Broadway with Me

• Performance Date: February 19, 2025
• Seat Location: Orchestra 5, Row H, Seat 1
• Seat Price & Ticketer: $90 on TodayTix
• Running Time: 2 hour and 45 minutes, including 15 minute intermission
• Rating: 8/10

Cabaret has never been my favorite musical. It’s got some iconic songs I love, but as a whole, the show has never called to me. Maybe because I was so young when I first saw the 1972 movie, probably too young to understand it. Maybe it’s because I tend to like more fantastical musicals. I can’t put my finger on why exactly it was never a fav, but this newest revival – in this current political climate – has resonated with me in a way that I never expected.

Before touching on the experience as a whole, and the show’s poignancy in 2025, I want to highlight the amazing cast of this show. I was able to see Adam Lambert and Auli’i Cravalho, and both of them give outstanding performances. Auli’i’s rendition of “Maybe This Time” is jaw dropping and chilling. Adam is an amazing Emcee, the perfect mix of haunting and entertaining. Their performances left an impression. All the cast members of this production put their hearts into it, it’s clear to anyone in the audience.

The August Wilson Theater has been completely transformed into the Kit Kat Club. This is one of the most exciting parts of this production. I’m a huge fan of interactive shows and shows doing exciting new things – Here Lies Love will forever in my top 10.

As the production covers smart phone cameras from the moment you step in, I will not speak in much detail about what goes on before the show begins. It is meant to be experienced, not shared. But I will vaguely touch upon the main aspects of what to expect in case you are someone who absolutely needs to know before going.

All three levels of the front of house have been transformed into the Kit Kat Club. There is something on each level, a different atmosphere on each level. As soon as your ticket is scanned, you are in 1930s Berlin. You’re in the Kit Kat Club. You exist in this universe on the precipice of war. You are a part of the underground, hoping you survive this. It felt eerily like our own universe; no matter what time period we are in, someone is forced into the underground. But you also know something the characters around you don’t. They don’t know about the coming horrors of WWII. Even though this should be a power imbalance, instead it’s just unsettling. You may know what will happen, but you’re still on edge. You get sucked into the glamour nonetheless.

The further you go into this experience, the easier it is to get into it. You are now a part of the show. Standing in the corner, drink in hand, you feel that you are just another person hoping to escape reality with the Emcee. We were looking for an escape before we entered the theater, and now we’re about to find one. I have never been invited to step into a musical’s world the way Cabaret did. Even the orchestra seats with their little table for your drink keep you in tune with the world.

Stepping into Act 1 so fully helps heighten the tone shift in Act 2. We’re no longer having fun at the club; the veil of glitter and gin begins to lift. Much like in our own world, we can feel the slow descent into a terrifying reality. Slowly, the Cabaret universe enters Nazi Germany; some of the characters we love start fearing for their lives; some of the characters we love stick their heads in the sand. The tone shift has always existed in this show, but I don’t believe I have ever felt it as strongly as I do during this production. We were all part of the action and fun of Act 1, and now we all lose something as the world around us shifts. Act 1 is filled with laughs; Act 2 is filled with fear.

I once again recall how young I was when I first saw Cabaret. I never understood Fraulein Schneider the way I did in this production. I used to think her spineless. Now I see a scared woman. Do I suddenly agree with her actions now? No. But I understand what lead to them more than I ever did. I understand her fear and need to just keep surviving more than I ever did. Part of this understanding comes from the fact that the Act 2 set up is barren. There is nothing on that stage to distract us from the words of the songs. We now just get to listen. We have no choice but to understand what their wants and motivations. During Act 2, the Emcee reflects all of this. He’s no longer joking, he’s as serious as the atmosphere. His costumes reflect both fear and changing times. He’s a caricature of Act 1. He’s there to make sure we understand the message; to make sure we pay attention.

This immersive production of Cabaret elevated the show to a new level. It’s a full experience. When I think back on my favorite types of shows, they have one big thing in common. They take you into their world and hold your hand through it all. This production left an impact. In the world we live, we are all many things. But one thing we share is fear. Cabaret holds our hand during this time. They need their hands held just as much as we do. This production is something everyone should experience before it’s gone.