Again: Cabaret (and again and again . . . )

It’s one of the few musicals I’ve ever really loved. The relatively dark musical tragedy Cabaret made quite an impression in its most recent local appearancea very intimate production at the Cartye Blanche Studio Theatre that debuted only a little over a year ago.  A big stage feel with elaborate costuming, a big orchestra sound and all the trappings of a very extravagant musical were compressed into Carte Blanche’s intimate studio space. It was breathtaking.

Nearly one year later, the first of the next two locally staged productions of the Kander and Ebb musical rolls into UW-Whitewater courtesy of a touring group known as Windwood Theatricals. Based out of New York and Paris, Windwood appears to be something of a catch-all production house that is responsible for a variety of different traveling performances. The 2010-2011 catalogue includes a rock opera based on Alice In Wonderland, Ed Asner on tour as FDR, and “the stunt dog experience.” There is precious little online about what to expect from Windwood’s production of Cabaret, but in such esteemed company, it must certainly be worth the $44-$24 ticket price. Tickets can be ordered by calling 262-472-2222 or purchased online at www.uww.edu/youngauditorium.

Of course, far biger news than this is the Milwaukee Rep’s announcement that it will be opening the 2010/2011 season with a production of the musical at the Quadracci Powerhouse Theatre. It will feel a bit odd seeing a musical onstage at the Quadracci, but new Rep artistic director  Mark Clements seems to have pretty good taste if this is the musical he’s going to be starting with . . .

Windwood Theatricals’ touring production of Cabaret comes to UW-Whitewater’s Young Auditorium on Friday, April 23^rd. The Milwaukee Rep’s production of Cabaret runs September 14 – October 24^th.