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Cabaret: The Illustrated Book and Lyrics by Masteroff, Joe, Kander, John, Ebb, Fred, Marcus, Joan, Katvan, Rivka(June 3, 1999) Hardcover
The four 1998 Tony Awards given to the Roundabout Theatre's production of Cabaret add to the eight Tonys the musical won in 1966 and the eight Oscars the film version garnered in 1972. Surely one of the most acclaimed and beloved plays of all time, this modern classic is honored for the first time in a lavishly illustrated book. Here is the complete musical book by Joe Masteroff and all the words of the songs written by John Kander and Fred Ebb. It is illustrated with more than 100 photographs and drawings (including 74 in full color) of the original cast of the Roundabout 's smash Broadway production by Joan Marcus, never-before- published backstage photographs by Rivka Katvan, and archival photos of past productions. The accompanying text explores the evolution of the play in all its incarnations, from the 1930 stories of Christopher Isherwood to two films and three stage adaptations. Here are all the fantastic artists who have brought this play to Julie Harris (the original Sally Bowles), Joel Grey, Liza Minnelli, Natasha Richardson, Alan Cumming, Ron Rifkin, and directors Hal Prince, Bob Fosse, Sam Mendes, and Rob Marshall. Also featured are original drawings by costume designer William Ivey Long and set designer Robert Brill. For theatre lovers and film fans, for those who've seen the play and those who haven't, this book is an exclusive insider's glimpse into a stage and film phenomenon, one of the most astonishing artistic achievements of our time.
Hardcover
First published June 3, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 24, 2019
Hated this book! One of the least favorites I've ever read.
February 3, 2016
"Cabaret" is a masterpiece of writing for the stage, and the 1998 adaptation of the show (the third distinct version) is considered by many to be definitive. John Kander, Fred Ebb and Joe Masteroff were at the top of their game, evoking both Berlin decadence and the human cost of such an attitude. The only problem with this "show bible" is that, with as much alternate material as exists in "Cabaret" due to the multiple variants, none of that is touched on, and the focus is firmly planted on specifically the new version. It's the best, but it would be nice to see some of the other material too.
February 7, 2025
The Nazi twist makes this the wildest of walks on the wild side.
July 26, 2024
oh wow got chills multiple times while reading this. i NEED to see it live.
March 15, 2018
It’s a weird and funny play that kicks.
On nose at times, but when it hits it hits.
On nose at times, but when it hits it hits.
September 4, 2011
Cabaret is a very dark show-one of the darkest in Broadway history, if not THE darkest. This is sensed just by reading the libretto, so think of how chilling it must be onstage. One gets the feeling, from the opening lyrics of ""Wilkommen,"" that this is going to be a downward spiral in terms of anything good happening in the show, and one would be right.
That said, this book, which is a perfect time capsule of the recent Broadway revival, is a wonderful theatre read and a must for any Broadway fan. The full libretto is included, along with colorful pictures from the 1998 Roundabout production and quotes from various reviews and people involved with the show. For those of us who weren't able to see the show(and those of us who wouldn't have been able to back then-I would've been 11 and I know my mom would've never let me go to this at that age), ""Cabaret:The Illustrated Book and Lyrics"" is heaven-sent.
That said, this book, which is a perfect time capsule of the recent Broadway revival, is a wonderful theatre read and a must for any Broadway fan. The full libretto is included, along with colorful pictures from the 1998 Roundabout production and quotes from various reviews and people involved with the show. For those of us who weren't able to see the show(and those of us who wouldn't have been able to back then-I would've been 11 and I know my mom would've never let me go to this at that age), ""Cabaret:The Illustrated Book and Lyrics"" is heaven-sent.
