Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1517660
13 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 20 MARCH 2024 NEWS TEATRU Manoel presents Caba- ret, a live musical with direction and choreography by Lucienne Camilleri and musical direction by Ryan Paul Abela. Originally written in the 1960s, Cabaret explores life in pre-war Berlin set against the decline of the Jazz Age and the rise of the Nazi party to power. Starring are Sean Borg as the Em- cee and Maxine Aquilina as Sally Bowles, two roles most notably per- formed by Joel Grey and Hollywood legend Liza Minelli in the 1972 film adaptation of the musical. Other notable cast members in- clude Isabel Warrington as Fraulein Schneider, Stephen Oliver as Herr Schultz, and Jason Scerri as Clif- ford Bradshaw, alongside an en- semble of eleven chorus members, and supported by a 16-piece or- chestra. The glamorous costumes are designed by Stefania Grech Vel- la, and set by Adrian Mamo. Cabaret focuses on the hedonistic nightlife at the seedy Kit Kat Club, where Sally Bowles is a resident performer. Juxtaposing the horror of pre-war Berlin with the glam- ourous world of live cabaret, the musical offers an escape for both the characters on the stage and au- dience members alike. Overseeing the action is the Kit Kat Club Emcee, and the club itself serves as a metaphor for ominous political developments in late Wei- mar Germany. On the political nature of the mu- sical Cabaret, Teatru Manoel Ar- tistic Director Adrian Mamo said that he strongly believes in the im- portance of producing such stories, explaining that "it is important that we present these works, where we can see the world from very differ- ent eyes. It heightens our under- standing of the world, of people who are oppressed, and societies which have suffered, and the ways that they cope." Musical Director Ryan Paul Abela said that the aim of this production is to capture the decadence and po- litical turmoil of the time through the powerful combination of mu- sic, dance, and storytelling. Cabaret runs from the 10th to the 19th of May at Teatru Manoel. Ad- mission is 12+ and tickets are on sale for €20 to €45. For more infor- mation and to get your tickets, visit https://teatrumanoel.mt/event/ cabaret/ or call the Box Office at (+356) 21246389. Iconic musical Cabaret staged at Teatru Manoel in clash of visual glamour and political turmoil The iconic musical Cabaret is set to take the stage at Teatru Manoel this May, in a visually stunning production with powerful performances by an acclaimed cast of performers and backed by a live 16-piece orchestra 93 years ago, the Malta Railway passed into history. The train, at times also referred to as "Il-Vapur tal-Art", was the first mechanised overland public transport service to be introduced in Malta. Station buildings, tunnels and street names remind us that there was once a railway. On 21 March 2024, to commem- orate this important part of our heritage, MaltaPost will be issuing a sheet of four stamps portraying various visuals related to the Mal- ta Railway. The €0.38 stamp shows the train on Għeriexem bridge awaiting its return trip to Valletta. The €1.00 stamp depicts the train passing through Ħamrun Station on its return trip from Mtarfa to Valletta. The train crossing the wooden bridge at Valletta Porta Reale Sta- tion is shown on the €2.50 stamp and the fourth stamp, with a value of €2.88, shows the train at Birkir- kara on its journey to Mtarfa Mu- seum Station. All monochrome photographs, taken between 1883 and 1931, were coloured digitally by artist Edgar Vella and are courtesy of The Malta Railway Foundation. The stamps will be issued in a sheet of 10, with each stamp meas- uring 31mm x 44mm, a comb per- foration of 13.9 x 14.0 and bearing the Maltese Cross watermark. The sheets measure 185mm x 118mm and were produced by Printex Ltd in the offset process. The issue consists of 200,000 of the €0.38 stamp, 20,000 of the €1.00 stamp, 20,000 of the €2.50 stamp and 15,000 of the €2.88 stamp. These stamps will be available from all Post Offices in Malta and Gozo from Thursday. Orders may be placed online at www.mal- taphilately.com or by mail from the Philatelic Bureau, MaltaPost p.l.c., 305, Qormi Road, Marsa, MTP 1001; by telephone 2596 1740 or via e-mail info@maltaphi- lately.com New MaltaPost sheet of four stamps celebrates Malta Railway The Malta Railway 2024 The Malta Railway 2024 1883 - 1931 1883 - 1931