July 3, 2014
Venice Theatre opens Cabaret on July 31, 2014
Kander & Ebb’s saucy classic is revived by Summer Stock performers
(Venice, FL) Venice Theatre’s Summer Stock troupe will present John Kander & Fred Ebb’s hit musical Cabaret on the theatre’s MainStage, Thursday, July 31 through Sunday, Aug. 10, 2014. Summer Stock is a theatre “boot camp” for senior-high and college-aged performers interested in pursuing professional careers in theatre. Brad Wages directs and choreographs the students while Michelle Kasanofsky provides musical direction. Tickets are $13-$25 and are available at www.venicestage.com, 941-488-1115 or in person at the box office at 140 W. Tampa Ave. in Venice.
Based on a book by Christopher Isherwood, Cabaret tells the story of the seedy Kit Kat Club run by a colorful Emcee (Tony DeNiro) in 1930’s Berlin. He narrates the story of young English performer Sally Bowles (Kaitlyn Terpstra) who strikes up a relationship with American writer Cliff Bradshaw (Patrick Mounce). The couple pursues a life of pleasure, although the world outside the club begins to splinter as the Nazi Party takes hold of Berlin. Sally and Cliff are faced with a choice: abandon themselves to pleasures promised by the cabaret, or open their eyes and face the coming storm. Wages says, “I love this show because it’s a classic musical that is historically accurate. This is actually what happened in that time period in Berlin.”
Cabaret is highly esteemed as Kander and Ebb’s greatest musical, compared to their other popular works like Chicago and Kiss of the Spider Woman. Its original 1966 Broadway production ran for 1,100 performances and inspired eight subsequent revivals in New York and London. Cabaret has won a total of 13 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. Currently, it’s playing on Broadway where Alan Cumming is reprising his role of Emcee.
“Cabaret is a show that all theatre students need to be exposed to,” says Wages. “It’s gritty and bizarre and on the edge because the world was on the edge at that period of time. Cabaret is really a history lesson, both in the history of musical theatre and the history of pre-World War II Germany.”
In recent years, some have questioned the theatre for choosing Summer Stock productions that are too adult in nature. Wages responds, “We have a responsibility to expose our Summer Stock students to shows that they will be doing in the real world. Most high schools and even some colleges tend to sugar coat shows like Cabaret. They don’t focus on the dark and gritty subject matter. Our program is here to fill the gap between school and career. We challenge students who want to be challenged.”
Two of these students are Kaitlyn Terpstra and Patrick Mounce. They are making a dream come true for Venice Theatre’s Executive/Artistic Director, Murray Chase. After eight years, the program has reached one of Chase’s initial goals: to hire program graduates as paid actors. This has been done in past summers with sound designers, stage managers and costumers, but Cabaret marks a first with performers. Both Terpstra and Mounce are BFA acting students, at SUNY Purchase and University of Central Florida, respectively. Chase has extended professional contracts to each of them to play the leading roles in Cabaret. He says they have proven to be the perfect choice. “Kaitlyn and Patrick have risen above my high expectations. They are serving as professional examples to younger, up-and-coming student performers. They’ve shown sterling leadership all summer.”
Audiences can see Mounce, Terpstra and the rest of the cast of Cabaret, Thursday, July 31 through Sunday, Aug. 10, 2014. This production is sponsored by Boone, Boone, Boone and Koda, P.A. and Eric Styren. Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for college students and $13 for high school students. The show is not recommended for students under 16. Tickets are on sale at the theatre’s box office at 140 W. Tampa Ave, by phone at 941-488-1115 or online at www.venicestage.com. Summer box office hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and one hour before performances.
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Cabaret
Book by Joe Masteroff, Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood
Production Staff
Director/Choreographer – Brad Wages
Music Director – Michelle Kasanofsky
Stage Manager – Lisa Million
Scenic Designer and Lighting Designer – John Andzulis
Costume Designer – Stephanie Gift
Sound Designer – Shane Oss
Projection Designer – Dorian Boyd
PRINCIPLES
Master of Ceremonies (Emcee) – Tony DeNiro
Cliff Bradshaw– Patrick Mounce
Sally Bowles – Kaitlyn Terpstra
Ernst Ludwig – Robert “Chip” Plummer
Fraulein Kost – Charlotte Crowley
Herr Schultz – Preston Boyd*
Fraulein Schneider – Priscilla Boyd*
KIT KAT GIRLS & BOYS
Bobby – Matt McClure
Victor, “Two Ladies” – Shawn Hardin
“Two Ladies” – Megan Bartek
Gorilla – Tristan Laham
Alexandra “Allie” Campbell, Allison Pickens, Antoinette Gagliano, Cheyenne Fauvel, Samantha Centerbar, Teri DeNiro, Alex Wilson
PATRONS
Customs Officer, Max – Andrew Cutro
Elizabeth “Liz” Leone, Quentia “Tia” Allen, Rachel Ware, Taylor Turner, Samuel Echevarria, Jr.
*Appears courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association
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140 W. Tampa Ave
Venice, FL 34285
941-484-4033, ext. 221
Tickets: 941-488-1115
