The Oregon Cabaret Theatre’s signature style of providing riveting plays and musicals with gourmet meals to enjoy will return in 2025 with five new productions to dig into throughout the next year.

From a laughter-inducing murder mystery to a musical satire of ‘70s disaster movies with plenty of disco hits to boogie to, the Cabaret will have a range of productions to check out at its downtown Ashland location.

“We’re continuing to honor the Cabaret’s style of doing light and fun comedies and continuing on this journey,” said Valerie Rachelle, artistic director and co-owner of the Cabaret Theatre with husband Rick Robinson.

The theatre’s 2025 schedule is as follows: “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” Jan. 24-March 30; “Waitress,” April 11-June 15; “Disaster!” June 27-Sept. 7; “Murder for Two,” Sept. 19-Nov. 9; and “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” Nov. 21-Dec. 31.

Individual show tickets will be available for purchase by the end of the month, according to staff, and can be accessed at ci.ovationtix.com/35080.

The Cabaret also offers subscriptions for patrons to receive priority processing, preferred seating and other perks at oregoncabaret.com/2025-season.

“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” is “a Tony award-winning musical and is one of my favorite shows ever,” Rachelle said. “I’ve been wanting to do the show since it came out in 2017 and we’re finally able to do it. I’m directing that one myself, based off a British book that is high comedy.”

The musical follows protagonist Monty Navarro who finds out he’s the illegitimate child of the wealthy D’Ysquith family, and Navarro’s ghoulish path in pursuit of earldom.

Broadway musical “Waitress” is next in the 2025 season, following baker and waitress Jenna who’s stuck in a loveless marriage. After unexpectedly becoming pregnant, Jenna fears she may have to give up her dreams of opening her own pie shop until she finds out about a baking contest in a nearby county.

The Cabaret will be serving pie — a key feature of the musical — during the production to offer visitors an immersive experience, Rachelle said.

The groovy tunes of “Disaster!” will bring attendees back to the 1970s and follow the opening of a floating casino and discotheque, as well as the countless catastrophes that ensue.

“It’s all disco music that everybody knows, like ‘Hot Stuff’ and ‘I Will Survive,’” Rachelle said.

Comedic murder mystery “Murder for Two,” will showcase a two-person cast providing the laughs while playing multiple roles — and a piano — in the play.

“It’s a comedic whodunit, a two-person musical, and one person will play all suspects and the other will play the detective and all other characters,” Rachelle said.

“The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” will round out the season with a holiday journey of toy companions through a dark underworld filled with dastardly villains and plenty of surprises.

“This is going to be a really fun, family-friendly Nutcracker adventure,” Rachelle said.

The theater’s selection process for new productions involves plenty of people and feedback from the Cabaret’s audiences.

“We have a team that goes through the selection process; there’s a list of shows they’re dying to do,” Rachelle said. “We’re also looking for things that are different in ways that everyone will enjoy.”

The Cabaret was founded by Jim Giancarlo in 1986, and Rachelle and Robinson took the reins 10 years ago.

“Jim Giancarlo made this place a gem of the Rogue Valley for 30 years, and our goal was to take what he started and keep moving forward and keep the passion and artistry going from there,” Rachelle said.

“What I love about the Cabaret is this unique location it’s in. It gives an intimate look, sort of like stepping into the past in this intimate jazz party with the chandelier and ‘20s feel,” Rachelle said of the building, which was converted from a church into the theater.

The venue packs in over 40 tables with front-row attendees within an arm’s reach of the stage action.

The theater offers a gourmet selection of dishes for each show, with foods such as thyme honey baked Brie, Cabaret beef Wellington and Battenberg cake among the selections.

To learn more about the Cabaret, visit oregoncabaret.com.