NJT Launches 27th Season with Tony Award-Winning Musical Cabaret

by Marla Stoker / photos compliments of NJT

NJT (The New Jewish Theatre) is proud to open its 27th season with a bold and immersive production of the classic musical Cabaret, running March 20 through April 6. Directed by NJT’s Artistic Director Rebekah Scallet in her first musical production for the theatre, Cabaret promises to transport audiences to the thrilling yet ominous world of 1929 Berlin.

Written by Joe Masteroff with Music by John Kander and Lyrics by Fred Ebb, Cabaret is based on the play by John Van Druten and the stories of Christopher Isherwood. Set in a Berlin nightclub, an intriguing Master of Ceremonies welcomes the audience and assures them, they will forget all their troubles at the Cabaret. Cliff, a young American writer newly arrived in Berlin, is immediately taken with English singer Sally Bowles. Meanwhile, Fräulein Schneider, proprietor of Cliff and Sally’s boarding house, tentatively begins a romance with Herr Schultz, a mild-mannered fruit seller who happens to be Jewish. Daring, provocative, and exuberantly entertaining, Cabaret explores the dark and heady life of Bohemian Berlin as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich.  

Winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Composer/Lyricist, Cabaret is as provocative and relevant today as ever. NJT’s production will create an intimate and powerful experience, drawing audiences directly into the world of the Kit Kat Klub, making them feel part of the story unfolding before them. This production takes on an even greater relevance as rates of antisemitism in the United States are reaching all-time highs. The play illustrates how the Nazis rose to power while German citizens, such as the residents of Frau Schneider’s boarding house, either ignored what was happening, refused to believe it possibly could happen, or chose to go along with it to ensure their own survival. 

Spencer Davis Milford, taking a break from his starring role in the international tour of The Lord of the Rings musical, takes on the iconic role of the Emcee. Returning performers to NJT Hailey Medrano and Dustin Petrillo will portray Sally and Cliff, while Jane Paradise and Dave Cooperstein will be featured as Schneider and Schultz. Rounding out the company are NJT newcomers Aaron Fischer, Saraiya Kalu, Lillian Cooper, Caroline Pillow, and Otto Klemp, and veteran Jayson Heil (All My Sons and First Date, STL Circle Nominated).

Choreography is by Ellen Isom (Into the Woods and Jerry’s Girls) and Music Direction by Carter Haney who is making his NJT debut. The production design for Cabaret will be led by a renowned team of designers including David Blake (District Merchants, STL Circle Nominated) as Scenic Designer, Michele Friedman Siler as Resident Costume Designer for NJT, and Justin Smith (Red) as Sound Designer. Denisse Chavez, (All My Sons, STL Circle Nominated), will conduct lighting design.

Cabaret on Broadway

Historical Context of Cabaret in the Jewish Community

The musical Cabaret is set in 1929–1930 Berlin during the Weimar Republic, when the Nazis were rising to power. The musical explores the decadence of the Jazz Age and the emergence of anti-Semitism and fascism in Germany. 

Historical context:

• The musical is based on Christopher Isherwood's 1939 novel Goodbye to Berlin, which is semi-autobiographical. 

• Isherwood lived in a boarding house in Berlin during the time period, and his lodgers inspired some of his characters. 

• The musical's Kit Kat Klub is a metaphor for the ominous political developments in late Weimar Germany. 

• The musical shows how the Nazis used the decadence and moral decline of Berlin to come to power. 

Other details:

• The musical was written by John Kander and Fred Ebb, and the book was written by Joe Masteroff. 

• The musical opened on Broadway in 1966 and won eight Tony Awards. 

• The musical was adapted into a film in 1972. 

Special Event

On April 5, NJT will host a discussion with Helen Turner, Director of Education for the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum. Turner will provide historical context on the rise of Hitler in Weimar-era Berlin and the social climate that set the stage for the events depicted in Cabaret.

You are encouraged not miss Cabaret at the J’s Wool Studio Theatre (2 Millstone Campus Drive, St. Louis, MO 63146), March 20 through April 6. Performances are on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. There is an additional show on Wednesday, March 26. Individual tickets are $29- $61. Show times and tickets are available by phone at 314.442.3283 or online newjewishtheatre.org. NJT’s 2025 Season is generously sponsored by Mary Strauss, with Cabaret receiving additional sponsorship from Stellie Siteman and the Siteman Family Foundation.

NJT 2025 Season AT-A-GLANCE

ABOUT NJT

NJT is dedicated to exploring Jewish themes and celebrating Jewish writers while examining the full range of the human experience. We present universal work through a Jewish lens, using our productions to enrich lives, promote inclusivity, and build community.