A Cabaret of Prejudice: Jewish Identity, Anti-Semitism, and Nazism in Weimar
Berlin through the Lens of Kander and Ebb’s Cabaret
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Co-produced with the Broadway Presbyterian Church & Columbia University Hillel
A Panel Discussion with Director Leon Bynum, Producer Nora Simpson, and Producer Ronnie Leipold
featuring the cast of the Harmony Theatre Company’s production of Cabaret.
Suggested Donation: $10
The cultural and artistic freedom of Weimar Berlin combined with the growing threat of Nazism provides
one of the most fascinating case studies of the conflict between tolerance and hatred that arguably defines
20th Century history. The simultaneous rise of fascism and cultural rebellion in a newly democratic but
economically depressed nation that preceded one of the most calculated, systematic genocides in history
continues to fascinate scholars and artists alike. Kander and Ebb's Cabaret, written less than 25 years
after the Holocaust, is a cultural touchstone that allows us to examine the overwhelming perplexity of the
Weimar era through the stories of a few archetypal characters trying to survive with their identities intact. By
the end of the show, each one has charted a course for survival—some will be more successful than
others—but all have experienced a shattering of identity.
The Harmony Company will present a very short series of tasteful excerpts from their March-April 2005
production of Cabaret. The production team will then lead a discussion on ethnic identity, prejudice,
Nazism and the experience of Cabaret. The discussion will particularly explore how the show’s relationship
to American ethnic identity and Jewish identity in particular continues to change. Attendees will be
encouraged to share their experiences and ideas.