Cabaret In Heaven

Those that know me know that I am sort of a Musical Theatre freak. Probably more than any Heterosexual male should be. I mean, when I’m drunk, don’t get me started on the show tunes. Naturally, when I hear one of the questions asked at the end of Inside the Actors Studio, I can’t help but think of Musical Theatre. The question is, “If God exists, what would you like to have him say as you arrive at the pearly gates?”

When I hear that question, I can’t help but think that I would love my welcome to Heaven, assuming that I got there, of course, to be a musical number. I am kind of imagining God as the MC from Cabaret doing the whole opening number, with angels as the Kit Kat girls. I mean wouldn’t it be so cool to just open those gates and see God in the full MC garb singing, “Willkomen, bienvenue, welcome, Im Cabaret, au Cabaret, to Cabaret.”

Then I couldn’t help but think about one of the coolest death scenes in all of film. It’s from the semi-autobiographical movie by the legendary Bob Fosse called All That Jazz. The scene of his death is marked by various musical numbers, culminating in a wonderful remake of the song “Bye Bye Love”, performed by Fosse master Ben Vereen. Every once and a while, there is this whole cool zapping sound, and whenever I hear them scan stuff at the best convenience store on earth, Wawa, I can’t help but think of this song.

So when I die, I want Broadway legends around me singing “Bye Bye Love”, and I want to be welcomed into Heaven by the big MC in the sky to the opening number from Cabaret, and maybe, when that is over, I can spend the rest of my days in Jazz Heaven, ah la Stardust Memories.