Q&A | Lower Ossington Theatre: Cabaret

Photo by Seanna Kennedy.

Toronto audiences are in for a musical treat this winter as Lower Ossington Theatre prepares to mount a new production of the Tony Award-winning Cabaret with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. First staged on Broadway in 1966, the show tells the story of a decadent nightclub in 1930s Berlin during the rise of the Nazi party. Lower Ossington Theatre's production is directed by current Hart House Theatre artistic director Jeremy Hutton, and features David Light (The Little Mermaid, national tour of Billy Elliot) in the role of Cliff Bradshaw, Adam Norrad as the flamboyant Emcee, and Kylie McMahon as Sally Bowles (a part immortalized by Liza Minelli in the 1972 film version).

Here, we chat with Hutton to find out more about his experience working on this demanding piece.

Theatromania: How would you describe LOT's production of Cabaret in a few sentences?

JH: It’s fun and exciting, dark and occasionally shocking. The LOT provides an intimacy that serves the production well. It has everything that people have come to love about Cabaret and a few moments that may be a surprise. It highlights the folly of willful ignorance—the dangers of being asleep while matters of great import are happening around us. It’s also just a couple of really touching and simple ill-fated love stories set against the backdrop of a turbulent time.

Theatromania: Are you introducing anything different with this interpretation?

JH: I don’t think it’s a show that needs a director to mess around with it too much. The material speaks for itself—though it does provide unique challenges of storytelling and clarity. That being said, there are a few moments in the show that might stick out as being a bit different. My focus wasn’t to be “original” in the interpretation, but to tell the story with clarity and power.

Theatromania: What are some of the challenges you've experienced directing this particular musical?

JH: One of the biggest challenges with Cabaret is the script. Or rather, the multiple variations of the script and score that have evolved from the many productions since Cabaret was first written. Many songs that people expect to hear aren’t in the available materials. It was something of a joy and a challenge to look at all the different versions and cobble together what I felt would best serve the story for this version and what material would help us hone in on the message we wanted to tell. A few of those choices might surprise people and make them re-evaluate any preconceptions they may have.

Theatromania: Have you learned anything new or significant from this experience?

JH: There’s always something to learn with each production. You learn a lot from your actors and how they approach the work. You challenge and educate each other through the process. And every theatre has its quirks and restraints that challenge you to approach certain issues from different angles making something unique and well-fitted to that theatre.

Theatromania: What do you hope audiences take away from the performance?

JH: Cabaret can be a challenging piece. Amidst all the fun and the dancing and flashiness of the Cabaret, the audience can’t escape the larger issues surrounding the play. Cliff is really the only character who chooses to become aware of what’s actually happening in Germany as the Nazi party rises to power. Sally chooses to remain in ignorance and stays in the flashy, and distracting world of the Cabaret. Apathy is the large issue. Willful ignorance. So any audience has to ask themselves, “at what point do I make a stand and stop ignoring the greater issues of the world? And at what point does apathy become a kind of endorsement?” It’s so much easier to remain asleep. What makes Cabaret brilliant is how it forces us to address these questions but still leaves a smile on our face. It’s challenging without being preachy.

Cabaret runs from January 23 - March 2 at Lower Ossington Theatre. Visit lowerossingtontheatre.com for more information and to buy tickets.

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