The Making of Cabaret

The Making of Cabaret. Written by Keith Garebian. Published by Oxford University Press. Softcover, 256 pages.

A handy and engaging chronicle, this book is the most detailed production history to date of the original Broadway version of Cabaret, showing how the show evolved from Christopher Isherwood's Berlin stories, into John van Druten's stage play, a British film adaptation, and then the Broadway musical, conceived and directed by Harold Prince as an early concept musical. With nearly 40 illustrations, full cast credits, and a bibliography, The Making of Cabaret will appeal to musical theatre aficionados, theatre specialists, and students and performers of musical theatre.

"A lively and impossible-to-put-down study of one of the most disturbing and entertaining musicals of the 20th century. This book captures the passion and ingenuity of artists who sought to expand musical theatre's conventions and to challenge U.S. politics. Garebian balances facts and details of the musical's creation and reception with insightful interpretation of the music, lyrics, script, staging, and design. A model for musical theatre history, an exemplary case study, and the most important source on Cabaret to date, the new and improved The Making of Cabaret updates and expands its terrific predecessor. An indispensible resource on a show that changed musical theatre forever." - Stacy Wolf, author