Columns

My View: Just When You Think You Never Need To See Another Production Of CABARET…Surprise, Surprise!

Published

5 months ago

June 19, 2023

Stephen Sorokoff

Curtain Call CABARET
CAST & ALAN PAUL Artistic Director

Just when you think you never need to see another production of CABARET…Surprise Surprise Surprise!

A mesmerizing CABARET with a first-rate cast at Barrington Stage Co.

Attending the opening performance of Kander & Ebb’s Cabaret at the award winning Barrington Stage Company Sunday took on an added degree of darkness for me because of the current political situation in our country. Like the Kat Kat Club in Cabaret, which was an oasis of tolerance in the world of far right propaganda and demonization in pre-war Berlin, I currently find myself attending cabarets and concerts to escape the tempestuous conversations on Cable News and Social Media.

Revisiting the show via this new spectacular production mounted by BSC (which is the first directorial outing for it’s new artistic director Alan Paul) was a contemporary juxtaposition and the Berkshire audience seemed to leave their political troubles outside as they were willkommened to the decadent and debaucherous world of Cabaret in the sexy and seedy Kit Kat Klub. A place where outcasts and artists gather and life was indeed beautiful on the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage at Barrington Stage Company.

Barrington Stage’s production is utilizing the 1998 script used for the Roundabout revival. The show has had numerous Broadway and London revivals and is the winner of multiple Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score for John Kander (music) and Fred Ebb’s (lyrics) compelling musical numbers which include, “Willkommen,” “Money Makes the World Go Around,” “Tomorrow Belongs To Me,” “Maybe This Time” and “Cabaret.”

Cabaret stars Krysta Rodriguez (NBC’s “Smash,” Broadway’s Into the Woods revival, The Collaboration, Deaf West Theatre’s Spring Awakening) as Sally Bowles, Nik Alexander (Broadway: Ain’t No Mo’, Motown the Musical; Hamilton 2^nd National Tour) as the Emcee, Dan Amboyer (“Younger,” “Uncoupled,” “William & Katherine: A Royal Romance”) as Cliff Bradshaw, Candy Buckley (Broadway: Roundabout’s 1998 Cabaret revival, Thoroughly Modern Millie) as Fraulein Schneider, Richard Kline (“Three’s Company,” Don’t Think Twice, Broadway’s Waitress, Wicked First National Tour) as Herr Schultz, BSC Associate Artist Alysha Umphress (BSC’s Who Could Ask for Anything More?, Mr. Saturday Night, Broadway’s On the Town, American Idiot) as Fraulein Kost, and Tom Story (Berkshire Theatre Group: Arsenic and Old Lace, Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You and The Actor’s Nightmare) as Ernst Ludwig. The ensemble cast features Max Antonio Gonzalez, Julia Harnett, Kim Hudman, Lina Lee, Charles Mayhew Miller, Ryland Marbutt, Fredric Odgaard, James Rose and Tiffany Topol.

Cabaret features scenic design by Wilson Chin, costume design by Rodrigo Muñoz, lighting design by Philip Rosenberg, sound design by Ken Travis, and wig design by Mary Schilling-Martin. The Production Stage Manager is Jason Brouillard. BSC casting is by McCorkle Casting (Pat McCorkle, CSA; Rebecca Weiss, CSA).

Cabaret is based on John Van Druten’s 1951 play I Am a Camera which was adapted from Goodbye to Berlin (1939), a semi-autobiographical novel by Anglo-American writer Christopher Isherwood. Producer/Director Harold Prince scored a triumph with his staging of Cabaret when it opened in November 1966 at Broadway’s Broadhurst Theatre. Winner of eight 1967 Tony Awards, Cabaret ran 1,165 performances. Joel Grey was catapulted to fame with his performance as the Emcee, winning the Tony for his legendary role which he repeated on the screen in the Academy Award-winning film opposite Liza Minnelli in 1972. The Roundabout Theatre Company revived Cabaret to critical acclaim in 1998 with Natasha Richardson and made a star of Alan Cumming. Cumming revived his performance, again for the Roundabout in 2014.

