When I think of theater in Downtown San Jose usually The San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, The Rep or the Montgomery Theater are the first places that pop in my mind. The fact is that there are also several smaller, more intimate venues that are featuring quality programming spread across Downtown. Right in the middle of SoFA, you have a 200 seat theater called The Stage which has won many awards for their off-Broadway performances. They have just extended the run for their latest production:
Cabaret, which you can read all about below. I'm definitely planning to check out this theater soon (as well as City Lights and the Theatre on San Pedro Square). There are more live performance venues Downtown than many people realize, and The Stage is one of those hidden gems.
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Extended Now through November 6
‘What good is sitting alone in your room. Come hear the music play…..’
San José, CA – October 12, 2011
San Jose Stage Company announced that the Tony Award-winning musical Cabaret, the provocative and edgy new production, will be extended two more weeks. The ‘up close and personal’ Stage theatre, set in a cabaret-style atmosphere, has been showing to sold-out crowds.
“The Stage is on a roll,” said Randall King, Artistic Director of The Stage Company. “We are building on the momentum of Avenue Q's eight-week, sold-out run with another incredible ensemble that demonstrates the timeless impact of Kander and Ebb'sCabaret.”
Critics have been raving about The Stage’s season opener, Cabaret.
"The Stage's Cabaret is spectacularly entertaining…edgy…provocative…daring…” --- BroadwayWorld.com
"Superb production" --- Out&About Magazine
"It is definitely worth your time to see this Cabaret" --- San Jose Mercury News
“Audiences are finding the show highly entertaining and extremely relevant to today's world,” added King.
The classic Broadway musical, set in the smoky, seedy Kit Kat Klub, reflects the sentiment in pre-World War II, 1929 Berlin.
Based on the book “The Berlin Stories” of 1945 by Christopher Isherwood, who set the foundation for the subsequent renditions, from “I am a Camera” to the 1972 movie Cabaret to the Roundabout version at Studio 54.
“Cabaret has a fascinating history,” said Director Rick Singleton. “The winner of multiple Tony Awards three decades apart, John Kander and Fred Ebb's classic musical is well-set in the Stage Theatre.”
“The 1967 stage musical was adapted into an Oscar-winning film, and the 1998 Broadway revival ran for six years at Studio 54,” adds Singleton. “The Stage's unique intimate setting is the perfect venue as we morph into an infamous Berlin cabaret nightclub complete with cabaret tables, chairs and stage.”
Carmichael ‘CJ’ Blankenship* brings a new edge and sexual energy to his choreographer debut, while also playing the role of Victor.
Most recently from the sold-out eight-week run of Avenue Q, and previously at The Stage in Reasons to be Pretty, Company Associate Artist Halsey Varady* plays Sally Bowles, the English cabaret performer.
A special appearance by Jef Valentine breaks new ground with The Stage Company as the Emcee of the Kit Kat Klub.
Judith Miller, known to audiences for her iconic roles as Patsy Cline and Mae West, portrays Fraulein Schneider.
Also features Company Associate Artist and Musical Director Martin Rojas Dietrich*, Lydia Lyons*, Will Springhorn Jr.*, Matt Bariletti, Christine Capsuto, Clarissa Chun, Chellana Dinsmore, Brandon Mears, and Allison F. Rich.
Book by Joe Masteroff, Lyrics by Fred Ebb, Music by John Kander, Based on the Play by John Van Druten, Stories by Christopher Isherwood, Musical Director is Martin Rojas Dietrich, Choreography by Carmichael ‘CJ’ Blankenship and the Director is Rick Singleton.
Tickets are $33 - $45 and are available at thestage.org or by calling the Box Office.
Premium Cabaret seating is available for the front row of the theatre. Please call the box office at
408.283.7142 to purchase these seats.
San Jose Stage Company is funded, in part, by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San Jose and Arts Council Silicon Valley, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara, the California Arts Council and Applied Materials Excellence in the Arts. San Jose Stage Company gratefully acknowledges support from The Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The Smart Family Foundation, Applied Materials Foundation and The Davidson Family Foundation and the many individuals, businesses and corporations whose contributions make great theatre possible.
The Stage is located at 490 South First Street at William Avenue in the SoFA area of downtown San Jose.
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*Member of Actors’ Equity Association
