Cabaret at Hamilton Music Academy

My younger sister Jane goes to the Hamilton High School Music Academy. The high school is public music magnet and so the programs in music, dance and theater are very strong. I must admit it is rare for me to go see a high school play and actually enjoy it, but this play is seriously the most professional thing I have seen in a long time. I see most of the USC School of Theater plays and Cabaret at Hamilton was better than most plays I see at USC.

Though the musical is being put on at a high school, this is not the PG version of the musical... in fact it is apparently the raunchiest version filled with abortion, nazis, sex and of course, cabarets in the 1930s in Berlin. Yes it is high schoolers coming out on stage in very revealing outfits and sensually dancing, but I swear you forget that when you are watching the show.

I have seen Cabaret before and I forgot how intense the story is. The musical really hit home for me because it deals with the beginning of the nazi takeover in Berlin and my family came from Berlin and Vienna, though many members of my family did not make it to the states. Of course the hallaucost has especially intense meaning for me as a Jewish descendent of family members who did not make it, but everyone watching the show was moved.

The two most intense moments for me is when the very flamboyant Master of Ceremonies, Emcee, does a dance with an actor in a gorilla costume. This is the first scene after intermission and the entire audience laughs as Emcee comically dances with the gorilla singing the song If You Could See Her

Here are the lyrics.

I know what you're thinking:
You wondered why I chose her
Out of all the ladies in the world.
That's just a first impression,
What good's a first impression?
If you knew her like I do
It would change you're point of view.

If you could see her through my eyes
You wouldn't wonder at all.
If you could see her through my eyes
I guarantee you would fall (like I did).
When we're in public togtheer
I hear society moan.
But if they could see her through my eyes
Maybe they'd leave us alone.

Why can't they leave us alone.

I understand your objection
I grant you the problem's not small
But if you could see her through my eyes
She wouldn't look Jewish at all.

Read that last line of the song. While the audience laughs because dancing with a gorillas is funny, the song suddenly takes a dark turn as the audience realizes that the gorilla is a metaphor for how Jews were seen. This scene is very poignant and really struck a harsh chord with me.

Here is the scene I am talking about from Cabaret the film.



The other scene of the film that also deeply impacted me the very last scene of the musical when Emcee reveals that he is actually Jewish. He slowly and dramatically drops his robe to reveal that he is wearing the concentration camp uniform and the big yellow Jewish star.

Cabaret is a poignant and deeply impacting musical and I recommend the Hamilton performance of the play! I will probably be going to see it again!

Here is a link to the dates the play is showing.
http://www.hamiltonmusic.org/apps/events/index.jsp?id=0&rn=1822109