From the Vault: Cabaret

Berlin, 1931. Amid ascendant fascism in Weimar Germany, fame-seeking American émigré Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli) sings at a bawdy cabaret whose host (an effortless Joel Grey) and musical acts celebrate the unprecedented sexual freedom of the short-lived era. Enter stage right British language teacher Brian (Michael York), looking for a room to let, and the ​aristocratic​ Max (Helmut Griem), whose sugar daddy-ish qualities ​attract​​ ​both Brian and Sally, making it easy to forget the world outside their bohemian bedroom. But as their ​love triangle blossoms—and then wilts—the Nazi Party strengthens its grip on power, upending life as the trio knows it. The final moments of silence in this otherwise sing-it-to-the-rafters musical portend that the worst is yet to come.

Screening from an original Technicolor film print from the Film Studies Center collection. Purchased in January 2024, this 53-year-old print is by no means pristine, but the tactile, inky-depths of the imbibition printing process allow the Oscar-winning direction and cinematography by, respectively, Bob Fosse and Geoffrey Unsworth to truly sing, especially in the diegetic musical numbers by Kander and Ebb. (Bob Fosse, USA, 1972, 124 minutes, 35mm)

This screening is presented in conjunction with Court Theatre’s world premiere of Berlin, directed by Charles Newell—a new adaptation by Mickle Maher based on the graphic novel by Jason Lutes. Set in Weimar Germany, Berlin is an ever-shifting kaleidoscope of intersecting narratives. Fascism is taking hold; revolutionaries are organizing; ​​artists  are trying to capture the ineffable nature of their changing city; and – as everything falls apart – everyone is faced with a choice: abandon Berlin or fight to survive. Berlin and Cabaret perfectly complement each other; both speak to our current moment, and our future, with undeniable urgency. 

This event is free and open to the public. Doors open thirty minutes prior to the screening.