It may be a famous musical and film, but this production is a Topeka original.

That's the word from Artistic director of the Topeka Civic Theatre and director of Cabaret, Shannon Reilly.

"When you do a show like Cabaret, you have to take in accoun the massive history that goes with it. You have the film that was very successful with Liza Monelli and Joel Grey but was also massively rewritten. You also have the Broadway revival with Alan Cummings that was much more graphic and sexual," Reilly says.

"To tell you the truth I didn't really care much for that version of it. There were things I liked about it, like the set. Our set is much like that one. But I think it lost some of the warmth of Cabaret," says Reilly.

That's what this production brings back, the warmth. The dark musical takes place in Berlin before the Third Reich takes power. It's told through the eyes of an American visiting the country and largely takes place in the Kit Kat Club--a Cabaret.

Meaty subject matter, loveable characters, and amazing song and dance numbers make Cabaret a must-see.

Catch Cabaret at the Topeka Civic Theatre through March 29th.