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| Music: John Kander Words: Fred Ebb Based on the stories of Christopher Irshewood and play by John van Druten |
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| Synopsis: Set in Germany just before the start of the �Third REICH� (1929-1930) Cliff, a young novelist travels to Berlin trying to grasp inspiration after unsuccessful trips to places like Paris and Venice. He stays in F. Schneider�s guesthouse where he visits the recommended Kit-Kat Club. He meets �singer� Sally Bowles who explains that she has finished with Max, the nightclub owner she is sleeping with �that week.� She stays with Cliff while a love affair goes on between the retired couple Schultz, a Jewish Shopkeeper and Schneider. They both get engaged and hold a party. Cliff comes back from a smuggling trip, only to find out that it was on behalf of the Nazi Party, who are continually growing in numbers. Ernst, the Nazi representative, strongly tells Schneider that their marriage could never work. She calls off the engagement. Sally falls pregnant, but gets an abortion. The Nazi party increases, and so does the terror in all the characters as Cliff departs back to America, leaving behind the disillusioned Sally. |
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| Musical Numbers: |
| ACT 1: 1. Willkommen |
| 2. Welcome To Berlin |
| 3. So What |
| 9. It Couln't Please Me More |
| 12. Why Should I Wake Up? |
| 13. Sitting Pretty (The Money Song) |
| (14) 15. Married |
| 16. Fruit Shop Dance |
| 17. Meeskite |
| 18. Tomorrow Belongs To Me |
| We are first transported to a 1920s Berlin night club called the Kit Kat Klub. The MC welcomes everyone from all over as he sings 'Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome...' Leave your troubles outside... in here life is beautiful: the girst are beautiful, even the orchestra is beautiful! We get introduced to the stage band, the Cabaret girls, boys and waiters (Ensamble). |
| Writer Clifford Bradshaw is on his way from Paris. On his train to Berlin he meets Ernst, a German businessman who admits he is smuggling. Ernst warmly recommends a local guest house for Cliff, a Fraulein Scheider, - 'But this is auful!' - as Ernst describes her rooms! The MC appears in this freezed tableau welcoming Cliff to Berlin! |
| Clifford meets Scheider as they haggle for the price of the room. Scheider thinks that his room is worth 100 marks... more than 100 marks, but Cliff hasn't got the money, and says 50 max. Scheider eventually gives in and sings "It'll all go on if we're here or not so who cares, So What!" She tells us the story of her life. Cliff also meets Fr. Kost, a young prostitute living opposite. She offers to help hi,... at 'any time.' |
| Following a suggestion, Clifford goes to the local Kit Kat Klub where he sees, for the first time, Sally Bowles as she sings this rather comical number about her indiscretion. Although she has flair, she don't 'alf need singing lessons! (5A. - STAGE BAND) |
| Sally and Cliff meet after talking on the telephones provided on every table of the Klub. Cliff says that he is staying at Scheider's guest house. The MC counts down to the new year - 1930. Cliff explains that he is writing a novel, but lost inspiration in all the other places he had visited. "Good luck with your writing" Sally proposes, and everyone dances 'Polka' during the Telephone Dance. |
| Ernst has English lessons with Cliff. Suddently Scheider anounces a young lady by the name of Sally Bowles is here to see him. She asks to stay with him. He says she is far too peculiar and distracting. She diagrees and gets him to agree that her stay would be perfect. He agrees and Sally brings all of her luggage in from the taxi. She has obviously had practice at getting into mens rooms. |
| The narrative MC sings a Klub song promoting the fact that, like Cliff and Sally, he has a perfectly marvelous roomate - but he has 'Two People' which defentaly beets twoosies!!! |
| In the mean time, the retired Scheider is having an affair, secretly (because what romours may get around). Her lover is a retired Jewish shop keeper, Herr Schultz who, on this occasion, bought Scheider a...a... PINEAPPLE! (Very rare at that time in Germany). She nearly faints. |
| A new German 'Hitlar Youth' song which is sung. |
| Cliff is enjoying life, what ever might happens. |
| Cliff agrees to do a bit of smuggling for Ernst to earn a bit of MONEY! The MC sings his song at the Klub bosting that he can do better! He uses prostitution to get his money - all over the world! |
| Herr Schultz proposes marriage to Scheider. She agrees wholeheartidly. |
| The retired couple hold an engagement party-everyone was invited and everyone came. Everyone dances, even Kost's bisexual sailors! |
| Ernst doesn't like this. Cliff comes back from his smuggling to find out that it was for the Nazi Party he had been reading up about.Kost sings this German song which everyone now knows and likes about the Fatherland ruling the world! Ernst threatenes Scheider about their marriage. This is how ACT 1 ends - the MCs hysterics about whats to come! |
| Schultz sings this Jewish song about what's inside you is what counts. The importance is to love everyone. |
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