INA, Ill. (April 10, 2026) — The lights dimmed at the Rend Lake College Theater last night as the RLC Music Program officially opened its spring production of Cabaret.
Front row (L-R): Gabrielle Webb (Benton), Vanessa Thomas (Mt. Vernon), Madison Brower (Christopher), Alexandria Galyean (Marion), Maddi Maxwell (Macedonia), Robbie Edwards (Mt. Vernon), Audrey Vohlken (Mt. Vernon)
Middle Row (L-R): Sam Buesking (Mt. Vernon), Aaron Romani (Sesser), Jinx Craddock (Mt. Vernon), Malcom Hall (Benton) Cadence Morgan (Mt. Vernon), Holdyn Westberry (Herrin), Penny Franzen (Mt. Vernon),
Back row (L-R): Tessa Neitzel (Benton), Billy Craddock (Mt. Vernon), Jack Robison (Mt. Vernon), Caleb Qualls (Sesser), Braden Bruggen (Mt. Vernon), Torrence Moore (Benton), Grace Sullivan (Benton)
Not pictured: Melanie Henson (West Frankfort), Zack Swain (Mt. Vernon)
This daring and exuberantly entertaining musical, directed by RLC Music Professor Sara Alstat-Sanders, explores the dark and heady life of Bohemian Berlin as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich.
In a Berlin nightclub, as the 1920s draw to a close, a garish Master of Ceremonies welcomes the audience and assures them they will forget all their troubles at the Cabaret. With the Emcee’s (played by Holdyn Westberry) bawdy songs as wry commentary, Cabaret explores the dark, heady and tumultuous life of Berlin’s natives and expatriates as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich. Cliff (Malcom Hall), a young American writer newly arrived in Berlin, is immediately taken with English singer Sally Bowles (Cadence Morgan). Meanwhile, Fräulein Schneider (Jinx Craddock) , proprietor of Cliff and Sally’s boarding house, tentatively begins a romance with Herr Schultz (Aaron Romani), a mild-mannered fruit seller who happens to be Jewish.
CABARET
Book by Joe Masteroff
Based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood
Music by John Kander
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
CABARET is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC.
Tickets for the RLC Spring Musical are on sale now. You can purchase them by visiting rlc.edu/boxoffice. Order online and you can choose your own seat in the theater. All show times listed below:
April 9-11: Thursday through Saturday, 7:00 PM
April 12: Sunday Matinee, 2:00 PM
For questions or to purchase tickets by phone, you can call the box office at: 618-437-531, ext. 1467.