A Note from Your “Famous Novelist”
Director Bernie Cardell had this to share about working with Grant:
“I have really enjoyed working with Grant in this role. Cliff can be a hard role to navigate. Moving from innocence to experience is a fine line and he walks that tightrope beautifully.”
My name is Grant Bowman, and I'm making my Vintage debut in Cabaret. I’ve been a musical theatre enthusiast for a long time, but somehow I wasn’t too familiar with Cabaret when I auditioned. Little did I know that this would be one of my favorite shows I’ve ever done.
I’m thrilled and honored to play Cliff Bradshaw! He goes on such a compelling journey in this story—he enters Berlin wide-eyed, in search of love and inspiration, and by the end he’s profoundly changed. He’s good-natured, sincere, and compassionate, yet a different side of him emerges in the face of personal turmoil and looming political horror.
Where have audiences seen you before and where can they see you next?
I was born and raised in Denver, started doing theatre seriously at Littleton HS (shoutout to my sister for inspiring me!), and earned a BFA in Acting at CU Boulder. During my time at CU I did fourteen shows, namely Love’s Labour’s Lost and Cyrano de Bergerac with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival and Spring Awakening (Melchior) and Into the Woods (Rapunzel’s Prince) with the theatre department. Over the past year you may have seen me in the Shakespeare in the Parking Lot Tour with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Peter and the Starcatcher with Cherry Creek Theatre, Carousel with Performance Now Theatre Company, Stonewall with Benchmark Theatre, or A Midsummer Night's Dream and As You Like It with Shakespeare in the Wild. After Cabaret, I’ll make my Town Hall Arts Center debut in Matilda.
What was your approach to crafting your unique take on Cliff?
I really love playing Cliff. He and I are similar in a lot of ways (at least in Act I), so I feel a sense of ease and familiarity with him. I think the “trap” of Cliff is that if you’re not careful, he can be a boring part of the show—he doesn’t dance, only sings about a minute’s worth of music, and since he’s somewhat of an everyman he doesn’t have an exciting personality like Sally or the Emcee. From the beginning I’ve worked to make his scenes captivating and dynamic, and our wonderful director Bernie challenged me to not make him too much of a “nice guy." As with any role I play, I strive to be present and grounded, truly listen and respond to my scene partners, bring clarity and specificity to each moment, and explore the music and poetry in the words I speak. Some of my sources of inspiration for Cliff are Tom Wambsgans in Succession (played by Matthew Macfadyen, one of my favorite actors), the album Chet Baker Sings, and Clifford the Big Red Dog.
The play I Am a Camera, which Cabaret is based on, has an interesting note about the role of Christopher Isherwood (the basis for Cliff): “Christopher is a difficult part… almost a feed part, but I can guarantee that if he will play it unselfishly, and with a true valuation of it as a commentator and observer, it will reward him very greatly.” Although Cliff has a more active role in this story, the note still rings true for me—I appreciate the moments where I can simply take in and marvel at the people around me, whether it’s Sally in “Perfectly Marvelous," Fraülein Schneider in “So What?" or our fantastic Kit Kat girls and boys in “Don’t Tell Mama” and “Mein Herr."
What do you hope audiences will take away from the show?
I feel great responsibility telling such a painfully relevant story. Cliff’s role as an American outsider entering Berlin poses key questions to the audience: How do you respond to cruelty and injustice? Do you flee, or do you fight? Or are you too caught up in your own struggles to even notice? Can you bring someone you love out of a state of apathy? I think one of Cliff’s most important lines is “Sally, don’t you understand—if you’re not against all this—you’re for it. Or you might as well be.”
What are some of your favorite moments from rehearsing and performing Cabaret?
I thoroughly enjoyed the rehearsal process thanks to Bernie, our assistant director Molly, and my scene partners (namely Abby and Trenton, who I have the most stage time with)—they’re all a treat to work with. Each scene started with a strong structure in terms of blocking and arc, but there was always space to try out new ideas. In-depth scene work rehearsals are some of the most rewarding as an actor, and one of my favorite parts of any musical process is the sitzprobe, when the cast and musicians come together for the first time.
In performance I’m constantly surprised by our biggest, most unpredictable scene partner: the audience. Whether the energy is loud and electric or quiet and reflective, we’re challenged to stay present and drive the story forward. No matter what comes up, I know that I can always count on my castmates to support me as I support them. Every show, I love sitting backstage to listen to "Willkommen"—it's invigorating to take in that energy from the cast, musicians, and audience before I make my first entrance.
In a strange way, playing a lead role can feel isolating at first. You spend the first few weeks of rehearsal so focused on the lines, blocking, etc. that you might not have much downtime to socialize. In this show, too, I’m generally backstage while the Kit Kat girls and boys are onstage, and vice versa. However, something special happens in the days leading up to opening—the pressure, excitement, and sheer number of hours spent together unites everyone in a beautiful way, solidifying the camaraderie built up throughout the process. As the show evolves throughout the run, growing connections offstage help cultivate an enriched sense of trust and play onstage. This cast is so joyous, uplifting, and inspiring, and I’m lucky to share the stage with them.
All in all, I’m deeply grateful to be a part of this dedicated, delightful, and talented cast and creative team. I hope you’ll join us at the Kit Kat Klub!
Cabaret runs through October 22nd.