Thursday evening marks the opening night of “Cabaret,” College of the Desert’s first live performance since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
College of the Desert’s award-winning Musical Theatre program will perform the Broadway musical “Cabaret” for three consecutive nights and one afternoon. The shows will take place Thursday through Sunday at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert.
“Cabaret” focuses on the tumultuous life of Berliners in pre-World War II Germany, focusing on a nightclub cabaret show.
“We have so many talented students and faculty working on this show,” Musical Director Scott Smith said. “We are excited to be back in person and sharing this cultural experience with the public.”
Students have been rehearsing and preparing since the beginning of February, meeting four days a week and focusing on choreography, music, character development, according to Smith.
Smith says that excitement is high among everyone involved in the production as it is their first time back after two years.
About 50 students auditioned and 23 are in the production. “`Cabaret’ will have full Broadway staging, orchestration, incredible costumes and the phenomenal talent available here at College of the Desert,” said Director Michael Hadley.
The show will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and a matinee show will begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
The show runs for a little over two hours with a 15-minute intermission. Tickets range from $23 to $43.