January's MUSE-ical of the Month: Cabaret

January 15, 2026

The Amber’s Attick MUSEical of the Month for January is…Cabaret!

“Wilkommen!”

The secondhand vintage clothing, jewelry, and accessories added to the shop this month will be inspired by the iconic stylings and characters from one of my favorite movie musicals: Cabaret (1972).

Sally Bowles and Joel Grey at the Cabaret Premiere, 1972.

Bob Fosse directed, Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey starred, and Charlotte Fleming designed the costumes (with assistance by Gwen Verdon). I cannot believe she didn’t get an Oscar nod for her work, but the Academy isn’t always fair. Fleming was nominated for best costume design for the British Film Academy Awards but didn’t win. The film itself won 8 Academy Awards including Best Director, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Score, and Best Cinematography.

Minnelli and Fosse on set of “Cabaret.”

The Plot: Sally Bowles is an American cabaret performer who dreams of being a great film star, but finds herself stuck in the cycle of night life and sex work during the rise of Nazi occupation in 1930’s Berlin.

"Mein Herr"

Mein Memory: My mom got “Cabaret” on VHS from a thrift store, most likely. I saw the stunning cover and knew it would be one of my favorites, instantly. I think I was between 13-14 when my twin sister Maya and I would go up to our room, sing along to every song, and laugh hysterically when Max said “it is most amusing…it is very amusing!” The themes are serious, and the movie was certainly not made with kids in mind. But, for us, it sparkled and shimmered and sweat the truth of “show business,” which is all we used to crave. It gave us the feeling of being backstage and underground and in a time capsule all at once. I hope you make time to watch this if you ever had a dream of the stage.

"Did you take on the whole Nazi Party?"

Why it's relevant today: While I was watching the film recently, I thought about how brilliantly the rise of facism is portrayed. Slowly it happens, then it's everywhere you look. The Nazis in the movie are shown as hateful, violent, and most of all: human.

"Tomorrow Belongs to Me"

In the beginning of the film, we see resistance from the Kit Kat Club owner. He kicks a couple of them out, seemingly for "no reason." Well, the reason was that they wore their values on their sleeves, and that is enough. As the audience, we get to see how every single character (every person) is forced to suffer the consequences of the actions of these humans. It is most examined in the characters Fritz and Natasha, who are navigating their class differences and love, all while being Jewish in 1930's Berlin.

Natasha (Marisa Berenson) and Fritz (Fritz Wendel)

The rise of the Nazi party is examined through the dialogue of these characters, songs, and scenes inside and out of the Kit Kat Club. Through this lens, we are forced to examine our own relationships to racism and prejudice. When the presence of dark, ugly facism is no longer a wispy threat but a defined reality, everyone experiences that differntly. We see this regime affect the characters in different ways, hit them at different points in the film.

"Bumsen!"

This chills me when I remember that the Nazi party was very inspired by the successfully implemented Jim Crow laws of the United States. Don't forget the the US showed Germany how it's not that hard to strip humans of their citizenship and rights. I do think we are in a situation where history is repeating itself, and we must continue to While we are all paying attention to our own little performances in life, there is a bigger picture playing out in front of us. One uniform in one corner of a room, becomes three, then ten...by the end frame you understand that the scales have tipped. It all becomes a blur.

Joel Grey as Emcee

My takaway: Fantasy is necessary (especially under facism). Change what you can - it's simpler than you think to become exactly who you want to be.

Sally and Brian on a bike ride