A Definitive Guide to the Cabaret Songs

Posted on Jul 12, 2024 | By Sophie Thomas

Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome to Cabaret. Set in interwar Berlin, step foot into the Kit Kat Club, a hedonistic paradise where political influence shapes everything. You’ll meet talk-of-the-town Sally Bowles, American writer Cliff Bradshaw, and who can forget the elusive Emcee.

Cabaret continues to wow in London’s West End, thanks to a reconfigured Playhouse Theatre newly named the Kit Kat Club for the production. Expect a Cabaret prologue with jazz music and dance before the curtain rises for a theatrical experience you’ll never forget. Although the Cabaret London production has a lot of contemporary flair, all the traditional elements remain, including the Kander & Ebb songs. Discover more about all the Cabaret songs and guarantee your entry to the Kit Kat Club. Because in there, life is beautiful.

**The most famous Cabaret musical songs**

There’s many Cabaret songs you’ll recognise before seeing the show, thanks to Liza Minnelli’s career-defining performance as Sally Bowles in the 1972 Cabaret film. Listen out for the gutwrenching ballad “Maybe This Time”, the powerful ensemble piece “Tomorrow Belongs to Me”, as well as the infamous title song. By the end of the musical, you’ll be humming “Life is a cabaret, old chum”...

Willkommen

Welcome to the Kit Kat Club. Once you’re inside these doors, anything goes. The Emcee leads the chorus number, telling people about the joys of the Kit Kat Club. Audiences also meet a variety of club performers, including Texas, Frenchie, Helga and Lulu. Find out more about the Cabaret West End cast.

So What?

If you thought Cabaret is just that - a cabaret - then you’re sorely mistaken. “Wilkommen” sets the German club in interwar Berlin, a politically volatile setting. While some are (or seem to be) living the high life, others are left with a pittance to survive. Think of this as you’re watching Cliff Bradshaw bargain with Fraulein Schneider over rent. She wants 100 marks, he can only give 50. She begrudgingly takes the offer and realises that if you’ve only got one lemon, you have to make some lemonade.

Don't Tell Mama

It’s time to introduce the woman of the moment, Sally Bowles. The Emcee’s so proud of his protege, he hails her the “Toast of Mayfair”. With a thick British accent and an overconfident personality, it’s easy to cheer for Sally in this flirtatious song.

Mein Herr

In between “Don’t Tell Mama” and “Mein Herr”, Cliff meets Sally and he falls for the chanteuse. Sally’s keen to play it safe - she doesn’t want to upset her boyfriend. However, the underlying subtext in “Mein Herr” implies that Sally’s boyfriend is a little overbearing. As Sally says in the song “Bye-Bye, Mein Lieber Herr, Farewell, mein Lieber Herr, It was a fine affair, But now it's over, And though I used to care, I need the open air, You're better off without me, Mein Herr”.

Perfectly Marvellous

Cliff is more than a writer, he’s also an English teacher. A whirlwind day sees Cliff finish a lesson with Ernst before deciding to live with Sally Bowles. While it seems romantic on the surface, it’s because Sally’s boyfriend Max kicked her out and she doesn’t have a place to go. At first, Cliff doesn’t want to live with Sally, but who can resist Sally's charm? And that’s perfectly marvellous to them!

Two Ladies

Part of the Cabaret musical charm is its ability to switch between story-led songs and breakaway music that enhance the Kit Kat Club world. “Two Ladies” is one of them. The Emcee leads two of the Kit Kat Club ensemble in a sexually charged number. Once you’ve listened to the song a few times, you’ll realise the similarities between “Two Ladies” and Cliff and Sally’s living arrangements.

It Couldn't Please Me More (A Pineapple)

Say hello to Herr Schultz. He’s one of Fraulein Schneider's boarders, and he’s head-over-heels for her. As a Jewish man in 1930s Berlin, every day brings unspeakable challenges. His steadfast perseverance to keep going is mightily impressive, and he’s even got time to buy gifts. He gives her a pineapple, showing he wears his heart on his sleeve. Watch out for the pineapple during the show.

Tomorrow Belongs to Me

Back in the Kit Kat Club, hushed whispers about the rise of Nazi Germany infiltrate discussions. One man starts singing “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” acapella, quickly followed by the congregation. In their hearts, they’re respecting the Fatherland. But, it quickly represents a darker world.

