by Joe Basque, Contributor

If you are in the market to see a truly great Broadway musical, tomorrow belongs to Creighton. Director Amy Lane and the Creighton Theatre Department are putting their own spin on “Cabaret” this month. The musical follows Sally Bowles at the Kit Kat Club as Weimar Germany slowly slides under Nazi control. Creighton’s production is based on the 1998 Broadway revival, which incorporates some of the numbers from the 1972 movie. “Cabaret” is iconic; from Liza Minnelli to the costumes and the Bob Fosse choreography. Lane and her designers decided to approach this production by going back to the original story, the 1939 novel “Goodbye to Berlin” by Christopher Isherwood. The novel is dark, descriptive and more raw than the movie, enabling them to honor the musical while putting their own stamp on the look and feel of the story.

Lane is thrilled to be teaching and directing at Creighton again. “I feel back at home.” In addition to a talented Creighton student cast, “Cabaret” will include familiar local actors Judy Radcliff and Michael Palmreuter.

Although the story takes place almost eighty years ago, her students connected with it immediately. “A lot of the characters are their age, characters they can really relate to,” says Lane. “It’s a very accessible story.” So is the message. “Cabaret” is based on the 1939 novel “Goodbye to Berlin” by Christopher Isherwood. The book opens with the narrator explaining that, “I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking.” He observes the collapse of Berlin society around him but does nothing to stop it. “That’s the challenge,” says Lane. “We can’t just be passive. We must stand up for what is right. It’s a great message for eighteen to twenty-one year olds.”

Cabaret will run on Creighton’s Mainstage Theatre at the Lied Education Center for the Arts, 2500 California Plaza, on April 10, 11 and April 16, 17, 18 at 7:30 pm, with 2:00 matinees on April 12 and 19. To order tickets go to boxoffice.creighton.edu.

Coupled with the performance of “Cabaret” will be a master class with Michele Pawk. Ms. Pawk was a Drama Desk Award nominee for her performance in the revival of Cabaret (1998). She has also starred in successful revivals of “Merrily We Roll Along” (1994) and “Chicago” (1996). She won a Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Play for her 2002 performance in “Hollywood Arms.” Omaha Theatre Arts Guild and CU@theArts will present Audition Technique Master Classes led by Ms. Pawk on Saturday, April 11, 2015 from 9:00am – 11:00am and 1:00pm – 3:00pm at Creighton University.

For aspiring performers, these master classes are an opportunity to receive coaching from an experienced Broadway professional. Students and community members of all ages are invited to perform an audition song or monologue to perform for feedback, and observers are welcome. The master classes will conclude with a Q&A session with Michele Pawk.

Pre-registration is required for performers and observers. Space is limited to 10 performers per master class. Cost of registration is $25 for participants who will perform as a part of the class, but TAG will subsidize $10 of the fee for the first 10 TAG members who register for either master class sessions.

To register, email Susan Tracy at srtracy1@gmail.com with the following information by April 6th:

• Name:
• Email:
• Phone:
• Participation Type (performer or observer):
• Preferred class (AM or PM):

Observers of all ages are invited to attend as audience members for FREE.