Telegraph arts-writer-turned-leading-man, Stew Mosberg, left, rehearses a scene from the Durango Arts Center’s latest production, “Cabaret.” Mosberg, as Herr Shultz, as well as the rest of the cast, can be seen weekends starting this Friday./Photo by Steve Eginoire

Behind the (velvet) curtain

Reversing the roles on stage in DAC’s  “Cabaret”

by Stew Mosberg

The voice message from Theresa Carson, artistic and theatrical director at the Durango Arts Center, came as a surprise. She asked me to audition for the part of Herr Shultz in the DAC’s upcoming production of “Cabaret.” Flattering, to be sure, but why me, someone who hadn’t been in a play since high school (it was a very long time ago; so don’t ask)?

After considering that I might make a complete fool of myself, I decided it could be fun to read for the role, never thinking more would come of it. I called back, left a message in my best German accent and said I would audition.

My next step was to find the 1979 film “Cabaret” and see who Herr Shultz was. Nothing; he isn’t even a character in the movie. However, Shultz is a pivotal role in the stage version and has far more lines than I imagined ever trying to memorize, let alone perform.

Not to worry, I probably wouldn’t get the part. At the audition, after reading a page of dialogue, I learned I would also have to sing. Excuse me? I don’t even sing in the shower, but I was told that if I could sing “Happy Birthday” I’d be fine. I didn’t have the heart to tell them I usually only moved my lips while everyone else sang that ubiquitous tune.

Carson’s second call to me came the next day. “You have the part!” she announced. Shocked rather than elated, my first thought was, “Oh no, what have I done?” 

Rehearsals started at the end of August, and a few days later I was working on my “singing” with Music Director Scott Hagler and Jeannie Wheeldon, who would play opposite me as Fraulein Schneider. Wheeldon, a native of Durango, has deep roots in theater and is a consummate actress with a lovely set of pipes. I was a bit intimidated by her talent and yet relieved, thinking she could help mask my weaknesses.

Somewhat encouraged by my prior voice-over experience and a life-long ability to speak in dialects, I found that memorizing my lines came relatively easy. Working with other actors, knowing where to stand, when to move, and what entrances I was supposed to use were the real challenges.

As a journalist, I have reviewed numerous plays for the Telegraph and thought I understood what went into staging a play. Once I stepped behind the velvet curtain and witnessed the incredible number of elements that factor into a production, I began to realize how little I really knew.

As the rehearsals became more intense and frequent, new experiences and arcane terminology were revealed; jargon such as stage left and stage right; up stage, down stage, both of which are the opposite of what you’d think; and proscenium, the part of the stage in front of the curtain. And then there is the vital element of blocking, which is where the actor must stand or move on stage at any given time.

Because of the DAC’s limited budget, there are no stage hands to move furniture and props, so the actors have to do it, and copious amounts of time are spent practicing who, what, where and when to do it. Stage Manager Selena Trujillo put together a scene transition schedule indicating who moves what items and when. Wardrobe and costume creations by Diane Welle were begun in week two, and lighting and sound as well as the behind-the-scenes technical4   facets were worked on while we developed our characters.

By the third week, all my attempts at a personal life were disrupted; my laundry began to pile up; the refrigerator went bare; emails went unanswered; and dreams were filled with scenes rehearsed the night before. As for the “Cabaret” theme song, it may never leave my head.

Choreographer and cast member, Suzi DiSanto, cajoled the performers, some experienced, others not, into a troupe of hoofers who make up the Kit Kat Klub dancers and provide their sensational, risqué, show-stopping numbers.

There are 15 cast members, some with multiple roles like Marc Arbeeny, who hilariously gets to “monkey around” in one particularly memorable scene. Others are stand-out stars who sing and act their hearts out. Mandy Gardner makes for a superb Sally Bowles, who emotes and belts out numbers with delightful assurance. Scotty Howard gives a mesmerizing, virtuoso performance as the Emcee; the role that made Joel Gray a star. Gardner’s co-star Mike Moran combines singing talent with acting ability to fill the shoes of Cliff, Bowles’ paramour and somewhat naïve American would-be writer.

The cast rehearses a number from “Cabaret.” When it debuted on Broadway in 1967, it won seven Tony awards including “Best Musical.”/Photo by Steve Eginoire

Geoff Johnson, last seen in “Plaza Suite,” depicts the secretive, frenetic Ernst Ludwig; and Victoria FittsMilgrim, who also dances as a Kit Kat girl, gives a superb performance as the brazen hussy Fraulein Kost. Rounding out the ensemble is yours truly as Herr Shultz, the romantic interest of Fraulein Schneider.

The Klub dancers and “sailors” include Jessica Perino; Aislyn Lowe; Katie Dittelberger; Kristen Brewer; Daniel Prill, who also plays Bobby; Ammon Swoford; and Adam Sowards who sings the haunting rendition of “Tomorrow Belongs to Me.”

All of this, every inch of it, is  guided and masterminded by Theresa Carson, who performs this monumental task with enormous patience, vision and expertise.

The first “off book” rehearsal, which frighteningly means not looking at the script, arrived all too quickly and was the initial test of how well we learned our lines. After witnessing a full run, I stood in awe of my fellow cast members and was humbled by their collective gifts. I feel privileged to be part of such a superb company and confident that audiences will love this show as much as I do. It is one of the best the DAC has ever staged and is sure to garner accolades for a long time. So, “Put down the knitting, the book and the broom ol’ chums, and come to the Cabaret!”