Cabaret

This year for Thanksgiving my family all headed up to New York City for a fabulous vacation together. We went to Rockefeller to see the tree, Times Square (on Black Friday, so it was a bit crazy), and the 9/11 Memorial (where I almost lost my cool watching a group of girls taking duck-faced selfies in front of the memorial fountain).

In keeping with tradition every time I go to NYC, I couldn't leave without checking out at least one Broadway play. There were a lot of options to choose from, but after great discussion, we all agreed upon Cabaret -- in large part because we found out that Emma Stone and Alan Cumming were headlining. And believe me when I say, it did not disappoint. 

For those of you unfamiliar with the storyline, it's based on the novel Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood and set in Germany during the Nazi rise to power. This surprised a number of our party who recognized many of the more well-known songs but weren't initially aware of their context in the story's overarching plot.

However, despite Miss. Stone's brilliant performance as Sally Bowles, I think what impressed us most was the role of the Emcee. Equal parts narrator to the audience and character within the play itself, he has the unique metatheatrical ability to critique the story and call the audiences' attention to some of the darker themes hidden beneath the bright lights of the cabaret. In many ways the Emcee is reminiscent of the Shakespearean Fool, characters most known for their veiled examination of misdeeds within Shakespeare's works. 

It was a fantastic play that reached far beyond it's popular soundtrack, with characters whose depth reach far beyond the surface. I'd recommend it to anyone who has the good fortune and opportunity to see it.