October 3, 2023
I have to read this script every day and u better bet I’m logging it
September 18, 2022
There are so many evolutions in the story of Cabarate, from Christopher Ishwerwood's 1930's novel (in the US) The Berlin Stories, the 1951 play I Am a Camera (and subsequent 1952 movie), to the 1960s Broadway musical Cabaret with Joel Grey as the Emcee, the 1972 movie with Joel Grey reprising his role, the short-lived 1987 Broadway revival of the 1966 original (again starring Joel Grey), and finally the updated 1993 Broadway experience with Alan Cumming as the Emcee and Natasha Richardson as Sally Bowles. It is very important to note that, with the exception of the 1966 and 1987 Broadway productions starring Joel Grey, none of these stories are precisely the same. As time passes, the publicly performed versions become more true to Isherwood's original memoirs of being gay in Weimar Germany. Grey, for example, had to play the Emcee as risque, as opposed to Cummings' degenerate, and Cliff Bradshaw had to be straight, while in 1993 he was bi-sexual. Still not ready to go full Isherwood, but it enabled them to add more layers to his relationship with Sally.
I explain all of this to make clear that this book is the book and lyrics of the most modern version, the 1993 Broadway run with Cummings and Richardson. That was lucky for me as I've seen this production, which was filmed and broadcast on television. The audio wasn't great in the recording I have access to, so the book was a big help with the bits of dialogue I missed. The patter is missing, though, as Cummings ad-libbed it and it changed constantly. This volume also includes dozens of fabulous photos of both onstage and backstage, as well as a rundown on the history as I've presented it (only more detailed), and scraps of reviews from various publications, as well as selections from Cummings' diary during the months of rehearsals and previews before the Broadway opening.
Whether you're a passionate fan of Cabaret, just getting introduced, or fascinated by musical theater in general, this book is a beautiful, extremely accessible, compact yet complete guide to an incredibly bold and gutsy production.
I explain all of this to make clear that this book is the book and lyrics of the most modern version, the 1993 Broadway run with Cummings and Richardson. That was lucky for me as I've seen this production, which was filmed and broadcast on television. The audio wasn't great in the recording I have access to, so the book was a big help with the bits of dialogue I missed. The patter is missing, though, as Cummings ad-libbed it and it changed constantly. This volume also includes dozens of fabulous photos of both onstage and backstage, as well as a rundown on the history as I've presented it (only more detailed), and scraps of reviews from various publications, as well as selections from Cummings' diary during the months of rehearsals and previews before the Broadway opening.
Whether you're a passionate fan of Cabaret, just getting introduced, or fascinated by musical theater in general, this book is a beautiful, extremely accessible, compact yet complete guide to an incredibly bold and gutsy production.
August 8, 2025
People are attracted to this play for its relevance, its sexiness, and wider contextual significance etc. Directors want to be cool and edgy and “in with the crowd” by putting it on and anteing up the sexuality and homoerotica of the production - putting it on steroids so to speak. But the play isn’t about any of that. The play is about how we can’t face the reality of our own lives and of the world and this eventually kills us. It’s “come to the cabaret and forget all your troubles. Forget the truth! Forget reality! Just drown your unhappiness in drugs, sex, music, and titillating trivialities!” Of course the play comments on prejudice and difference and fascism but it’s not about those things - by holding them in any significance you dilute the play and its meaning. A 1930s sex club - although obviously sexual - would never have been as overtly coarse and sexual as it’s portrayed now in productions. It would have been far more conservative and coy and subtle. The master of ceremonies wouldn’t have been some “I’m up for anything” nymphomaniac, but rather, more of a sly, unsexed pimp . . . Probably anyway.
January 23, 2024
so i went to the musical with a friend today and it was a nice experience
at first it felt very weird, i didnt choose the musical and didnt know what its about, so all this stripping stuff felt pretty weird at first
id say that after some time passed it felt pretty normal and actually fit to the atmosphere- the woman of the american gets really sad and drinks and the next moment all these girls come and dance
it really resembles berlin, especially in the time of 1928-1930 with all these drugs and the upcoming of the nsdap
it was a very funny and nice watch, especially the speaker played his role soo good it
id just say that the end went too fast
at first it felt very weird, i didnt choose the musical and didnt know what its about, so all this stripping stuff felt pretty weird at first
id say that after some time passed it felt pretty normal and actually fit to the atmosphere- the woman of the american gets really sad and drinks and the next moment all these girls come and dance
it really resembles berlin, especially in the time of 1928-1930 with all these drugs and the upcoming of the nsdap
it was a very funny and nice watch, especially the speaker played his role soo good it
id just say that the end went too fast
August 28, 2024
Note: This is NOT a review of "Cabaret" the 1972 film that starred Liza Minnelli, Michael York and Joel Grey, directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse.
