“WHAT GOOD IS SITTING ALONE IN A ROOM? COME HEAR THE MUSIC PLAY…”: VINTAGE REHEARSAL SCRIPT FOR CABARET, 1966
MASTEROFF, Joe (book). EBB, Fred (lyrics). KANDER, John (music). Cabaret (Rehearsal Version). New York: The Studio Duplicating Service, August 18, 1966. Quarto, original flexible stiff coated blue paper binder with metal fasteners; pp. [120].
Vintage mimeographed rehearsal script for one of the 1960s most provocative and influential musicals.
Based on John Van Druten's 1951 play I Am a Camera (which was based on Christopher Isherwood's Berlin Stories), Cabaret opened November 20, 1966, directed by Harold Prince. It won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Featured Actor (Joel Grey's iconic turn as the Kit Kat Club's Master of Ceremonies). It ran for 1165 performances, closing September 6, 1969. This rehearsal script is a memento from that original production—"a shocking Broadway novelty at the time… [that] charted the pulse of a civilization going mad" (New York Times), and "influential in making the art of political theatre both more accessible and more popular" (Stephen Gallagher). Script is hand-numbered "31" on first page and has the mimeographed typescript notation "Property of: HAROLD PRINCE 1 Rockefeller Plaza New York City."
Mild embrowning to leaves, expert restortion to covers. Very good condition. Scarce.