Synopses & Reviews
Condensing a wide variety of sources into a handy and engaging chronicle, this book is the most detailed production history to date of the original Broadway version of Cabaret, showing primarily how the show evolved from Christopher Isherwood's Berlin stories (especially the Sally Bowles novella), into John van Druten's stage play, a British film adaptation, and then the Broadway musical, conceived and directed by Harold Prince as an early concept musical or meta-musical. The book shows how Prince was able to find his central metaphor that was appropriate to Weimar society and to America in the Sixties as well. It places this cabaret metaphor within a contextual history of European cabaret. Tracing the gradual evolution of Joe Masteroff's libretto (through three versions), the book analyzes the musical's main metaphor, structure, music and lyrics (John Kander and Fred Ebb), design (sets by Boris Aronson, lighting by Jean Rosenthal, costumes (by Patricia Zipprodt), choreography (Ron Field), casting, and rehearsals, arguing that though the original version was limited by social and political mores of its day, it set a new standard and path for the American musical, drawing attention to its own theatrical artifice (including camp). The book ends with an examination of the first London version (1968), Bob Fosse's 1972 film version, Hal Prince's 1987 Broadway remount, Sam Mendes's stunning 1998 production, Rufus Norris's London re-imagining (2006), and Amanda Dehnert's new investigation for the Stratford Festival of Canada (2006), and speculates on what the future holds for this musical. The book contains nearly 40 illustrations, full cast credits, and a bibliography.
Review
"These books by Keith Garebian are golden. Not only are they full of great insider anecdotes and hilarious stories, they also show you firsthand that musicals are an evolutionary art and 'classics' don't happen overnight. As they say, plays with music go into rehearsal and musicals come out of rehearsal."--Blogway Baby
"A lively and impossible-to-put-down study of one of the most disturbing and entertaining musicals of the 20th century. This book captures the passion and ingenuity of artists who sought to expand musical theatre's conventions and to challenge U.S. politics. Garebian balances facts and details of the musical's creation and reception with insightful interpretation of the music, lyrics, script, staging, and design. A model for musical theatre history, an exemplary case study, and the most important source on Cabaret to date, the new and improved The Making of Cabaret updates and expands its terrific predecessor. An indispensible resource on a show that changed musical theatre forever."--Stacy Wolf, author of A Problem Like Maria: Gender and Sexuality in the American Musical (2002) and Changed for Good: A Feminist History of the Broadway Musical (2011)
"This book is simply a wonderful read. Keith Garebian investigates the history of this extraordinary musical so elegantly and completely, you might think you had been there yourself for every production. The Making of Cabaret is smart, witty, insightful and full of the spirit that has made this groundbreaking musical such an enduring work of art." --Amanda Dehnert, Theatre Director
"Keith Garebian deftly explores how the landmark concept musical 'Cabaret' came to be and examines its metamorphosis in Bob Fosse's Academy Award-winning film, the revelatory revision by Sam Mendes, and other revivals, persuasively arguing the many reasons why this disturbing musical has remained so popular."--Bud Coleman, University of Colorado at Boulder
"A marvelous job." --Hal Prince
"Entertaining and knowledgeable, it adds usefully to our understanding of creative processes... a thoroughly good read." --University of Leeds
Synopsis
A handy and engaging chronicle, this book is the most detailed production history to date of the original Broadway version of Cabaret, showing how the show evolved from Christopher Isherwood's Berlin stories, into John van Druten's stage play, a British film adaptation, and then the Broadway musical, conceived and directed by Harold Prince as an early concept musical. With nearly 40 illustrations, full cast credits, and a bibliography, The Making of Cabaret will appeal to musical theatre aficionados, theatre specialists, and students and performers of musical theatre.
About the Author
Keith Garebian is a widely-published, award-winning author of 17 books and over 1200 articles, reviews, features, and interviews in more than 100 newspapers, journals, magazines, and anthologies.
Table of Contents
A New Preface
1. Sally Bowles and Berlin
2. Prince of Broadway
3. Curtain of Light, Tilted Mirror
4. Cabaret Ambience
5. Kander and Ebb
6. Casting
7. Rehearsals and Boston
8. Broadway Opening
9. Reincarnations and Revisions
The Future: A Conclusion
Production Notes
Works Consulted
Index