Description
Book SynopsisWhere did cabaret come from? What has it got to do with pre-war Berlin, decadent society and Nazis? How does it turn into media cabaret and the sisterhood of sleaze? Is cabaret a primary vehicle for exploring the range of sexual practices and alternative sexual identities?In this new book William Grange brings into one place for the first time the range of practices now associated with the form of cabaret. Beginning with its origins in speciality German theatres and the development both of the sheet music industry and disc recordings, Grange tracks the form through into its golden age in the 1920s and beyond. The book's three sections deal first with the emergence of Berlin as the German Chicago', where cabaret flourished in the midst of post-war political turmoil. The abolition of censorship allowed nude dancing and sexually explicit songs and routines. It also saw the introduction of kick-line dancing and black performers. In the book's second and third sections Grange takes t
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Series Preface Introduction CHAPTER I : Beginnings in France Montmartre The Bohemians Rodolphe Salis Aristide Bruant Yvette Guilbert CHAPTER II: The Craze Spreads to Germany Kabarett Munich Frank Wedekind Kathi Kobus Vienna CHAPTER III: Offshoots: Prague, Kracow, Budapest, Moscow, Zurich Prague Kracow BudapestMoscow Zurich New York CHAPTER IV: The Golden Age of Cabaret Escape The Outbreak of War The New Republic The Naked Body of Cabaret Wildness and Megalomania The Follies of Foliés and Revues Retorts and Tribunals CHAPTER V: The Nazi Terror Catastrophe The National Socialist Reign of Terror Cabaret in Exile Klaus and Erika Mann CHAPTER VI: Cabaret in a Media-Driven Age Aftermath The Economic Miracle Cabaret on the Airwaves East Germany Fat and Overfed The Revolt of the ’68ers Downhill Televised Cabaret Notes Bibliography Index
