A Richmond 13-year-old is gearing up for a role in the Liza Minelli-famed Cabaret, starting next week at the Massey Theatre in New Westminster.
This will be the second professional performance for Oliver Gold, who’s in Grade 8 at McMath secondary, after taking up a recent role in Music Man at the Gateway Theatre in Richmond.
According to the people running the Royal City Musical Theatre production, Gold “has a natural soprano voice and loves musical theatre.”
In Cabaret – a classic musical made famous on Broadway since 1966 and on film starring Minelli - Gold plays one of the young initiated Nazi youth members and they sing the powerful and haunting song Tomorrow Belongs to Me, as the Nazi party rises to power.
As well as attending the Gateway Academy, Gold has a lead role in his school’s upcoming play, Is There a Comic in the House.
According to the show’s billing, Cabaret is a “fierce, meaty musical classic.”
Based on a book written by Christopher Isherwood, Cabaret is set in 1931 Berlin, which is “transitioning from an avant-garde cultural centre to the epicentre of the beginning of Hitler’s totalitarian regime.”
“This is the second time I have directed Cabaret,” stated director and choreographer Valerie Easton.
“And I find myself loving it again, it is never dated. The script is clever and the music so raunchy, tender, smart and most of all unforgettable. Its content was shocking to audiences in the ‘60s, but by our standards today pretty tame.
“Cabaret's themes are still relevant today; we as a society still have a way to go in regard to racism, prejudice, hatred, and greed.”
Cabaret runs April 12 to 29, with previews April 12 and 13, followed by the opening night on Saturday, April 14.
For showtimes and ticket information, go online to TicketsNW.ca or call 604-521-5050.