If you want to comment, please try to refrain from mentioning the film.
This review is about the 1998 and 2014 Broadway production of “Cabaret” with a revised book, score and lyrics that used elements from the original 1966 Broadway production and the 1972 film.
I bought this wonderful book that is the revised 1998 production because when I was still a teenager in high school, seeing the 1998 revival of "Cabaret" will always be one of the formative shows that shaped me as a person and educator.
I read it to no end and dog-eared many of the pages, even though some of the production stills photographed by Joan Marcus are some of the most gorgeous images I've ever seen, forever encapsulated.
In case you had no idea….
"Cabaret" is an adaptation of a story by Christopher Isherwood from his "Berlin Stories" collection, and a play called "I am a Camera", by John Van Druten.
There have been a few incarnations of this musical, beginning in 1966, the 1972 film, a 1987 revival, finally settling into the 1998 production in which this script is about.
John Kander and Fred Ebb's legendary score and production is staged with a book by Joe Masteroff. The musical presented Weimar Germany and the cabaret as a metaphor of the "divine decadence" that protagonist, and marginal British singer Sally Bowles always wants to live in.
The story is narrated through the lens of American aspiring and bisexual writer, Cliff Bradshaw, whom Sally seduces through the song, "Perfectly Marvelous".
There's also grocer, Herr Schultz and landlady Fraulein Schneider whose love affair and engagement are doomed because Fraulein Schneider breaks off their engagement because he is Jewish.
Finally, there's the devilish Emcee who comments on the plot, both engaging and repelling the audience of his antics which leads into a devastating finale for everyone. Masteroff's book has always been one that balanced reality and fantasy in a way that's incredibly heartbreaking.
The 1998/2014 incarnation of "Cabaret" was directed by the now formidable Oscar winning director Sam Mendes, and choreographed in raunchy, sleazy fashion by Rob Marshall.
It also boasted two of Broadway history's most legendary duos: Natasha Richardson as the definitive Broadway Sally Bowles and Alan Cumming as the lascivious Emcee. With both actors winning deserved Tony Awards for Best Actress and Actor in a Musical, the memory of having seen this when I was a teenager forever changed my life.
Using the original Masteroff text as their script, and under Mendes' direction, made Sally one of the most tragic figures in theater history. This is credited to how Ms. Richardson reinvented her as a self aware, marginal singer whose drug addiction and delusions prevent her from actually realizing the world crashing around her?
Or is it self sabotage? Or a need to harm herself to numb psychological pain stemming from sexual abuse.
I was mesmerized by Ms. Richardson, and have never forgotten her heartbreaking "Maybe this Time" (added from the 1972 legendary film starring Liza Minnelli). Richardson’s Sally was more internal than Ms. Minnelli's.
Cut to 2009:
RIP Natasha Richardson, 1963-2009
When Ms. Richardson died from a head injury from a skiing accident in 2009, I was heartbroken that the world lost one of theater’s most dynamic performers.
I will always cherish owning this script, with its beautiful pictures that showed so much love for a show, in spite of such darkness that enveloped it.
Postscript 2014:
I did see the 2014 revival of this show, again starring Alan Cumming, and with Emma Stone (replacing Michelle Williams) as Sally Bowles.
Ms. Stone came very close to affecting me the way Ms. Richardson did- and it proved of a glimpse of a career that would lead her to becoming one of Hollywood's most talented and award winning actresses. She definitely needs to do more theater!
Postscript 2024:
I saw the most recent Broadway 2024 revival starring Eddie Redmayne (Emcee), Gayle Rankin (Sally Bowles) and Bebe Neuwirth (Fraulein Schneider). It was visually interesting, with opulent production design and some interesting acting choices were made- and not all of it was good.
