Downtown Bozeman’s Ellen Theatre invites audiences to return for Montana TheatreWorks’ latest production, Joe Masteroff’s Cabaret. Performances will begin July 10th and run through July 27th. Tickets are on sale now.
Set in 1930 at Berlin’s colorful Kit Kat Klub during the twilight of the Jazz Age, with a story revolving around American writer Cliff Bradshaw and nightclub performer Sally Bowles, this powerhouse musical features the hit songs “Money,” “Maybe This Time,” “Tomorrow Belongs to Me,” “Two Ladies” and the show-stopping title tune “Cabaret.”
Sally Bowles, considered one of the most challenging female characters ever created, was immortalized on film in 1972 by Liza Minnelli, winning her the Academy Award for Best Actress. Other notable performers who have tackled the highly sought after role include Emma Stone, Natasha Richardson, Julie Harris, Michelle Williams and even Judy Dench.
Originally opening on Broadway in 1966, Cabaret won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and ran for an astounding 1,166 performances. Subsequent New York productions added seven more Tony Awards, including two for Best Revival in 1998 and 2024, catapulting Cabaret into the echelons of Musical Theatre Royalty.
In addition to Sally’s plotline, a tumultuous Germany slowly yields to a changing political climate and we witness the fated romance of boarding house owner Fräulein Schneider and a kindly fruit vendor named Herr Schultz. Meanwhile, overseeing the music, drama and laughter is the Kit Kat’s Master of Ceremonies, while the club itself serves as a metaphor, reflecting the various attitudes of the locals and expatriates.
It was July 1995 when Montana TheatreWorks presented its first summer musical to packed audiences at Willson Auditorium. Now, thirty years later, over 177,000 have attended their local productions. With Cabaret, performers from New York will once again join the cast for this timely story with exhilarating songs and dances, maintaining the company’s goal of exceptional musical theatre.
Joe Masteroff’s Cabaret is presented by Montana TheatreWorks, producers of Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Annie, Oklahoma!, Damn Yankees, Guys and Dolls, Fiddler on the Roof and more.
Numerous performances of Cabaret will be held July 10th–27th with evening shows and Sunday matinees. Tickets to this summer production begin at $34 with premium seating available. This production is recommended for adult audiences.
Wine, beer and concessions will be sold in the lobby one hour before each show. Ticketing and further information about these performances and upcoming events is available at www.theellentheatre.org. For additional inquiries, call the box office at (406) 585-5885. •
