Cabaret – Bristol Riverside Theatre

BRT Finally Shows Cabaret After Pandemic Shut Down Production in 2020

The stage was set. It was Spring, 2020 and Bristol Riverside Theatre had two more shows planned to finish out the season. We had just finished shooting promotional videos for Cabaret when everything started to shut down. And, well, you know the rest of that story.

But now, after nearly a three-year pause, the show will go on. Cabaret opened at the Bucks County theatre at the end of March and will run through April 16.

The production itself remained relatively unchanged, but needed to recast after the forced shut-down. Keith Baker directs the musical production, which is set in 1931 Berlin. The musical was a huge hit when it was on Broadway and features the music of John Kander, with lyrics by Fred Ebb.

The plot involves an American writer who travels to Berlin and becomes romantically involved with the star performer at a dive called the Kit Kat Club. Their roller-coaster romance parallels the rise of the Nazis which complicates an already stormy relationship. Chris French plays writer Cliff Bradshaw who falls for the lounge performer, Sally Bowles, played by Jenny Lee Stern.

Interestingly, Jenny Lee Stern and I went to junior high together, many a year ago. She was probably the most talented kids in our school. If I recall correctly, she was nominated “Most likely to be on Broadway” in our 9th grade yearbook. She actually lived up to that, spending 15 years performing on and off Broadway, as well as touring.

You can see Jenny in action in the video clip here showcasing the song, “Maybe This Time.”

And just for fun, you can take a look at what could have been by watching the trailer from 2020.

Cabaret runs through April 16. For more information or tickets, you can check out BRT’s website: brtstage.org.