Noted author and associate professor at the University of San Diego Department of Communications, Tom Humphries, attended an interpreted performance of Cabaret on Broadway recently, and was so impressed that he wrote to the Roundabout Theater.
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I had the privilege of attending a recent performance of Cabaret starring Alan Cumming as the Emcee interpreted in American Sign Language. Both the musical and the interpreting were stunning productions. Alan Cumming’s signing and gesturing of the opening lines of the musical were a surprise to those of us in the audience who are deaf. Whether he knows it or not, he paid homage to the many deaf people who were mistreated or killed in the years leading up to and during World War II at the hands of the Nazis in their purification madness. This personalized for me the sense of desperation, moral abandon, and defiance of the Cabaret.
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The production was interpreted by HandsOn, an interpreting group that specializes in theatre. Roundabout built a special platform for the interpreters, ensuring better sight-lines for Deaf audience members. To further integrate ASL into the evening’s production, the show’s star – Alan Cumming – opened the production by signing the opening lines. Read more of Humphries’ reaction HERE

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