Wilkommen, Bienvenue! Welcome to “Cabaret”

Isha Seth ’28, Campus Correspondant

To all those who wished to see the Hopkins rendition of “Cabaret,” the Hopkins Drama Association (HDA) said “Wilkommen, bienvenue, welcome!”

HDA opened the musical “Cabaret” to the public on February 27 in the Academic and Performing Arts Center (APAC). Much of the Hopkins community has eagerly waited for the return of on-campus productions since the performance of “Mamma Mia!” in the spring of 2023, which was the final show performed in Lovell Hall. As the inaugural production in the new theater, “Cabaret” proved to be the exhilarating return of Hopkins drama so many were anticipating.

Director Hope Hartup chose to perform “Cabaret” as this year’s musical for a variety of reasons. She directed a production of “Cabaret” at Hopkins in 2004 and explained, “I loved the show. It was a wonderful, wonderful production. I had an amazingly positive experience doing it. I feel that it’s a timely show to be doing right now... [because] the topics it addresses are important ones for us to consider.” Some of these topics include “the freedom to express oneself, anti-Semitism, fascism, complacency, financial security, and the ‘othering’ of people not like you.”

Hartup added that she “felt that [due to] the range of characters [and] the opportunities for the younger performers that we have currently in the drama program, that it was an appropriate choice for their abilities.” Hartup stated that she “[hopes] to challenge the audience to think about their own values and, as they leave the theater, consider how we can make this world a safe place for everyone.”

Both cast and crew members have expressed their excitement at being able to perform in the new space. Technical Director Michael Kenton clarified the advantages of performing in APAC, explaining that it provides “so much space and so much more ability to create something to scale, which is really impressive.” Production Stage Manager and HDA head Grace Zhang ’25 explained the capabilities of the new area: “We’re building this really big set right now for “Cabaret”, and we have a lot more fly space...[and]the space for more props.”

The new building has also enhanced the experience for the cast, with ensemble member Chaimatou Arouna ’27 detailing how “the stage just makes everything feel so much more alive and... makes the HDA community even stronger.” Hartup expressed that the larger building lets the cast and crew “spread out, [and] each area is able to better support student involvement in our program because of having the space to do that.”

Adjusting to the new space, though, introduced some challenges. Crew member Susie Becker ’28 recounted that when the crew first moved to APAC, “everything [in the scene shop] was in a box and we had to set up all the tables... before working on building the set.” Furthermore, Hartup disclosed that due to the timeline of APAC’s opening, the cast had “to have rehearsal up in Thompson for a couple weeks.” They had originally hoped to be in APAC so that they could “expand and use the space.” Now that rehearsals have finally moved to the new theater, Hartup confessed that it is “a little scary... to be doing the first show [in APAC]... We are testing out all the equipment, seeing what we have, what we don’t have, what works, [and] what maybe needs to be addressed in the future.” Sophia Miller ’25, who portrays Fraülein Schneider, a main character in the show, shared their apprehensions: “there’s a bit of pressure to open up the new [space]... [As] the first show in [APAC]... in some ways, it feels like we’re setting the mark for how future shows should go.”

The crew worked hard to create a unique setting for the show. Ananya Biederer ’28 stated that the costume team, under the guidance of costumer Laura Feist-Roche, focused on making the outfits for the Kit Kat girls look “expensive, flashy, [and like] something that will catch your eye” by “adding rhinestones” to existing costumes. Kenton said, “The set itself is fairly timeless and presents a canvas to move us through different locations in the show. The brickwork takes us to the streets of Germany and the lighting helps bring the Kit Kat Club to life.”

Both the cast and crew shared some wonderful experiences while working on the show. Zhang said, “My favorite part about doing theater, especially with “Cabaret”, is the people I’m working with and getting to meet [underclassmen and other] new people and build a strong sense of community [with them].” Zhang reminisced about her own experience as an underclassman and how the upperclassmen helped her have a better experience. Miller noted the sense of community that they find in HDA, specifically when the cast and crew “all came together to help paint the sets, [which]... was a really cool experience because [they got] to see the final product of all this work of creating the new APAC space.”

As the performances drew nearer, the HDA community expressed its anticipation for the show. “Members of the cast have entire rows booked out for their family because everyone wants to come see [the show],” said Miller, “especially with... [“Cabaret”] being this over-the-top showstopper, it’s really exciting.”

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Wilkommen, Bienvenue! Welcome to “Cabaret”