Paul and Corey Cross the Streams is a bi-monthly podcast in which hosts Paul Pakler and Corey Pepper watch and review streaming content. It’s the Great American Podcast where two friends learn about life as they float down the river of streaming services.

Let’s put on a show! It’s season 8 for Paul and Corey Cross the Streams, and this season we’re watching musicals. It’s a singular art form with a dynamic history, and we get to listen to a lot of cast recordings…

This week, Corey wanted to hear the music play with Cabaret (1972)!

Just like Singin’ in the Rain, where do you begin with Cabaret? The film, a major rewrite of the 1966 Broadway show, which was an adaptation of the 1951 Broadway play I am a Camera, which also had a British film adaption in 1955. And all of those were based on a collection of stories titled The Berlin Stories (1945), by Christopher Isherwood. These were thinly fictionalized accounts of his experiences as a young gay British man living in the queer demimonde of Berlin during Germany’s Weimar Republic. Phew! That’s a lot!

Cabaret is just a monster of a show. With every reinvention, it says something new about itself and the world, and with every reinvention, you wonder, “How could any version of the show be better than this?!”

Paul and Corey discuss all of that. The production woes of Bob Fosse and producer Cy Feuer; Kander and Ebb; Liza Minelli in her star-making performance; the role of art and fascism; and the life of Communist activist Jean Ross, who was the basis of Sally Bowles.

So, leave your troubles outside! Life is disappointing? Forget it! In this podcast, life is BEAUTIFUL!

This Episode’s Focus: Cabaret (1972)
Host’s Choice: Corey Pepper
Stream on: Rent on all the usual suspects
Corey’s Recipe Recommendations for This Episode: Homemade Kit Kat Bars and Prairie Oyster

Be sure to subscribe to Paul and Corey Cross the Streams on Apple Podcasts and follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@PACCTSpodcast)!

Special thanks to Tobin for our incredible theme song and Dave Droxler for our podcast’s logo and artwork.