Sex sells, but so does romance, comedy or anything referencing Hitler. The musical Cabaret, first staged in 1966 and immortalized onscreen in 1972, twists all of these things into a bombastic, glamorous and sinister work of theatre.

Master of Ceremonies · Bryce Ryness plays the crucial Emcee in Dodge’s production of Cabaret, giving a unique interpretation of a classic that has frequently been reworked and put under the chopping block. - Photo courtesy of Ed Krieger

The production by the Reprise Theatre Company aims to keep the glitz of the original, but also pursues the authenticity of the historical perspective.

Set in 1930s Berlin, Cabaret follows the relationship between the flamboyant cabaret dancer Sally Bowles and American writer Cliff Bradshaw. Their unlikely romance, however, coincides with the rise of Nazi Germany.

This particular production of Cabaret was compressed into a two-week rehearsal time — a tall order for any musical production, but especially noteworthy for a show like Cabaret, which combines song, dance and theatric spectacle. An adroit director is critical for a tight turnaround. Director Marcia Milgrom Dodge, whose Broadway production of Ragtime received seven Tony nominations in 2010, was up to the challenge.

“She really did her homework and it’s made all the difference,” actor Bryce Ryness said. “We got the guns blazing really fast. We were fully blocked in for days. That doesn’t happen if a director is not prepared. She handed us a blueprint and said, ‘Ready? Go to town.’”

Ryness plays the Master of Ceremonies, the Puckish leader of the salacious Kit Kat Klub. Throughout the musical, the Emcee serves as a commentator who occasionally sashays into the story.

The award-winning actor graduated from USC in 2002 with a major in business administration, and sang in the SoCal VoCals, an on campus a capella group.

After graduating, Ryness became a professional performer. A few of his many forays include playing Roger in the RENT national tour, performing alongside Jeremy Irons in the Hollywood Bowl’s Camelot and earning a Drama Desk nomination for his performance of Woof in Hair.

The role of the Emcee has been played by greats including Joel Grey, Michael C. Hall and Alan Cumming. For this production, Ryness and Dodge hope to engender an air of authenticity.

“It’s not going to be derivative — if it is, it’s purely by accident,” Ryness said. “The intention is to be as sincere as possible in the pursuit of authenticity. [The Emcee] is really cool — he’s atypical of a musical theatre role. He [is] groundbreaking.”

Ryness will be joined by Lisa O’Hare as Sally Bowles, fresh from her performance in Gigi, and Jeff McLean as Ciff Bradshaw, following McLean’s recent performance in world premiere of Tales of the City: A New Musical. Other performers to take the stage are Mary Gordon Murray as Fräulein Schneider, Robert Picardo as Herr Schultz, and Katrina Lenk as Fräulein Kost.

Just like the Emcee’s character, Cabaret has had many interpretations, from its glitzy Broadway beginnings to a much darker and more sardonic revival. This time, Dodge plans to take the show back to its historical roots to capture the time period.

“[The tone will] ride the descent of the Kit Kat Klub into the rise of Nazi Germany,” Ryness said. “It once was this cool place to go — it had a class and glamor and some tawdry, kinky elements — yet you put on a nice outfit to go there. But as the Nazis come to power its finances [were] pulled.”

Though some might think the rhetoric before World War II is a far-gone memory, Ryness disagrees. Instead, he believes the message and tone of Cabaret are very relevant today. Though he hopes audiences enjoy a stylish show, he also hopes they will see the connection between the past and present.

“We’re living Weimar hyper-lite — in a period of extremely polarized political culture, coupled with art and a bohemian ethic among some of the population,” Ryness said.

The Reprise Theatre Company’s production of Cabaret plays at UCLA’s Freud Playhouse, Sept. 13-25. Tickets can be purchased from the UCLA Central Ticket Office by calling (310) 825-2101.