Kander & Ebb: Cabaret (1966)

Class Preparation

• The chapter of Kander, Ebb, & Lawrence's Colored Lights associated with this class is chapter 3. If you are a "read it before class" person, this is the assignment. However, I won't assume you have read it (and there will be no pop quiz!).
• If you haven't seen it in the last few years, watch the film of Cabaret (1972), or seek out clips of any stage production on YouTube.
• Synopsis of Scenes and Songs from original 1966 production of Cabaret.
• Lyrics to Songs from Cabaret (original production, film, and revival)
• Handout of key slides (corrected 9/23, 3:45 pm).

Links to OBC Recording of Cabaret

The entire Original Broadway Cast recording of Cabaret (1966)is available on YouTube (audio only, each song an individual link). Cast: Joel Grey, Lotte Lenya, Jill Haworth, Bert Convy, and Jack Gilford.

• “Willkommen” (Emcee & cast)
• “So What?” (Fräulein Schneider)
• “Don’t Tell Mama” (Sally)
• “The Telephone Song” (Cast)
• “Perfectly Marvelous” (Sally & Cliff)
• “Two Ladies” (Emcee & Girls)
• “It Couldn’t Please Me More” (Schneider & Herr Schultz)
• “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” (Chorus)
• “Why Should I Wake Up?” (Cliff)
• “The Money Song (Sitting Pretty)” (Emcee & Girls)
• “Married” (Schneider & Schultz)
• “Meeskite” (Schultz)
• “If You Could See Her Through My Eyes (The Gorilla Song)” (Emcee)
• “What Would You Do?” (Fräulein Schneider)
• “Cabaret” (Sally)
• “Finale”

Links to videos shown in class

• Marlene Dietrich in The Blue Angel (1930) “Falling in Love Again”and from the full film (dialogue dubbed in Italian, but song in GERMAN  Here is the song in ENGLISH.(German and English versions were filmed at the same time.)
• Lotte Lenya sings “Pirate Jenny” from  the 1931 film of The Threepenny Opera.  LINK
•  I Am a Camera: Trailer for the 1955 film with Julie Harris: LINK  [2:26] The entire film is also available:  LINK [1:35:00]
• "Willkommen" was performed on the Tony Awards broadcast in 1967 with the original cast: LINK
• Mary Louise Wilson (Fräulein Schneider) and Ron Rifkin (Herr Schultz)—cast members from the 1998 revival of Cabaret—sing “It Couldn’t Please Me More” on Rosie O’Donnell's show. LINK
• Sara Kestelman (Fräulein Schneider in the 1993 London revival) sings “What Would You Do?” LINK
• Judi Dench (Sally in the original London production of 1968) sings “Don’t Tell Mama.” LINK
• Jill Haworth (original Broadway Sally) sings “Cabaret” on the 1971 Tony Awards broadcast. LINK
• Joel Grey performs “Willkommen” on The Muppet Show in 1976. LINK​

Links to additional videos & resources

• The Wikipedia page for Cabaret contains a very detailed synopsis of the script LINK
• ​In November 2019, to observe the 53rd anniversary of Cabaret's opening on Broadway, Playbill.com offered a photo retrospective. LINK

 Class Feedback/Evaluation of Today's Class

What worked?

• Resources provided for each class are wonderful!
  
• Class was interesting and informative. 

What would make it even better?

• Unfortunately, Zoom classes don’t allow for spontaneous conversation as in class. Is there a way to allow for this in the future?​