GUTHRIE THEATER PRESENTS KANDER AND EBB’S TONY AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL CABARET, DIRECTED BY JOSEPH HAJ

Jo Lampert and Mary Kate Moore will play the roles of Emcee and Sally Bowles in this sensational, daring musical onstage this summer

Previews begin Saturday, June 21; Opening on Thursday, June 26
Playing through Sunday, August 24 on the Wurtele Thrust Stage

(Minneapolis/St. Paul) — The Guthrie Theater (Joseph Haj, Artistic Director) today announced cast and creative team for Cabaret, with book by Joe Masteroff, based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood, music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb and directed by Joseph Haj. The show begins previews on Saturday, June 21, officially opens Thursday, June 26 and will play through Sunday, August 24 on the Wurtele Thrust Stage. Single and group tickets are now on sale through the Box Office or online at guthrietheater.org. Accessibility services (ASL-interpreted, audio-described, open-captioned and relaxed performances) are also available on select dates.

Artistic Director Joseph Haj said, “I think of Cabaret as one of the defining musicals of all time. It broke new ground in musical theater, intertwining musical history with dazzling entertainment in new and dangerous ways.” Haj continued, “Cabaret reflects a society that is determined to dance as fast as it can, to keep the lights twirling as long as possible, to turn the volume up as loud as possible, to keep from seeing the train that is thundering toward them.”

In Cabaret, a charismatic Master of Ceremonies invites patrons inside Berlin’s sultry Kit Kat Klub to partake in a decadent world of musical numbers, kicklines and torrid affairs — a welcome reprieve from the ever-growing Nazi influence just outside its doors. As the political unrest nears a tipping point, the beautiful life the cabaret promises slowly begins to fade, putting love, friendship and loyalties to the test. This Tony Award-winning sensation, featuring masterful hits such as “Willkommen,” “Don’t Tell Mama” and “Maybe This Time,” is a daring and dazzling musical you won’t want to miss.

Cabaret was the first collaboration of composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb. Shepherded by producer/director Harold Prince, Cabaret became a critical and box office success when it opened on Broadway in 1966. It won the 1967 Tony Award for Best Musical and Best Original Score as well as the 1967 Grammy Award for Best Score from an Original Show Cast Album. This is the first time Cabaret has been produced at the Guthrie. The musical was originally announced as part of the Guthrie’s 2019–2020 Season, also with Joseph Haj directing, but it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The cast of Cabaret includes Sasha Andreev (Guthrie: Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park With George, The Two Gentlemen of Verona) as Ernst Ludwig, Remy Auberjonois (Guthrie: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Glass Menagerie, Cyrano de Bergerac) as Herr Schultz, Michelle Barber (Guthrie: Murder on the Orient Express, Other Desert Cities, Roman Holiday) as Fräulein Schneider, Stephanie Anne Bertumen (Guthrie: A Christmas Carol, The History Plays) as Rosie, Joe Bigelow (Guthrie: My Fair Lady, Roman Holiday) as Herman, Vie Boheme (Guthrie: Little Shop of Horrors, West Side Story, Refugia) as Texas, Berto Borroto (Guthrie: debut) as Victor, Brian Bose (Guthrie: debut) as Bobby, Dorian Brooke (Guthrie: debut) as Swing, Jason Forbach (Guthrie: debut) as Clifford Bradshaw, Jon Andrew Hegge (Guthrie: A Christmas Carol, Guys and Dolls, The Critic/The Real Inspector Hound) as Max, Nathan Huberty (Guthrie: A Christmas Carol) as Hans/Rudy, Jo Lampert (Guthrie: debut) as Emcee/Customs Official, Abby Magalee (Guthrie: debut) as Swing, Joey Miller (Guthrie: Little Shop of Horrors) as Swing, Andrea Mislan (Guthrie: Cyrano de Bergerac, Guys and Dolls, West Side Story) as Frenchie, Mary Kate Moore (Guthrie: debut) as Sally Bowles, Janely Rodriguez (Guthrie: debut) as Lulu, Monet Sabel (Guthrie: debut) as Fräulein Kost/Fritzie, Elly Stahlke (Guthrie: debut) as Helga and Jon Michael Stiff (Guthrie: South Pacific) as Swing.

The creative team includes Joseph Haj (Director), Casey Sams (Choreographer), Mark Hartman (Music Director), Marion Williams (Scenic Designer), Jen Caprio (Costume Designer), Josh Epstein (Lighting Designer), Mikaal Sulaiman (Sound Designer), Joshua Burniece (Assistant Music Director), Carla Steen (Resident Dramaturg), Keely Wolter (Vocal Coach), Annie Enneking (Fight Director/Intimacy), Jay Owen Eisenberg (Gender Consultant), Jennifer Liestman (Resident Casting Director), Jason Clusman (Stage Manager), Karl Alphonso (Assistant Stage Manager), Lyndsey R. Harter (Assistant Stage Manager), Laura Topham (Assistant Stage Manager), Zeina Salame (Assistant Director) and McCorkle Casting, Ltd. (NYC Casting Consultant).

Joe Masteroff (Book) had three shows on Broadway: The Warm Peninsula, starring Julie Harris, and two musicals, She Loves Me and Cabaret, for which he was the book writer. His other work included the librettos for 70, Girls, 70 and Desire Under the Elms, plus the book and lyrics for Six Wives and Paramour. Masteroff was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in 2016.

