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"Cabaret," which opens Friday for a three-weekend run at Hopewell Theatre, checked off a lot of boxes for Millennial Theatre Company.
First, it was a show that Director Joe Asente thought they'd be able to make work in Hopewell's intimate performance space.
"We always send out a survey asking the community what shows they are interested in seeing," Asante said. "Particularly in the issues represented and given the rise of anti-Semitism in the country in the last few years, this is one of the ones that kept getting brought up."
It also has become a favorite of Asente's since seeing Youngstown State University stage it in 2019.
"I love big dance-y musicals," he said. "It's one of my favorite things to watch. The first time I'd ever seen 'Cabaret' was the YSU production, and I don't think I fully grasped the entire musical the first time I saw it because there are so many layers. I was enchanted by it. It's one of the few shows that moved me to tears by the end of it."
Anytime it's been within a couple hours' drive of the Mahoning Valley, he's gone to see it.
The musical, with songs by John Kander and Fred Ebb and a book by Joe Mastoff, is set in Germany a decade after World War I just before the rise of Nazisim and the Third Reich. The story takes place in a Berlin nightclub, where guests are encouraged to escape the troubles outside its doors.
Bob Fosse directed the original 1966 Broadway production (which won eight Tony Awards, including best musical) and the 1972 film version (which won eight Academy Awards but lost best picture to "The Godfather").
Asente has directed "Chicago," another musical closely associated with Fosse, but "Cabaret" presented its own set of challenges.
"'Chicago' was a more lighthearted, comedic musical about a serious situation, but it's handled in a completely different way than 'Cabaret' is," he said. "You have to strike that balance of humor and heart and acknowledge the tragedy that surrounds the musical."
One thing that is similar with both is that audiences expect a certain style of choreography with a Fosse musical. Makayla McIntosh, who choreographed MTC's "Chicago," no longer lives in the area, so Asente had to find someone else well-versed in that style.
"Last spring I saw 'Chicago' at Canfield High School," he said. "I saw their choreography and was impressed with what they did. Their choreographer, Danielle Mentzer, was already familiar with Fosse's style and seemed like a perfect fit to bring on board for this show, blending her own style with his."
The cast features Hannah Sinclair, Connor Bezeredi, Edward Bazzell, Carolyn Colley, Ben Doss, Daniel Chiaberta, George Maillis, Stephen Millsap, Tom Kijauskas, Brianna Rae Quinn, Ashley Smith, Aubrey Vernon, Michelle Jalbert, Mimi Serotko and Briana Wagner-Matijevic.
Millennial Theatre Company started to provide opportunities and entertainment for the millennial generation, but "Cabaret" also included the opportunity to work with a couple of local theater veterans, Terry Shears and Molly Galano, who play fruit stand owner Herr Schultz and boarding house landlady Fraulein Schneider, respectively.
"Terry was in 'Tony N' Tina's Wedding' last year and Molly is totally new with us," Asente said. "They're just so wonderful. They're the heart and soul of the show. It's been a real treat to work with both of them."
Advance sales are strong enough that MTC added a third weekend with an additional Friday evening and Saturday matinee to the musical's run. Two of the three Saturday performances are matinees, a change from the norm in the area. Asente said the move was driven by schedule conflicts, but he believes it could be beneficial for this show.
"The matinees tend to be stronger for shows that pull an older demographic," he said.
If you go …
WHAT: Millennial Theatre Company - "Cabaret"
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26 and 27 and Feb. 3 and 2 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, Jan. 28 and Feb. 3
WHERE: Hopewell Theatre, 702 Mahoning Ave., Youngstown
HOW MUCH: Tickets are $25 and are available online at millennialtheatre.org.