The musical’s intention was to shock, and Redmayne’s performance was too mannered for me with extremely annoying contortions and screechy vocals. Gayle Rankin was a more qualified success as Sally Bowles, turning her into an angry party girl who feels she’s entitled to the glory and fame because of her whiteness. The musical’s anchor was with Bebe Neuwirth and Steven Skybell’s tragic Fraulein Schneider and Schultz. However I never once worried about what fate awaited these characterizations as I did with the 1998/2014 performances.
The 1998/2014 production still lingers in my brain and in my heart. Nothing tops the dynamic Richardson/Cumming chemistry.
And…
Natasha Richardson's ghost still lingers.
If you want to comment, please try to refrain from mentioning the film.
This review is about the 1998 and 2014 Broadway production of “Cabaret” with a revised book, score and lyrics that used elements from the original 1966 Broadway production and the 1972 film.
I bought this wonderful book that is the revised 1998 production because when I was still a teenager in high school, seeing the 1998 revival of "Cabaret" will always be one of the formative shows that shaped me as a person and educator.
I read it to no end and dog-eared many of the pages, even though some of the production stills photographed by Joan Marcus are some of the most gorgeous images I've ever seen, forever encapsulated.
In case you had no idea….
"Cabaret" is an adaptation of a story by Christopher Isherwood from his "Berlin Stories" collection, and a play called "I am a Camera", by John Van Druten.
There have been a few incarnations of this musical, beginning in 1966, the 1972 film, a 1987 revival, finally settling into the 1998 production in which this script is about.
John Kander and Fred Ebb's legendary score and production is staged with a book by Joe Masteroff. The musical presented Weimar Germany and the cabaret as a metaphor of the "divine decadence" that protagonist, and marginal British singer Sally Bowles always wants to live in.
The story is narrated through the lens of American aspiring and bisexual writer, Cliff Bradshaw, whom Sally seduces through the song, "Perfectly Marvelous".
There's also grocer, Herr Schultz and landlady Fraulein Schneider whose love affair and engagement are doomed because Fraulein Schneider breaks off their engagement because he is Jewish.
Finally, there's the devilish Emcee who comments on the plot, both engaging and repelling the audience of his antics which leads into a devastating finale for everyone. Masteroff's book has always been one that balanced reality and fantasy in a way that's incredibly heartbreaking.
The 1998/2014 incarnation of "Cabaret" was directed by the now formidable Oscar winning director Sam Mendes, and choreographed in raunchy, sleazy fashion by Rob Marshall.
It also boasted two of Broadway history's most legendary duos: Natasha Richardson as the definitive Broadway Sally Bowles and Alan Cumming as the lascivious Emcee. With both actors winning deserved Tony Awards for Best Actress and Actor in a Musical, the memory of having seen this when I was a teenager forever changed my life.
Using the original Masteroff text as their script, and under Mendes' direction, made Sally one of the most tragic figures in theater history. This is credited to how Ms. Richardson reinvented her as a self aware, marginal singer whose drug addiction and delusions prevent her from actually realizing the world crashing around her?
Or is it self sabotage? Or a need to harm herself to numb psychological pain stemming from sexual abuse.
I was mesmerized by Ms. Richardson, and have never forgotten her heartbreaking "Maybe this Time" (added from the 1972 legendary film starring Liza Minnelli). Richardson’s Sally was more internal than Ms. Minnelli's.
Cut to 2009:
RIP Natasha Richardson, 1963-2009
When Ms. Richardson died from a head injury from a skiing accident in 2009, I was heartbroken that the world lost one of theater’s most dynamic performers.
I will always cherish owning this script, with its beautiful pictures that showed so much love for a show, in spite of such darkness that enveloped it.
Postscript 2014:
I did see the 2014 revival of this show, again starring Alan Cumming, and with Emma Stone (replacing Michelle Williams) as Sally Bowles.
Ms. Stone came very close to affecting me the way Ms. Richardson did- and it proved of a glimpse of a career that would lead her to becoming one of Hollywood's most talented and award winning actresses. She definitely needs to do more theater!
