Monday Morning Musings:
“Life is a cabaret, old chum
Come to the Cabaret!”
–John Kander and Fred Ebb, “Cabaret,” from Cabaret
“Which of all my important nothings shall I tell you first?”
–Jane Austen, Letter to her sister Cassandra, June 15, 1808
On a summery autumn day,
we left the sunlight
to enter the smoky den–
(the Cabaret, old friend)
Germany in the 1930s
but goose steppers are looming
the winds of war are moving
soon the guns will be booming
but for now, there is consuming
beer and goods,
here in the night,
the women are beautiful
the men are beautiful
they slink and glide
in barely-there wear
the Emcee, in heels and gowns
feather boa and garters,
looming
grooming the audience
flirting and diverting
we’re there, but here
then, but now
I’m surprised–
though why–
startled at my own emotion reaction
because it’s no longer an abstraction,
“Tomorrow Belongs to Me”
and Nazi insignia–
my throat constricts,
the body knows what the mind refuses to accept
(more goose steps)
I hear “some very fine people” gather
drivel and blather
echoes of then and now
the need to fight and disavow
what do politics have to do with us
the characters ask
We’re Germans,
(We’re Americans)
that can’t happen here,
our rights will never disappear
people standing tall and proud
arms held straight in devoted salute
They worship him
(no matter what he says)
small steps with profound consequences
(build a wall and many fences)
the slippery slope
and where’s the rope to pull us back
to ring the warning bell
to tell us now that all is well
So, what would you do
My brave young friend?
Would you pay the price?
What would you do?
What should we do?
What will you do?
We walk and talk
a wonderful production
the set well-designed,
the orchestra well-tuned and engaging
the voices delightful
the direction, insightful
altogether, quite a show
but—
(rightfully so)
a little too close to current events
(Maybe this time)
we’ll be lucky
maybe this time
he’ll go away
We wander some more
through old city streets
encounter wedding parties
one right after the other
brides, grooms, sisters, brothers
“the wedding stalker,” my husband says,
but it makes me happy to see love and joy
(where some want only to destroy)
affirmations of love and life
after the violence, hate, killing, and strife
We drink coffee
stroll across the cobblestones
where men met to create a nation
to establish here a firm foundation
(remember the ladies, Abigail said)
but no, they simply went ahead
We’ve come a long way, baby
but still and all–
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
flawed men with lofty ideals
feet of clay
and yet they found a way
it’s still the best we have
pledges made then and now
pledges these couples make in wedding vows
to love and cherish
to pursue life and happiness together
to do their best
we must do our best
(to join together)
After the play, we join our friends
friends of years
through love and tears
kindred spirits
saying farewell to one couple’s house
not their first
but one where babies were born and nursed
here a family gathered
here we’ve shared many meals
often, like tonight Chinese food
viewed one way
something we’ve done before
but there’s always something new and something old
moments to cherish and hold
close here to heart and mind
to bring out and remember
should we ever find the need to,
we say farewell to the house
but not the friendship,
remember that time, we say?
That day?
And then?
Remember when?
“What do you talk about? one friend’s daughter asked.
How do you describe the talk of old friends?
We talk of all our important nothings
and then we talk some more
of children, homes, work, and retirement
of travel, plays, movies, and books
of bats in our houses
and grandchildren in our beds
of catching mice
and stalking cats
of coffee cups and chocolate cake
of food and wine
and all the time
of then
and now
and all things fine
(and some things not so)
until finally it’s time to go.
We part with hugs effusive
despite the hour
and as the moon peeks from her cloudy bower
we part–
Auf Wiedersehen,
but not goodbye
À bientôt
Enjoy life’s show–
it may be a cabaret
but if so, the set changes every day
and yet love, the light, true friends remain
and all our important nothings
in turns out
are really something
Why don’t we ever learn from history?
Why indeed, Jane? 😦
We’re just too clever for our own good.