TICKET INFORMATION

Please call the Box Office for more information at 413-236-8888 or visit www.BarringtonStageCo.org/Tickets.

Kim Hudman, Tiffany Topol, James Rose, Lina Lee, Ryland Marbutt, Richard Kline, Tom Story, Krysta Rodriguez, Nik Alexander Dan Amboyer, Alysha Umphress, Candy Buckley, Fredric Osgard, Julia Harnett, Charles Mayhew Miller, Max Antonio Gonzalez.

Ryland Marbutt, Richard Kline, Tom Story, Krysta Rodriguez, Nik Alexander, Dan Amboyer

Ryland Marbutt, Richard Kline, Tom Story, Krysta Rodriguez, Nik Alexander, Dan Amboyer, Alysha Umphress

ALAN PAUL, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

CURTAIN CALL, CABARET

BARRINGTON STAGE CO. BOYD-QUINSON MAINSTAGE

ALAN PAUL

CAROLE BURACK, BOARD MEMBER & DANIEL BURACK

STEPHEN JEROME, ALAN PAUL, LESLIE JEROME

BETH SAPERY & RISITA SARNOFF, EDA SOROKOFF, BOARD EMERITI

ROSITA SARNOFF, DAVID GLODT, MARITA GLODT, PRES. BOARD OF TRUSTEES

MARK ST. GERMAIN & EDA SOROKOFF

NIK ALEXANDER, EMCEE

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Stephen Sorokoff

Stephen studied at the Manhattan School of Music. Besides being a pianist, Stephen’s business career was in the Fashion Industry. He was CEO of a textile manufacturing facility and President of an international textile machinery company. Stephen was on the Board of Directors of the “First All Children’s Theatre” which brought the Stephen Schwartz musical The Trip and Captain Louie to the Kennedy Center in Wash DC. His wife Eda, an interior space designer and classical pianist was on the Board of Barrington Stage Company and is still active at BSC. Stephen’s photographs, videos and articles appear on Broadwayworld.com, T2Conline.com and The New York Observer. He is active in the entertainment events at the Friars Club, where he is a member. Stephen is also an Honorary Board Member of The Society For The Preservation of The Great American Songbook. Stephen Sorokoff@gmail.com

Columns

My View: Who Knew Broadway and 42nd Street Ran All The Way to Boca/Delray…The Wick Theatre

Published

2 weeks ago

November 19, 2023

Stephen Sorokoff

Who knew 42nd Street and Broadway ran all the way down to Boca/Delray and end at The Wick Theatre and Museum Club! In an event yesterday afternoon that rivaled any Broadway Opening Night Party, Marilynn & Kimberly Wick celebrated the opening of The Wick’s 2023/2024 season with a spectacular immersive exhibition of “Dancing Feet” The Experience, 42nd Street. They also had in attendance none other than the star of the original Tony Award Winning Broadway show (42nd Street) Lee Roy Reams on the Museum Club’s Stage to add commentary, sing, and have a fun filled talk back with the audience. Lee Roy, who starred as Billy Lawlor in the 1980 production, shared many anecdotes about the musical during the video presentation, including insights about renowned choreographer Gower Champion and his untimely death on the day of the show’s Broadway opening. The legendary show went on to win the Tony Award for Best Musical and Best Choreography. While Reams continued his illustrious career in musical theatre, starring in numerous Broadway shows including The Producers and La Cage Aux Folles, and at The Wick, he created a sensation with his role as Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly!

“The Wick is breaking new ground in both entertainment and technology by creating these immersive experiences that both entertain and educate audiences about the history of Broadway,” said Kimberly Wick, curator. “As the owners of the largest Broadway costume collection in the nation, we are thrilled to add this innovation as another way to preserve the incredible artistry of our past for generations to come.”

Last year, The Wick Costume Museum underwent a dramatic high-tech transformation, resulting in a stunning new venue, rechristened The Museum Club at The Wick. The completely renovated space thrilled guests with 360-degree immersive video experiences, historic costume displays, dining, and entertainment.