Postscript 2024:
I saw the most recent Broadway 2024 revival starring Eddie Redmayne (Emcee), Gayle Rankin (Sally Bowles) and Bebe Neuwirth (Fraulein Schneider). It was visually interesting, with opulent production design and some interesting acting choices were made- and not all of it was good.
The musical’s intention was to shock, and Redmayne’s performance was too mannered for me with extremely annoying contortions and screechy vocals. Gayle Rankin was a more qualified success as Sally Bowles, turning her into an angry party girl who feels she’s entitled to the glory and fame because of her whiteness. The musical’s anchor was with Bebe Neuwirth and Steven Skybell’s tragic Fraulein Schneider and Schultz. However I never once worried about what fate awaited these characterizations as I did with the 1998/2014 performances.
The 1998/2014 production still lingers in my brain and in my heart. Nothing tops the dynamic Richardson/Cumming chemistry.
And…
Natasha Richardson's ghost still lingers.
November 6, 2019
This musical is utterly depressing, but extremely well done. It's really a play about humanity and love, and trying to make sense of the world in dark times.
Here's my analysis:
Life is a Cabaret, Old Chum
In the Musical Cabaret, with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and book by Joe Masteroff, the audience feels sympathetic towards the character of Sally. Because her lot in life is a sad one.
Sally has jumped from one relationship to another, living with a man until she tires of him or he kicks her out. Since she’s grown up, she’s never really had a stable place to call home. She tells Cliff:
SALLY. I’ve never stayed so long with anyone. (1.9).
Sally has a mindset that life is just one big party: “Life is a cabaret, old chum” (2.5). She believes in living life fast, because, “from cradle to tomb/Isn’t that long of a stay” (2.5). However Sally’s life has been anything but a party. She’s performed in seedy nightclubs like the Kit Kat, and only gets jobs by sleeping around with men who then get her pregnant. When she tells Cliff she’s pregnant, he is shocked at the news so she tells him:
SALLY. So what shall we do? (Pause.) The usual thing? (No answer.) Cliff…? (1.9).
Saying “the usual thing” implies that Sally has gotten pregnant and had abortions before. But how many? How many times has a man got her pregnant who sort of loved her, and then she has had to get a life-threatening and very physically taxing abortion? We don’t know. The fact too that Sally is so matter-of-fact about it is what hurts the most, for her it’s just a way of life.
When Sally falls in love with Cliff, it was the first time she had truly loved someone. Cliff feels the same loves singing: “Why should I wake up?/This dream is going so well./When you’re enchanted,/Why break the spell?” (1.9). Sally and Cliff decide that Sally should have the baby, and plan on getting married. For a moment, it seems as though Sally’s life will finally be happy.
Enter the Nazis. As the Nazis gain more power in Germany, it becomes clear, Sally and Cliff need to get out. Cliff sells his typewriter and gets Sally and him two tickets out of Germany to Paris. But Sally doesn’t go with him. She is so wrapped in the idea that “life is a cabaret” (2.5), that she can’t let it go! She can’t lead a normal life. Ultimately this is why the audience sympathizes with Sally, she destroys her chance at happiness. After aborting their baby she tells Cliff: “Cliff...I’m sorry. I’m so dreadfully, dreadfully sorry. Because the truth is...I really would have liked…”(2.6). She really would have liked to be a mother.
Sally undermines the concept of a musical theatre ingenue, because she isn’t the typical musical theatre heroine. She’s not an innocent girl who marries her sweetheart in the end. Instead, she’s a young girl who’s slept around with many men, and destroys her chances of marrying the man she loves.
Here's my analysis:
Life is a Cabaret, Old Chum
In the Musical Cabaret, with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and book by Joe Masteroff, the audience feels sympathetic towards the character of Sally. Because her lot in life is a sad one.
Sally has jumped from one relationship to another, living with a man until she tires of him or he kicks her out. Since she’s grown up, she’s never really had a stable place to call home. She tells Cliff:
SALLY. I’ve never stayed so long with anyone. (1.9).