We are! 🙂
🙂
The only show i’ve seen in NYC was Caberet at the remodeled Studio 54. It was the beginning of the reign of George Bush the Lesser and the play felt a little too close to home. I can only imaging what it would like now, esp. in a well-performed production. I suppose the hope one can hold onto is the pendulum effect. After Bush we got Obama, so after Trump we will get… then again that whole election thing might just get cancelled.
Did you see Alan Cumming in Cabaret? I would love to have seen him.
Yes, I think if I had seen this during the Obama years, I wouldn’t have felt quite so emotional. I’ve never seen the theater version of Cabaret before though I knew the story.
I hadn’t seen Caberet since as a kid watching the movie. So the ending hit me as if I had never seen it.
Yes it was Cummings I saw. One of better birthday gifts.
The only other musical I’ve seen was Wicked, and that was much better than I thought, so if you do get a chance. 😉
Quite a birthday gift!
I’ve seen many musicals, but not in New York. Wicked was just here in Philadelphia, but I didn’t get a chance to see it. I’m familiar with the show though–both daughters were involved with theater and music in high school and college.
The way some people can stand on a stage in front of people and not only belt out a song so people in the back row can hear it, but also do it in character is pretty dang impressive.
I get nervous even speaking to people on the phone. 😉 My younger daughter has a wonderful voice, but she’s given up performing.
From the people I know, every performance takes it out of one.
Lovely repast, both the food and the conviviality. I see water and coffee. Maybe the wine is hidden. Thanks to you and a book I’ve read recently, I am paying more attention to the moon.
The last lines are choice: Auf Wiedersehen,
but not goodbye
À bientôt
Enjoy life’s show–
it may be a cabaret
but if so, the set changes every day
and yet love, the light, true friends remain
and all our important nothings
in turns out
are really something
Thank you very much, Marian. I’m glad you enjoyed the final lines–and quite an honor that I’ve helped you pay more attention to the moon!
We had a variety of beverages–wine, beer, soda, and water. The bottles were in the kitchen. 🙂
What a wander through the highs and lows. Cabaret always gets me, it pulls you in but you end up suffocated, awed by Sally’s innocence and drowned by her final encore! I saw it in New York with Dexter’s Micheal C Hall who opened the show standing on our table! What more is there to say!
And then you brought me to the musical ‘Is There Life After Highschool’, a group of classmates metting up years later and discussing who they were and laughing at what they became.
Here’s to tomorrow belonging to us all!
A bientot
Thank you, Damien! Michael C. Hall on your table would definitely be memorable! 🙂 The Emcee and Kit Kat performers interacted with the audience in this production, too. The woman who played Sally had a beautiful voice. I thought she was almost too cute for the role at first, but it did underscore her essential innocence and vulnerability. And yes, tomorrow for all of us!
Friends and family – our anchors in the storm.
Yes. Thank you, Ken.
Merril, was this version like the movie or was it the play or something else? I was first exposed to it as the movie, which I loved. And then went to a play version, which is not the musical. SO different and not as good IMO. But I haven’t seen the musical performed on stage and would love to.
Hi, Luanne. I thought you were going to tell me your daughter was in this. 🙂 This was the play/musical on which the movie is based–songs by Kander and Ebb. This was based on the Roundabout Theater’s 1998 revival script. There was an earlier play version that came out in the 1950s, I think that was not a musical. They’re all based on Christopher Isherwood. The storyline is different from the movie. I haven’t seen the movie in years, but I liked it, too. In the musical theater version, Sally Bowles is English and Cliff (the guy in the boarding house) is an American writing a novel and giving English lessons. They don’t share a lover.
I love your last sentence here. That’s what makes the movie so good ;)! By the way, whatever happened to Marisa Berenson? I saw that play version that wasn’t a musical. It really wasn’t nearly as good although my high school drama teacher was in it and was excellent and so were the other actors. My daughter always wanted to be in the musical, but I don’t think she’s ever even found an audition for it at the right time and place for her. It really isn’t produced that often that I can see in the past ten years. Of course, since musicals are the world of (stereo)typing, she would never be cast as Sally . . . .
