And so, with a seemingly endless wash from the cymbals, we enter the modern era. It's 1966, Hal Prince has taken to directing instead of producing, and John Kander and Fred Ebb are going to give life to his vision of a musical about Weimar-era Berlin that would be unlike anything Broadway had ever seen. Cabaret was the show, and, fittingly enough, we're talking about the first song they wrote for that show: "Willkommen."

All clips are from the 1966 cast album of Cabaret featuring Joel Grey and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners. Listen to the SMSTS playlist on Spotify! Follow SMSTS on Instagram: @somuchstufftosing Email the show: [email protected]

Recommended Reading/Viewing:

Ethan Mordden, Anything Goes: A History of American Musical Theater (Mordden's other volumes are also excellent resources for more in-depth discussion)

Broadway: The American Musical