@showsiveseen "#Cabaret" at the @KitKatClubNYC in the August Wilson #Theatre on #Broadway. Starring @Adam Lambert, Calvin Leon Smith, & Auliʻi Cravalho. Novel #immersive food/bar/club experience of a #musical #revival. #showsiveseen ♬ Cabaret – Liza Minnelli
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club in the August Wilson Theatre on Broadway. Starring Adam Lambert, Calvin Leon Smith, & Auliʻi Cravalho. Novel immersive food/bar/club experience of a musical revival.
See it!
Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? No, I’ve probably seen this musical in around 5 different past productions (including the national tour).
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? I don’t know … 5 times is already an awful lot of times to see a musical. Maybe I would if the next show has an even more unique gimmick than this production.
Mainstream Appeal: Medium to high
If A Random Stranger Asked What Show They Should See This Weekend, Would I Mention This Production? Yes
My Synopsis (No Spoilers): An American writer relocates to pre-WWII Berlin and witnesses German society’s gradual fall to the Nazis through the eyes of a cabaret at the notoriously risqué Kit Kat Club.
Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: The denizens of the Kit Kat Club have created a decadent sanctuary inside Broadway’s August Wilson Theatre, where artists and performers, misfits and outsiders rule the night. Step inside their world. This is Berlin. Relax. Loosen up. Be yourself.
Type: Immersive Musical
World Premiere: No
Several or Few Scenes: Several
Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several
Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Static and austere
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: You should have a very general knowledge of Nazi Germany
Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes
Live Band/Orchestra: Yes
Union Actors: All
Total Actors: Too many to count
Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed
Was there an intermission? Yes
Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.75 hours
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above
- Immersive Experience: Other than the celebrity casting, the main draw of this revival was the unique immersive experience.
- Alley and Basement: One hour before the main show began (7PM on an 8PM ticket), the doors opened, and ticket scanners ushered us in. They led us down a dimly lit, green-tinged alley, evoking the feeling of entering a hip, secret underground club. Soon, we found ourselves packed like sardines in a cramped basement, standing room only, with a small stage and two dance platforms. Performers mingled among the crowd while dancing, miming, and playing Yiddish-inspired music on a clarinet, violin, accordion, and bass. All of this unfolded beneath the watchful gaze of a mesmerizing, rotating eye overhead.
- First Floor Lobby: Patrons could wander up the stairs to the orchestra-level lobby, where actors performed at a naked upright piano. With so much happening in this freestyle scattered atmosphere, I felt a feel a bit of FOMO, unsure of where to focus as performers roamed across two of the venue’s three floors. But thankfully, none of the pre-show immersion activities were consequential to the main performance of the musical. Eventually, an overhead announcement encouraged guests who wanted to order food (nothing too substantial) to head to their seats. Later, another announcement invited patrons who wanted a drink to do the same. However, drinks were already available at any lobby bars in the basement, first floor, or second floor.
- Main Theatre Performance Space: The immersive performing troupe eventually made their way to the main theater, which had been transformed from its traditional front-facing seat configuration into a theater-in-the-round. On the ground level, tables with waiter service surrounded the stage, offering a more intimate setting, while more traditional theater seating was arranged behind them, each with a drink bench in front and ample leg room. The second level featured the orchestra positioned on either side of the stage, with mezzanine and balcony seating facing both the front and back of the stage. For a better understanding of the complex lay of the land, refer to the seat maps at the end of this article. The immersive actors occasionally weaved through the tables, engaging with the audience closest to the stage, before culminating in a final performance on the stage. At this point, the main cast took over as the lights retracted to the ceiling. The immersive performers were a distinct group, separate from the main cast. Once the musical began, their immersive role appeared to have concluded for the evening.
- Second Floor: The mezzanine/balcony area was devoid of any novelty found in the basement and first floor. The seating was ordinary, there was no table service, and no interactive performers appeared on that level.