John Kander (Music) is a Tony, Emmy and Grammy Award-winning composer, recipient of The Kennedy Center Honors Award and member of the Theater Hall of Fame. With frequent collaborator Fred Ebb, he composed the scores to dozens of Broadway musicals, including Cabaret, Zorba, Chicago, The Act, Woman of the Year, The Rink, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Steel Pier.

Fred Ebb (Lyrics) was an award-winning lyricist, librettist and director who frequently collaborated with composer John Kander. Ebb’s theater work spans countless productions, including Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Steel Pier, and his film work includes Cabaret, Kramer vs. Kramer and Chicago, which won the 2003 Academy Award for Best Picture. Throughout his career, Ebb earned four Tony Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards and dozens of other accolades, including The Kennedy Center Honors and membership in the Theater Hall of Fame.

Joseph Haj (Director) is the Artistic Director of the Guthrie Theater where he has directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The History Plays (Richard II, Henry IV and Henry V in rotating repertory), Hamlet, A Christmas Carol, Dickens’ Holiday Classic, The Glass Menagerie, Cyrano de Bergerac (his own adaptation), West Side Story, Romeo and Juliet, Sunday in the Park With George, King Lear, South Pacific and Pericles. Prior to joining the Guthrie in 2015, Haj served as Producing Artistic Director at PlayMakers Repertory Company, and he has directed and performed across the U.S. and internationally, including Berlin, Salzburg, Japan, Paris, Edinburgh, the West Bank and Gaza. Haj is the recipient of the 2014 Zelda Fichandler Award for leadership in the American theater and the 2017 Rosetta LeNoire Award from Actors’ Equity Association for commitment to diversity onstage. He currently serves as Second Vice President of the Executive Board of SDC, the union of Stage Directors and Choreographers.

The Guthrie gratefully acknowledges Taft and Suntory Global Spirits for their support of Cabaret.

Related Events

Kit Kat Bar at Cabaret
Leave your troubles behind and step inside the Kit Kat Bar at Cabaret! Sponsored by Suntory Global Spirits, this immersive pop-up bar on Level Four will serve up specialty cocktails, wine, beer and spirit-free delights with a Cabaret twist throughout the run. Bar service begins 90 minutes before showtime and is available through intermission.

Post-Play Discussions
Patrons are invited to stay in the theater following select performances for a 20-minute conversation about the production facilitated by Guthrie artistic staff. Cast members may join the discussion as they are able.

Sunday, June 29 at 1 p.m.
Wednesday, July 2 at 1 p.m.
Sunday, July 6 at 1 p.m.
Tuesday, July 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 12 at 1 p.m.

A Guthrie Symposium: Cabaret – Saturday, July 12, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Artists, historians, musical theater buffs and Cabaret fans are invited to join us in the Dowling Studio for an immersive one-day event inspired by the Tony Award-winning masterpiece that has captivated audiences and influenced pop culture since its Broadway debut in 1966. Attendees will enjoy panel presentations, breakout sessions, mini lectures, music, a How’d They Do That? Workshop and more. Tickets will go on sale soon.

Queer Artists Pop-Up Market – Saturday, July 12, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Shop a collection of handcrafted jewelry, accessories, prints and decor from a curated group of local queer artisans and makers. This event is free and open to the public.

Accessible Performances

Relaxed Performance – Sunday, August 3 at 1 p.m.
A relaxed performance is intended to be sensitive to and accepting of any audience member who may benefit from a more relaxed environment. It is intentionally modified to accommodate patrons with sensory and vestibular sensitivities, anxiety, dementia, autism spectrum disorders, learning differences and/or other challenges attending the theater.

ASL-Interpreted Performances
American Sign Language interpreters sign the performance as it plays out onstage.

Saturday, July 12 at 1 p.m.
Friday, July 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Audio-Described Performances
Audio describers provide live verbal descriptions of the action, costumes and scenery for people who are blind or have low vision.

Saturday, July 12 at 1 p.m.
Friday, July 18 at 7:30 p.m.

Open-Captioned Performances
LED Screens display text simultaneously with the performance onstage.

Wednesday, July 9 at 1 p.m.
Sunday, July 13 at 1 p.m.
Wednesday, July 16 at 1 p.m.
Friday, July 18 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 19 at 1 p.m.

The Guthrie also offers ASL-interpreted, audio-described and open-captioned performances upon request. Requests must be received at least two weeks in advance and can be directed to 612.225.6390 or accessibility@guthrietheater.org.

Ticket Information
Single tickets range from $39 to $105 (handling fees included). Single and group tickets (minimum requirement of 15 per group) may be purchased through the Box Office at 612.377.2224 (single), 1.877.447.8243 (toll-free), 612.225.6244 (group) or online at guthrietheater.org.

Land Acknowledgment
The Guthrie Theater would like to acknowledge that we gather on the traditional land of the Dakota people and honor with gratitude the land itself and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations, including the Ojibwe and other Indigenous nations.

The GUTHRIE THEATER (Joseph Haj, Artistic Director) is an American center for theater performance in Minneapolis, Minnesota, dedicated to producing a mix of classic and contemporary plays and cultivating the next generation of theater artists. Under Haj’s leadership, the Guthrie is guided by four core values: Artistic Excellence; Community; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility; and Fiscal Responsibility. Since its founding in 1963, the theater has continued to set a national standard for excellence in the field and serve the people of Minnesota as a vital cultural resource. The Guthrie houses three state-of-the-art stages, production facilities, classrooms and dramatic public spaces. guthrietheater.org