Reflections on Playing Herr Schultz
Hello everyone, Brian Trampler here, writing to you about my second go around with my character in Cabaret, Herr Schultz. Many times in this musical, the focus is on the Kit Kat Club and the love story that takes place between Sally Bowles and Cliff Bradshaw. But, as many who have come to this run have told me, the heart of this show is in the uplifting and unfortunate unraveling of the story between Fräulein Schneider and Herr Schultz.
This second story is what ultimately drives all the lovers apart, to seemingly deal with their fate in their own way. It is a story of antisemitism and the ease in which the characters of that time period dealt with (or didn’t deal with) the troubling voice being raised around them, and the dismantling of the Germany that Herr Schultz loves. Bernie Cardell’s vision was to make sure that Herr Schultz stayed optimistic up and until his very last line in the show. But even then, in his final scene with Cliff and Sally, he is still hopeful that the German people will find a way out of this situation. Unbeknownst to the people of the Cabaret, they are about to be confronted with the reality of this horrific tragedy.
It is a fine path to walk down, playing an optimistic character while knowing ultimately the fate that so many Jews faced. But the message of this story to me is this: listen to the political environment and don’t be afraid to speak out when you hear something that might be offensive or troubling. It is terribly easy to ignore the noise, but it creeps up on you when you least expect it to. Be a voice fighting against the darkness.
I’m honored to have you read my thoughts, and as I say in my bio - “For Brian, the production of Cabaret stirs up memories of his family history with World War 2, and his grandfather’s escape from Nazi Germany. But even more remarkable is the fact that this story continues to resonate in the world today. As we share the stories of the Cabaret, Brian encourages you to look around and discover your own connections to the tale we tell.”