Theatergoers attending opening night of Cabaret may not realize this, but three months of grueling rehearsals, sweat and tears went into the production they are about to see.

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“Cabaret” is set in 1931 in Berlin, just as the Nazi Party is rising to power. In order to escape the turmoil of the outside world, patrons and performers seek haven in the Kit Kat Klub, a seedy hangout run by the Master of Ceremonies.

Rachel Pair, a sophomore in musical theater, is excited for audiences to see the show.

“This is something the department has wanted to do for several years now so it’s very exciting to be a part of it,” said Pair.

Pair, no stranger to the Auburn stage, has previously appeared in “Light in the Piazza” and “The Marvelous Wonderettes.”

“In ‘Cabaret’, I play Fräulein Kost, who I would consider the villain of the show. She lets a few secrets slip that ends up being the demise of several characters,” said Pair.

In order to be ready for a February opening, auditions were held in November. Director Chase Bringardner had to fill seven principle roles, plus Kit Kat girls and boys and an energetic ensemble.

“The audition process was very intense. This is a heavy dance show so we had a lot of dancers come out to audition,” said Pair.

With opening night a little less than a month away, Pair said the cast is already working on complete run-throughs without their scripts. This comes as no surprise since the cast has rehearsals every night and Sunday afternoons.

In order to get people to connect with their roles, Dr.Bringardner made the cast develop background stories for their characters to help them better understand the parts they would be playing.

“When I developed Fräulein Kost’s background, it made me feel bad for her. Even though she is the villain she really has a sad story to tell,” said Pair.

The show is set in two locations, the Kit Kat Klub and Fräulein Schneider’s boarding house. Audiences may be surprised by the pace of the show and should expect to be on the edge of their seats by the end of the first act.

“The song ‘Tomorrow Belongs To Me’ at the end of Act 1 is a turning point with several characters in the show,” said Pair. “The second act is only about 25 minutes long, so everything starts spiraling down after that.”

Audiences should not expect a happy musical the whole time, because this show is different from many of the play Auburn has done in the past.

“There is excitement and romance, but there is also tragedy that matches the time period the show is set," said Pair.

Cabaret runs Feb. 23-25 & Feb. 28-March 3 at 7:30 p.m. and
Feb. 26 at 2:30 p.m. at the AU Theatre. For ticket information visit http://www.cla.auburn.edu/theatre/.