That did make the movie good, but it’s a different story in the play. I think there’s more about the threat of the Nazis (from what I remember). Part of the story involves that landlady and her Jewish lover, and I really liked that part.
I need to see the musical on stage. Really need to see it. I should find where it’s licensed and see if it’s going to produced anywhere I can get to in the next year.
Yes, I’m kind of surprised I’ve never seen it before.
I really think it’s because it’s produced so seldom.
I guess not so much at local theaters, and it’s not really the type of play that many high schools would want to do. I remember my older daughter did go to see a local production (an NJ theater, not a high school) of it when she was in high school though, and it has been re-done on Broadway several times.
Have you ever noticed that one year a bazillion theatres will do In the Heights and Sound of Music, say, and the next year nobody does those, but there are 2 billion productions of Seven Brides?
Maybe not those shows in particular, but it does go in cycles. I guess sometimes it has to do with licensing. A few times we’ve seen the Broadway touring company do a show, and then a few months later, it turns out a Philadelphia theater is doing it. This year, it’s Fun Home, which we saw a few months back, and the Arden Theatre is doing it in May.
Yes, it’s licensing. Fun Home here in Phoenix, too. And there have been a lot of audition notices for Fun Home.
Too bad we don’t have that transporter! Then we could both see the Phoenix and the Philadelphia versions. 🙂
That would be such fun!
It would be!
Yes, some things from the past are too close to our current times. There’s so much love left, enough I hope to pave the way to a different outcome. Reading posts like this give me hope. I love the way you described the talk between old friends. All those little things add up to something important. 🙂
Thank you, Robin. I’m glad I gave you a bit of hope and that you liked my description of friend talk. Those little things do add up, don’t they? 🙂
Yes, way too close to home. It seems almost anything can catch my breath these days.
Our communities are what will save us. I have to believe that. (K)
Yes, I’m with you.
Friends are such important parts of our lives. This is so great they are still together and have shared stories of their lives throughout their years as couples/friends. Merril, this was such a warm photo of the group.
I like the two handed coffee husband photo. Who else could hold them? ☕☕
I saw Joel Grey on off Broadway in Cleveland in the emcee role in “Cabaret” and on Broadway being “George M!” (Cohen). He was remarkable. Liza wasn’t in the Cleveland production but I still felt her presence. 😊 I’m not sure who played the love interest in George’s life. I loved I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy song. . . as an elementary school aged girl with her family.
The goose steps and svastika are such scary images. The way the world is being tilted, it is also scary.
Your last sentence at first I thought you meant “it turns out” but now, can see “in turns out” like reversing directions. It made me think outside the box, Merril. ❤
It is interesting that the theater version and the movie version are so different, but Joel Grey was in both. I’m sure it was amazing seeing him.
Thank you for you close reading of my words. It was supposed to be “it” instead of “in.” I added that whole final section at the last minute, but I also like the way it sends the mind when using “in.” 🙂
It isn’t meant at all to be critical and so glad you could see my past “observant” language arts middle school teacher in action, Merril!
Joel Grey was a larger than life man, who was a “force to reckon with!” I was blessed to have experienced him. Not sure if I even kept my scrapbook of all the programs.
Mom loved theatre. My favorite in Cleveland, one that she emphasized as a favorite of hers was Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House.” I’d love to see this done with the subtext of today’s females being brave, coming out about Harvey Weinstein.
I saw a production of A Doll’s House, but it was years ago, and I don’t really remember it. That is really something about Weinstein. I think there is more that will come out. My co-editor and I have already submitted our manuscript, or I’m sure this story would be mentioned in our book.
It was good to round off the menace of the earlier section of this post with warm, glowing, joy. You replicated the frightening atmosphere of the film so well, and linked it aptly to today’s awful ambience
Thank you, Derrick, although it was a musical in a theater that we saw, not the movie.