Sally has a mindset that life is just one big party: “Life is a cabaret, old chum” (2.5). She believes in living life fast, because, “from cradle to tomb/Isn’t that long of a stay” (2.5). However Sally’s life has been anything but a party. She’s performed in seedy nightclubs like the Kit Kat, and only gets jobs by sleeping around with men who then get her pregnant. When she tells Cliff she’s pregnant, he is shocked at the news so she tells him:
SALLY. So what shall we do? (Pause.) The usual thing? (No answer.) Cliff…? (1.9).
Saying “the usual thing” implies that Sally has gotten pregnant and had abortions before. But how many? How many times has a man got her pregnant who sort of loved her, and then she has had to get a life-threatening and very physically taxing abortion? We don’t know. The fact too that Sally is so matter-of-fact about it is what hurts the most, for her it’s just a way of life.
When Sally falls in love with Cliff, it was the first time she had truly loved someone. Cliff feels the same loves singing: “Why should I wake up?/This dream is going so well./When you’re enchanted,/Why break the spell?” (1.9). Sally and Cliff decide that Sally should have the baby, and plan on getting married. For a moment, it seems as though Sally’s life will finally be happy.
Enter the Nazis. As the Nazis gain more power in Germany, it becomes clear, Sally and Cliff need to get out. Cliff sells his typewriter and gets Sally and him two tickets out of Germany to Paris. But Sally doesn’t go with him. She is so wrapped in the idea that “life is a cabaret” (2.5), that she can’t let it go! She can’t lead a normal life. Ultimately this is why the audience sympathizes with Sally, she destroys her chance at happiness. After aborting their baby she tells Cliff: “Cliff...I’m sorry. I’m so dreadfully, dreadfully sorry. Because the truth is...I really would have liked…”(2.6). She really would have liked to be a mother.
Sally undermines the concept of a musical theatre ingenue, because she isn’t the typical musical theatre heroine. She’s not an innocent girl who marries her sweetheart in the end. Instead, she’s a young girl who’s slept around with many men, and destroys her chances of marrying the man she loves.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2011
Being the lover of musical theatre that I am, it's probably shocking that I have extremely limited knowledge of "Cabaret" - any version. Thinking it would make a great subject for a graduate school literary analysis, I purchased this copy of the book - the 1998 Sam Mendes' Broadway Revival - and tore through it in one sitting. I download the '98 Broadway to listen along, and what ensued was a week's worth of obsession and study.
I really, truly loved reading this. This production is absolutely chilling, and this is something the reader can pick up from the libretto alone. The story is tragic, and the way Mendes reimagined a Broadway theatre as the Kit Kat Klub serves the amazing purpose of more fully trapping the audience into the downward spiral experienced by the characters themselves. From the opening refrains of "Wilkommen" to its broken, wailing refrains in the reprise and the show's final stage picture, I was caught up in this script from beginning to end. I feel so lucky to have chosen this musical to study; if I hadn't I'm not sure when I would have gotten around to it, and I'm so glad I did.
I really, truly loved reading this. This production is absolutely chilling, and this is something the reader can pick up from the libretto alone. The story is tragic, and the way Mendes reimagined a Broadway theatre as the Kit Kat Klub serves the amazing purpose of more fully trapping the audience into the downward spiral experienced by the characters themselves. From the opening refrains of "Wilkommen" to its broken, wailing refrains in the reprise and the show's final stage picture, I was caught up in this script from beginning to end. I feel so lucky to have chosen this musical to study; if I hadn't I'm not sure when I would have gotten around to it, and I'm so glad I did.
July 6, 2017
Found this item beckoning me from a shelf in Waldenbook's when it was originally published. Great interviews with the revival's creators reveal insights into several changes made to the original book to include songs from the iconic film version.
December 20, 2011
The story behind this musical is tragic and hopeless. I loved every second of it , its truely one of my favorite plays ever !
May 22, 2014
a beautiful musical with beautiful characters experiencing beautiful moments before everything turns to poop...fantastic.
September 18, 2022
was waiting for alan cumming to pop out of the pages with suspenders and all but i was thoroughly disappointed
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews