Pictured: Iris Beaumier and the cast of Asolo Rep's Cabaret. Photo credit: Cliff Roles

This Thursday, Cabaret opened for Asolo Repertory Theatre, marking the start of the storied theater’s 2022-23 production season. The award-winning musical, which first made its debut in 1967 and is based on the play by John Van Druten, is set in 1931 Berlin and follows the performers and patrons of the luxurious Kit Kat club. As the Third Reich begins to take hold over Germany, the members of the club have to choose between remaining in their fantasy world of cabaret theater or face the mounting threat.

Asolo Repertory Theatre chose to produce Cabaret in large part as a response to the turmoil across the world over the past two years. The production serves as a thematic stamp over the entire season, echoing the notion that the theater can be a place where people can escape the hardships of the outside world. “We found it really inspiring to think about a story where people came together in a really fraught time in their history and survived, made art, and embraced joy where they could. I think that this musical embraces that sentiment and will be a treat for the audience as well as something that’s thought provoking,” says Celine Rosenthal, Associate Artistic Director at the Asolo.

The production is directed by Josh Rhodes, who has had success as a director with Asolo in the past. “When it comes to season selection, Michael Donald Edwards (Producing Artistic Director), Michael always thinks of the play first – it has to be the right story for the season – and then a director that would be a good fit emerges. We work in a repertory scenario, so not only do we have to balance how we accommodate the rotating cast with who doubles into the different shows, but also we’re looking to create a season that has a little bit of something for everybody. We don’t want to have a season of all the same stories, so finding that exact right fit so that we’re offering up a season in which you want to see everything is always such a puzzle to put together.”

Asolo Repertory Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. 941.351.8000 / 800.361.8388.

Pictured: Iris Beaumier and the cast of Asolo Rep's Cabaret. Photo credit: Cliff Roles

To learn more click here.