Dark Monday - Neil Patrick Harris in Cabaret

Monday is usually the day off for Broadway shows, following a work week of eight shows in 6 days, Tuesday thru Sunday. It was the one night a week the marquis lights would be turned off, which was known as Broadway being 'dark.' I don't think that is as true now as it once was, but out of my old-fashioned sense of tradition, I will offer up my little tribute to Dionysus, the God of theater and, interestingly enough, of wine and excess. In 2003, Neil Patrick Harris was a replacement for the Broadway revival of 'Cabaret', the musical most remembered for the movie version with the riveting direction of Bob Fosse and the amazing performances of Liza Minnelli and Joel Gray. Based on the book 'The Berlin Stories' by Christopher Isherwood and the play 'I Am A Camera' by John Van Druten, the story is about the fall of the free-wheeling times in Germany of the 20s and 30s, and the rise of the Nazi movement.

Liza Minnelli, Liza & Joel Gray, Natasha Richardson & Alan Cumming

The revival opened in 1998 and originally starred Alan Cumming as the Emcee and Natasha Richardson as Sally Bowles and played most of its run at Studio 54. Harris received rave reviews for this role in Cabaret, and went on to do more musical theater, including Sondheim's 'Assassins' and 'Rent' in Los Angeles. He sang several songs, including "Two Ladies", "Money (Makes The World Go Round)", and "I Don't Care Much". Here is an audio-only clip from the show, "I Don't Care Much".