Webster Thomas Players to perform 'Cabaret' LIVE

The in-person musical will take place June 17-19

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Webster, NY - Ready to get back to the thrill of attending a musical in-person? The Webster Thomas Players are ready, too.

The Players will present Cabaret on June 17, 18th, and 19th at the Penfield Amphitheater; LIVE and in-person.

“Determined to produce a live musical this year, Director Brenda Nitsch has found a way to bring the Webster Thomas Players back to the stage,” a press release states. “Things will look a bit different this year in order to create a COVID-safe event, including a smaller cast and orchestra, and a new outdoor venue: the Penfield Amphitheater.”

According to the press release, seating will meet social-distancing requirements. Additionally, thanks to the COVID vaccine, “the small cast will be able to perform without masks.”

Below is a preview of what Cabaret is all about:

Set in 1929–1930 Berlin as the Nazis are gaining power, the musical focuses on the hedonistic nightlife at the seedy Kit Kat Klub, and revolves around a relationship between American writer Cliff Bradshaw (Cole Weisensel) and English cabaret performer Sally Bowles (Isabelle Nitsch). A sub-plot involves the doomed romance between German boarding house owner Fräulein Schneider (Brynn Smith) and her elderly suitor Herr Schultz (Jake Groff), a Jewish fruit vendor. Overseeing the action is the Kit Kat Klub’s Emcee (Tessa DeGrace), and the club itself serves as a metaphor for the ominous political developments in Germany at the time.

The social turbulence of the last year has created a compelling new context for this iconic show. This production will be PG-13, but the subject matter is most appropriate for mature audiences, addressing issues around anti-Semitism and political fanaticism. Audiences will recognize many of the legendary musical numbers such as "Willkommen," "Don't Tell Mama," “Maybe this Time,” "Money," and of course, "Cabaret."

Music by John Kander; lyrics by Fred Ebb; and book by Joe Masteroff. Based on John Van Druten's 1951 play I Am a Camera which was adapted from the semi-autobiographical novel Goodbye to Berlin (1939) by Christopher Isherwood.

Tickets are available now for all three upcoming shows:

• Thursday, June 17, 2021, 7:30 p.m.

• Friday, June 18, 2021, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, June 19, 2021, 7:30 p.m.

Rain Date (for all shows): Sunday, June 20, 2021, 7:30 p.m.

Advanced purchase, reserved seats are available online now at websterthomasplayers.com.

“This exceptional cast boasts several students going on to study the performing arts in college,” the press release states. “Don’t miss this opportunity to welcome live theatre back to the local stage!”