Divine Decadence

The character of Sally Bowles, a cabaret performer from Weimar Berlin, serves as a lens through which Linda Mizejewski explores the intersection of sexuality and politics in various adaptations of her story. Each rendition, from Isherwood's original to later musicals, reveals how the allure of fascism is intertwined with sexual fascination. Mizejewski argues that these adaptations reflect cultural anxieties of their times, ultimately mirroring the oppressive politics they aim to critique, while engaging with themes of Camp, male homosexuality, and female sexuality.