Five productions, an Anniversary Gala and New Year’s Eve show pack 2025 calendar
By Jim Flint for Ashland.news
Celebrating four decades of bringing the Rogue Valley to its feet, the Oregon Cabaret Theatre is pulling out all the stops for its 40th anniversary season with a lineup of entertaining and heartfelt plays and musicals.
In addition to five full productions, there also will be a 40th Anniversary Gala on July 11 and a special New Year’s Eve show Dec. 31.
The Gala admission fee of $129 per person includes live pre-show entertainment, a special three-course prix fixe dinner, and a ticket to the summer musical, “Disaster.”
The New Year’s Eve ticket price is $119 per person and includes a buffet dinner, a performance of the holiday show (“Nutcracker and the Mouse King”), post-show entertainment, and a complimentary glass of sparkling wine or cider for the midnight toast.
Valerie Rachelle and Rick Robinson are excited to be celebrating their own anniversary as Cabaret owners. The wife-husband team purchased the business 10 years ago from founder Jim Giancarlo.
“I am so proud to be a part of this community,” said Rachelle, the company’s artistic director.
“I am honored that Jim Giancarlo and so many others made this theater successful and beloved. We’re blessed with such an amazing and unique place to create and tell stories. It’s been a dream come true.”
The two took a chance when they pulled up stakes and moved from Los Angeles to Ashland.
“It’s been crazy,” Robinson said. “I don’t have any regrets taking on the responsibility. It’s been a bit like ‘Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride’ — twists, turns, fun, and the occasional hardship. We’ve met and worked with so many amazing people along the way and have been able to produce so many dream shows. It’s hard to be anything but grateful.”
Kicking off the 40th season is “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” Jan. 24 to March 30. The 2014 Tony Award-winning musical tells the story of Monty Navarro, who learns he is eighth in line for an earldom. Figuring he won’t outlive them, he hatches a plan to knock off his relatives.
Also on the schedule:
“Waitress” runs from April 11 to June 15. Based on the movie, it was brought to life on Broadway in 2016, garnering four Tony nominations, including for Best Musical. “We’re the first professional company in Oregon to get the rights to do ‘Waitress,’” Rachelle said.
“Disaster” will run from June 27 to Sept. 7. The disaster movie musical mashup features some of the most unforgettable songs of the ‘70s. New York’s hottest A-listers line up for the opening of a floating casino and discotheque. What begins as a night of boogie fever quickly changes to panic as the ship succumbs to multiple disasters — earthquakes, tidal waves, infernos … and rats.
“I saw the show on Broadway in 2017,” Rachelle said. “I don’t think I have ever laughed so hard while watching a musical.”
“Murder for Two” is set for Sept 19 to Nov. 9. Everyone is a suspect in this musical murder mystery with a twist. One actor plays the investigator, the other plays all the suspects — and they both play the piano.
“The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” plays from Nov. 21 to Dec. 31. The ballet-free show is billed as a “very funny and highly theatrical holiday celebration for all ages.”
“It’s another Cabaret original,” Robinson said, “commissioned from our friend and Cabaret favorite, Natasha Harris. It’s going to be a magical trunk show, a ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’-esque take on the timeless E.T.A. Hoffman story.”
For the New Year’s Eve show, the Cabaret will close the barstools and make that area a buffet.
“When people enter, they will be given a number, and we will call people up to the buffet based on their arrival time,” Robinson said. “It will be a fun, celebratory night.”
The Cabaret has come a long way since its beginnings 40 years ago in a converted pink church at the corner of South First and Hargadine streets. Robinson said their biggest year ever was 2023, and they’re on pace to outdo that in 2024. Ticket sales have grown from 23,000 annually 10 years ago to nearly 40,000 this year.
“There’s no reason we can’t keep smashing records in 2025,” he said.
Auditions have already begun. Their Los Angeles call was Aug. 21, the local union call was Aug. 23, and the Southern Oregon Theater Auditions, which include 11 theater companies from Grants Pass to Ashland, were set for Aug. 25-27.
“Our New York audition call will take place Sept. 17, 18 and 19,” Rachelle said. “We usually try to cast the entire season by November.”
The Cabaret is a dinner theater, with brunch (at matinees) or dinner optional for show-goers prior to performances. Dinner is included for attendees at the Gala and New Year’s Eve party.
For more information about shows, prices, performance times and to purchase tickets, go to oregoncabaret.com.
Freelance writer Jim Flint is a retired newspaper publisher and editor. Email him at jimflint.ashland@yahoo.com.
Sept. 5: Corrected brochure photo credit.
