Grove Players presents CABARET!

Wilkommen, bienvenue, welcome! Grove
Players Proudly presents its spring production, Kander & Ebb’s classic
musical: CABARET! The scene is Berlin’s infamous Kit Kat Club, where everything
is beautiful. Outside, the world is getting uglier as Nazism begins to flourish,
but inside, the Master of Ceremonies, English singer Sally Bowles and the raucous
Cabaret Girls are there to make you forget all your troubles.  Clifford Bradshaw, a naïve American novelist, finds
his way to the Club and is drawn to its decadence -- and to Sally’s allure. But
how long can Cliff close his eyes to the reality of 1930’s Germany?  Can he remain with Sally, who brashly insists
that “Life is a Cabaret”?

Based on Christopher Isherwood’s short
novel, Goodbye to Berlin, and a subsequent stage adaptation, I Am A Camera,
CABARET is a classic of musical theater. The 1966 Broadway sensation has
spawned numerous revivals as well as an Academy Award winning 1972 film. The
Tony-award winning score by Kander & Ebb contains classic songs like “Wilkommen,”
“The Money Song (Money Makes the World Go Around)” and of course, “Cabaret.”

Director Mike Manolakes (Bolingbrook)
has assembled a large cast of actors, singers and dancers for Grove Players’
production.  Jason Czajka of North
Riverside plays Clifford Bradshow; Stephanie Ewing of Willowbrook is Sally
Bowles; Rusty Steiger of Lemont is the Emcee. Dona Mullen (Chicago) plays
Cliff’s landlady, Fraulein Schneider, and her Jewish love-interest, the fruit
proprietor, Herr Schultz, is played by Michael Van Belle (Elmwood Park).  Michelle Olejnik of Lisle plays Fraulein Kost
and Matthew Grazulis (Downers Grove) plays Ernst Ludwig. Kit Kat Girls are
Susan O’Byrne (Hinsdale), Katie McCann (Lisle) and Beth Johnson (Arlington
Heights. Rounding out the ensemble is: Brenda Gilmore (Plainfield); Demi Graham
(Elburn); Keith Laug (Elgin); Scott Henry (Wheaton); Toria Hollyn (Carol
Stream); Julian Magdaleno (Schaumberg); Tina Matriciano (Palos Heights);
Michael W. Mitchell (Wood Dale); Catherine Van Horne (LaGrange).

CABARET runs three weekends, April
25-May 11 at the Lincoln Center, 935 Maple Avenue in Downers Grove. Friday and
Saturday evening performances begin at eight pm, and Sunday afternoon performances
at two pm. Ticket prices are: $20 (adult); $16 (senior); and $13 (student). For
further information, visit our website at www.groveplayers.org
or call us at 630-415-3682.