Press Release

March 21, 2018 | By Cole Hatcher

Ohio Wesleyan University’s production of ‘Cabaret’ features Miko Harper, left, as Sally Bowles and Ares Harper as the Emcee. OWU will present five performances of the play in April. (Photo by Kit Weber)

Ohio Wesleyan to Perform Kander and Ebb's 'Cabaret'

Five Presentations of Tony Award-Winning Play Set for April 13-22

DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University’s Departments of Theatre & Dance and Music will present five performances April 13-22 of “Cabaret,” winner of the 1967 Tony Award for Best Musical and the 1998 Tony for Best Revival of a Musical.

“Cabaret” is based on John Van Druten’s adaptation of Christopher Isherwood’s short novel “Goodbye to Berlin.” The popular play features music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and book by Joe Masteroff.

“It’s remarkable how effective ‘Cabaret’ is at captivating audiences more than 50 years after its premiere,” said Ohio Wesleyan theatre professor Edward Kahn, director. “It’s perhaps the greatest political musical of all time, masterfully juxtaposing a desire to escape life’s troubles in the music and sensuality of the Kit Kat Klub with the bleakness of the inescapable rise of Nazism in early 1930s Berlin.”

The cast is comprised of 17 Ohio Wesleyan students and features Ares Harper as the Emcee, Miko Harper as Sally Bowles, Daniel Brothers as Clifford Bradshaw, Hannah Wargo as Fräulein Schneider, Jack Douglas Riter as Herr Schultz, Josh Martin as Ernst Ludwig, and Rachel Scherrer as Fräulein Kost.

Music direction is by Jason Hiester, associate professor of music, and choreography is by Rashana Perks Smith, assistant professor of dance. Scenic and lighting design is by theatre professor D. Glen Vanderbilt Jr., and costume design is by Donna Williamson, guest designer. The production is stage managed by OWU student Beverly King.

“Cabaret” will be performed at 8 p.m. April 13, 14, 20, and 21 and at 2 p.m. April 22 in the Main Theatre of OWU’s Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave., Delaware. It contains adult themes and content.

Tickets are $10 for general admission; and $5 for senior citizens, Ohio Wesleyan employees, and non-OWU students. (Admission is free for OWU students with a valid university ID.) All seating is general seating.

To reserve tickets, call the OWU box office at (740) 368-3855. For more information, including other upcoming performances, visit www.owu.edu/TheatreAndDance.


Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 90 undergraduate majors and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through Ohio Wesleyan’s signature OWU Connection program, students integrate knowledge across disciplines, build a diverse and global perspective, and apply their knowledge in real-world settings. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives” and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.