- Verdict: After about 30 minutes of the 60-minute pre-show immersive experience, I was over it and headed to my seat, especially since I attended alone. The immersive experience would be more enjoyable with friends, as you’d have the chance to chat together *and* be entertained during the pre-show, which is opposite from a traditional musical experience where you can’t talk during the show. Regardless of whether you go solo or with companions, make sure you arrive at least 30 minutes before the main performance starts to fully experience the novelty and to milk the most bang for your buck. That said, the pre-show isn’t essential for enjoying the main performance.
- Stage: While I’m inherently not a fan of theatre-in-the-round configurations (since the actors sometimes face away from you), it worked well for the show’s theme on novelty. The tiny central stage was sadly austere with no set design, but it featured a trap door and rotating mechanisms. Additionally, the tiered, wedding cake-like pedestal mechanism was a perfect for the theatre-in-the-round setup.
- Costumes: Tom Scutt (who was also the scenic/theatre designer) created memorable costumes for the show’s stars, including a bejeweled, skeleton-inspired outfit and a creepy, old-timey clown mime costume for Adam Lambert (who played the emcee). Auli’i Cravalho’s (who played Sally Bowles) baby doll dress was also a standout.
- “Don’t Tell Mama” Song: Auli’i Cravalho wore her baby doll dress during “Don’t Tell Mama,” while her supporting performers donned baby bonnets. The baby theme was a perfect choice for the scene, and it even incorporated the viral Gen-Z TikTok meme “I’m just a baby!”
- Prairie Oyster: Did Auli’i really drink a whole raw egg on stage? If so, bless her. If not, that was good stage magic!
- Showstopper: The audience was captivated by Auli’i’s emotional rendition of “Cabaret,” delivering the song with such feeling that it earned her an extended ovation.
- Pineapple Innuendo: Steven Skybell (who played Herr Schultz) cleverly added a touch of sexual innuendo by licking his fingers and placing his pineapple in a brown bag. It was a playful nod to more mature themes!
- Shattered Glass: Transitioning from the joyful Jewish tradition of breaking the glass at a wedding to the violent, Kristallnacht-inspired Nazi vandalism was a powerful artistic choice. It effectively shattered the sense of hope for the protagonists, symbolizing the stark contrast between celebration and the looming threat of destruction.
- Nazi Portrayal: The eerie, identical blonde Nazi dolls were another effective artistic choice. Initially introduced during the song “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” where they appear as unsettling figures rotating on stage, the dolls serve as a haunting foreshadowing. In the final scene, this imagery is echoed when most of the cast appears blonde dressed in identical Nazi uniforms, stripped of their vibrant Kit Kat Club personas, silently rotating on the stage. This stark transformation emphasizes the loss of individuality and the regime’s oppressive conformity.
Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)
- Guidance and Direction: Throughout the pre-show immersive experience, I often felt uncertain about where to go. For instance, the audience (myself included) was packed tightly together like sardines in the basement for a while and unaware that we could explore upstairs for more. The audience relied heavily on ushers to direct us, which, while helpful, diminished the hip underground free-spirited club vibe.
- Phones: After initially passing through the green alley corridor and before entering the building’s maze, ushers placed stickers over our phone camera lenses as a reminder not to take photos or videos, even before or after the actual performance. It’s unfortunate that capturing the ambiance wasn’t allowed, especially since it’s difficult to conceptualize or verbally describe. However, I understand that this is done to preserve the copyright and regulations of the pre-show immersive performance. That said, it might have been reasonable to allow photos during intermission, when there were far fewer immersive performers present. Allowing patrons to capture the unique atmosphere for social media would encourage more ticket sales.
- FAQ: I *highly* suggest reading the show’s frequently asked questions so to prepare yourself on what to expect from this unique experience.
Venue: August Wilson Theatre
Venue Physical Address: 245 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019
Venue Classification: Broadway
Price Range: $52-500
Ticket Affordability Options: You can likely buy discount tickets at the TKTS booth.
Dates: First preview was 4/1/24 and opening night was 4/21/24. As of 1/14/25, you can buy tickets as far as 7/20/25.
Seating: Assigned Seating
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Pictures: See production pictures below
Cast and Production Team: See after pictures below.
