Local woman to perform in 'Cabaret' at Kalliope

Liz Rubino was chosen to be part of the theater company last year.
By L. CROW
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Kalliope Stage in Cleveland will present a daring and provocative interpretation of Kander and Ebb's "Cabaret," and one of our local divas, Liz Rubino of Austintown, is thrilled to be part of this production.
This is her second year as a member of the company, which is beginning its fourth season.
The play takes place in 1930s Berlin, and Kalliope Artistic Director Paul Gurgol has re-created the atmosphere as close to reality as possible. "This is cabaret as cabaret really was in Berlin at the time," says Rubino. "Berlin was a perverse, no-holds-barred, no-morals place to be in 1930. A cabaret was a strip club, where you could pick up a prostitute. It was all sex. The version we are doing is rated R. There is partial nudity, violence, drugs, and it is very sexually explicit."
Rubino says she really admires Gurgol for taking the chance on presenting this version of the show in the area. "I am excited to be part of this production," says Rubino. "It is a groundbreaker for Paul and Kalliope, and he really doesn't know how it will be received. This play is very dark, entertaining and disturbing. The audience is right there, and the actors will be staring them down. It is 'in your face' and there is no place for the audience to hide."
About her character
Rubino plays Fraulein Kost, and she says this is more of an acting than singing part.
"We are doing the revival version," she said. "In the original, Kost had no singing parts, but in this version, I sing the German part of 'Married' and also 'Tomorrow Belongs to Me.'
"Kost is a prostitute who lives at a boardinghouse owned by Fraulein Schneider. Herr Schultz has asked Schneider to marry him, and she agrees.
"At the engagement party, Fraulein Kost reveals that Schultz is Jewish, which causes Schneider to break the engagement. At this time, the Jews weren't being persecuted, and Schultz sees himself as being German rather than Jewish, but most of Schneider's friends are Nazis.
"Kost breaks them up on purpose. She is not a very nice person, but a multidimensional character."
Rubino finds this part challenging. She also says she will appear topless behind a screen, at one point, but says that this particular scene focuses on beauty rather than vulgarity.
Won audition last year
Rubino became involved with Kalliope last summer when she heard that auditions were being held. She was chosen from among the 300 people who showed up. She says Kalliope also goes to New York once a year to hold auditions there for the whole season's productions.
She was in one musical last year, but this year will appear in all of them. She says she is honored and humbled that Gurgol considers her one of his top 10 singers. "Last year Kalliope won the Best Musical award in all of Cleveland for their production of 'Carousel,' and has quickly become known as the best musical theater in the city," Rubino said.
She also says that they will soon be eligible to offer their actors equity points, and that her goal is to earn points necessary to become a member of Actors' Equity Association.