The Cautionary Tale of Cabaret

Photo via OnStage Blog

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The musical Cabaret debuted on Broadway in 1966 and has succeeded in entertaining and cautioning future generations about the rise of totalitarianism. The musical, set in the early 1930s in Berlin, documents the rise of the Nazi party through the lives of everyday citizens. The production starts with an American writer named Clifford Bradshaw, who comes to Berlin hoping to find inspiration for his upcoming novel. On the train to Berlin, Cliff meets a friendly man named Ernst, who recommends a boarding house he can stay in while working on his book and the name of the best nightclub in Berlin: the Kit Kat Klub. Cliff goes to the Kit Kat Klub and meets the lively but troubled Sally Bowles, a performer at the club. After unexpectedly getting fired from her job, she moves in with Cliff, and their relationship blooms into a complicated romance. 

There is another alternate love story in the musical surrounding the owner of the boarding house, Fraulein Schneider, and another tenant, Herr Schultz, who is Jewish. When they decide to get married, it is revealed that Cliff’s friend from the train in Berlin, Ernst, has been a Nazi this whole time, and he warns Fraulein Schneider that it would be dangerous for her to marry a Jewish man under the rising Nazi regime. After this warning, Fraulein Schneider ultimately decides not to marry Herr Schultz even after his assurance that their union would not affect her or her business. Realizing the severity of the political situation in Germany, Cliff no longer feels comfortable staying in Berlin and suggests Sally move back to the United States with him. Sally, unable to leave her immature party lifestyle behind, rejects Cliff’s offer and starts working at the Kit Kat Klub again. Cabaret ends with Clifford Bradshaw on the journey back to America alone.

Although the plot of Cabaret is riveting, the music is iconic, and the choreography is eccentric, the reason it is so revolutionary is the underlying theme throughout the musical. Yes, Cabaret is about the everyday lives of all the characters, but it is also about how each reacts to the rise of a totalitarian regime. Cliff is an educated American who continuously expresses his contempt towards the Nazis and their ideologies. After it is revealed that his first German friend is a Nazi, he refuses to continue their friendship, and they get into a physical fight. Additionally, there is a scene where Cliff is reading Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler’s manifesto, to educate himself on the political landscape of Germany at the time. Sally Bowles sees him reading the book and asks what he is reading, divulging her ignorance of what is happening around her. While Cliff is characterized as taking an educated and active stance against fascism, Sally is his opposite. Throughout the whole musical, Sally is only occupied with herself, and as the storm of the Nazi regime comes closer, she refuses to acknowledge it up to the very end. Because the Nazi’s ideologies didn’t directly impact her, she did not care about what was happening. Although Cliff arguably reacts the ‘best’ to the rising political situation, he flees Germany, although he knows what will most likely befall everyone he meets there.

Herr Shultz and Fraulein Schneider also have unique responses to the impending occupation. Herr Shultz is the character most at risk under Nazi occupation. However, he is also the most in denial, arguably more than Sally is. Unlike Sally, Herr is educated about what is going on in Germany and the Nazi’s beliefs against Jewish citizens. But despite this, he does not think it will impact him as much as everyone claims. In one scene, Herr is a victim of a hate crime as someone breaks the window of his shop. Even in the face of this violence, he blames it on school children, refusing to believe Nazi authority will affect him—even though it already has. By contrast, when confronted with the potential dangers of marrying Herr, Fraulein immediately gives in and refuses to marry him to protect herself and her business. Fraulein Schneider’s character is the most common reaction to a totalitarian regime. Although she does not outright support or agree with the values the Nazi party holds, she is implicit in their rise to power because of her lack of action against them. Fear is a common tactic authoritarian movements use to force the public into complacency. Fraulein’s character reaction is the easiest and most common response from a population under such a regime, making it one of the most dangerous. 

The characters in Cabaret depict varying responses to authoritarian governments, and while some seem better than others, they are all cautionary tales about how not to respond. All of these responses contributed in different ways to the success of the Nazi’s rise to power, and it’s the audience’s job to take that warning to heart. We are currently experiencing many parallels between President Donald Trump’s governing style and Hitler’s. Trump has already been following classic authoritarian behaviors by using his power to further his agenda even when it crosses the line of unconstitutionality. Trump has already gone against the legislative and executive branches by reversing the ban on TikTok and firing numerous inspector generals without giving Congress reason or notice. He even disregards the Constitution itself, stating that the 14th Amendment does not grant birthright citizenship. Although a Federal Judge has blocked this, it raises the question of whether our government system is strong enough to withstand an authoritarian Oval Office. 

The warning of Cabaret is more important than ever during this time of uncertainty. You must be educated on the world around you; you cannot be complicit, refuse to acknowledge something is wrong when it is not directly affecting you, and live in denial about something happening right before you. Cabaret is a cautionary tale, so history doesn’t repeat itself, and we must listen.  

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This article was edited by Katherine Brennan and Siya Patel.