Cabaret is a musical with a book by Joe Masteroff, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, based on the play “I Am a Camera” by John Van Druten, in turn adapted from the novel “Goodbye to Berlin” by Christopher Isherwood.
Set in 1929 Berlin, when Nazism emerged, the musical follows the story of the decadent Kit Kat Klub and the relationship of its star, Sally Bowles, with Cliff Bradshaw, an American writer looking for inspiration. Another plot centers on the romance of Fräulein Schneider, owner of the boarding house where they are staying, and Herr Schultz, a Jewish widower who owns a greengrocer’s shop, all under the gaze of the club’s master of ceremonies. The cabaret symbolizes the political changes of the Weimar Republic.
Successfully premiered in 1966 on Broadway, it was made into a film in 1972 by Bob Fosse, and has been performed around the world ever since.