions or worries.

We can’t wait to meet you!! #LifeIsACabaret







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