Maybe This Time

Pretty soon after Sally and Cliff start living together, Sally falls pregnant. It’s an issue for both - how are they meant to raise a family in a room? It’s doubly difficult for Sally as she doesn’t know who the father is. Sally and Cliff are conflicted on whether to keep the baby. “Maybe This Time” follows the Kit Kat Club’s lead singer as she reflects on everything that’s led her to the edge of despair.

Money

Wherever you are, money makes the world go round. The Emcee pops up in the middle of the Kit Kat Club to sing “Money”, a brashy song that celebrates the clinking sounds of coins while mocking those with nothing. Juxtapose the Emcee’s interpretation of money with Cliff’s. He needs all he can get to live. Will he take Ernst’s offer to earn easy money by spreading political messages to France?

Married

We don’t meet Herr Schultz and Fräulein Schneider often in the Cabaret London musical. But by the end of Act One, Schultz successfully asks for Schneider’s hand in marriage. Fräulein Kost doesn’t think it’s a real relationship, but it’s arguably the most stable relationship throughout the musical. Be the judge yourself and see Cabaret in the West End.

Tomorrow Belongs to Me (Reprise)

Emotional backstabbing is at the heart of this politically-charged Act One ending. Kost reveals to Ernst Ludwig that Schultz is a Jew, leaving Ernst with no choice but to show his political affiliations. He’s a swastika-wearing Nazi. Berlin has transformed from a jazz capital to the hub of a far-right state. Who does tomorrow belong to?

Cabaret Act Two songs

Kickline

Act Two starts with a high-energy dance. At the start of this dance routine, the Emcee joins his gaggle of cabaret girls in a kickline dance. But as the tempo slows down, so too do their rhythmic moves. Kicks become goosesteps and military marches. A telling sign of German politics to come.

If You Could See Her (The Gorilla Song)

We’re encouraged to see the person behind the appearance in “The Gorilla Song”. But it’s hard to do that when a gorilla suit-clad performer tumbles on stage. In Nazism, Jewish people are synonymous with gorillas.

What Would You Do?

Poor Fräulein Schneider. She’s desperate to wed Herr Schultz, regardless of his religious beliefs. However, deciding to marry him could impact her and her family’s life forevermore. “What Would You Do?” follows Schneider as she weighs two difficult options against one another. Cliff supports his landlady however he can, but it’s impossible to think rationally in a totalitarian state.

I Don't Care Much

Oh, to be Sally Bowles. While everyone around her fears a changing world ruled by Nazism, she’s in her bubble. She still believes Berlin offers hope and opportunity for her. Cliff pleads with Sally that the pair need to leave for America, but Sally is content in Germany.

Cabaret

Sally Bowles’s swansong comes in the title number. After all, what good is sitting alone in your room? The Toast of Mayfair decides to live for herself alone and would rather live an ignorant lifestyle that’s happy than be in tune with the world. Evidently, Sally is emotionally scarred by years of anguish, but there’s no stopping Sally.

Willkommen (Reprise)

A lot happens in Cabaret before the powerful resolution. Herr Schultz decides to move to another boarding house, confident that the German people will support him. He too is a German and German people stick together. Cliff moves to Paris but is bereft at Sally’s decision to stay in her world.

As Cliff documents his thoughts, he recalls his time in the German capital: there was a cabaret, a master of ceremonies, and a woman. The Emcee then repeats the start of “Willkommen”, but this time, everyone moves in unison. It’s the start of a new chapter, but the end of the world as we know it.

What is the message of the Cabaret musical?

As Cabaret progresses, audiences will quickly discover the rise of the Nazi Party is at the heart of the Kander and Ebb musical. Follow a set of complicated characters as they live through the Weimar Republic’s downfall and do all they can to continue their lives as normal.

Who is in the London cast of the Cabaret musical?

Since Cabaret opened at the renovated Playhouse Theatre, many West End stars, Broadway actors, and A-list celebrities have led the Cabaret West End casts. Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley led the first cast, followed by the likes of Aimee Lou Wood, John McCrea, Jake Shears, Rebecca Lucy Taylor, Cara Delevingne, and Luke Treadaway. With a regularly changing Cabaret cast, you’ll want to go multiple times to see different takes of the same character.

Is Cabaret the musical worth seeing?

The Cabaret musical at the Kit Kat Club is well worth watching if you want to see a classic musical revamped for the 21st century. With thought-provoking songs encouraging self-reflection, you’ll leave the theatre with a newfound historical appreciation. Plus, everyone wants to hear “Cabaret” live!