LEE ROY REAMS

LEE ROY REAMS & MARILYNN WICK

MARILYNN WICK & KIMBERLY WICK

LEE ROY REAMS

KIMBERLY WICK

DANCING FEET

LEE ROY REAMS

MICHAEL URSUA & LEE ROY REAMS

THE MUSEUM CLUB

JOHN McDANIEL, EDA SOROKOFF, LEE ROY REAMS

THE MUSEUM CLUB

EDA SOROKOFF & MARILYNN WICK

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Ken Fallin's Broadway

Ken Fallin’s Broadway: Make Me Gorgeous’s Wade McCollum

Published

2 weeks ago

November 19, 2023

Ken Fallin

Attending the opening of Make Me Gorgeous starring the fabulous Wade McCollum as Kenneth/Kate Marlowe inspired this caricature.

Make Me Gorgeous is the reworking of the original script, Mr. Madam by donnie that premiered at triangle in June 2022.

Make Me Gorgeous is a one-person show based upon a true story, taken from several books by Kenneth aka Kate Marlowe. Kenneth has been described as one of the gayest and most openly homosexual personalities of the late 50s and early 60s. He went from a 1940s/1950s drag performer to being a madam (for Hollywood gays), to being the author of several books, and at the age of 50 began transitioning, soon after marrying a man in prison. You just cannot make this stuff up

It now has a new name, but the same playwright and actor now are bringing the story to the stage at Playhouse 46th at St Luke’s, 308 W 46th Street. With the encouragement of the Tony Award-winning playwright of “Memphis” Joe DiPietro and many others, the show will have a limited run off-Broadway run until December 31, 2023.

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Ken Fallin’s Broadway: Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara With The NY Pops

Published

2 weeks ago

November 17, 2023

Ken Fallin

One Night Only: An Evening with Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara with the NY Pops is happening Friday 8pm, at Carnegie Hall. This unique program by NY Pops conductor Steven Reineke, pays homage to earlier icons of stage and screen who teamed up for memorable concerts.

Columns

My View: No Pause In The Laughter At Menopause The Musical 2

Published

2 weeks ago

November 13, 2023

Stephen Sorokoff

The hysterical sequel to the smash-hit Menopause The Musical is finally here and it’s National Tour landed at the Aventura Cultural Center in Florida this week. America, get ready to cheer and laugh on a cruise through “The Change” with your beloved ladies 5 years after their chance encounter in a department store. They have nothing in common but memory loss, hot flashes, night sweats, not enough sex, too much sex and more! This hilarious musical parody set to classic tunes from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, will have you dancing in the aisles as the audience did at the performance we attended ( and has been doing since the original Menopause The Musical opened 20 years ago). If you think #1 was #1 wait till you see # 2.

Aventura Cultural Center

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STEPHEN SOROKOFF, SETH GREENLEAF, EDA SOROKOFF, KEN GREENBLATT, SANDI GREENBLATT

SETH GREENLEAF GFOUR PRODUCTIONS

KEN GREENBLATT, & JOSH FRIEDMAN, VP alumni & admissions UNIV OF MIAMI

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Ken Fallin's Broadway

Ken Fallin’s Broadway: Off Broadway With The Mint Theatre Company’s Partnership

Published

4 weeks ago

November 5, 2023

Suzanna Bowling

Starring in The Mint Theatre Company’s Partnership are Sara Haider and Gene Gillette. Partnership by Elizabeth Baker and is about what working women had to do to survive and become emotionally more than a century ago.

In Partnership Kate Rolling (Sara Haider) is the ambitious owner of a small fashion boutique in Brighton. When the owner of the largest shop in town proposes a merger on favorable terms—including matrimony—Kate sees an irresistible business opportunity. “Oh, don’t worry about me,” Kate assures her friends, “I never expected anything great in the way of love.” But isn’t romance most likely to happen when it’s least expected?  

Elizabeth Baker’s charming comedy premiered in 1917.

To see T2C’s review click here.