12 | cabaretsynopsis Cabaret SKETCHES BY
Erik Teague
ACT I Germany, New Year’s Eve, 1929: The Master of Ceremonies, or Emcee, welcomes the audience to the Kit Kat Klub, a seedy Berlin nightspot (“Willkommen”). Meanwhile, in a railway car, an aspiring young American writer named Clifford Bradshaw heads towards Berlin in hopes of finding inspiration for a new novel. Cliff meets Ernst Ludwig, a German who appears to be in the smuggling business. When Cliff inadvertently helps him, Ernst recommends a boarding house in Berlin. Fräulein Schneider, the proprietress of the boarding house, offers Cliff a room for one hundred marks. When he hesitates, she accepts half the usual price; years of oppression have left her weary but pragmatic (“So What?). On his first night in Berlin, Cliff visits the Kit Kat Klub, where the Emcee introduces a young English singer named Sally Bowles (“Don’t Tell Mama”). After Sally’s number, Max, the proprietor of the club, fires her; he says it’s “time for a new face.” When Cliff comes backstage, Sally flirts and attempts to shock him. Sally leaves Cliff alone in her dressing room, and a young man named Bobby enters. As Cliff and Bobby kiss, Sally sings her final number at the club (“Mein Herr”). The next day, as Cliff finishes teaching an English lesson to Ernst, Sally suddenly appears in Cliff’s room with her baggage. Max has thrown her out, and she convinces
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