GUEST COLUMN: Don’t miss Cabaret’s current offering

Published 7:25 am Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Having just experienced a delightful evening of theater at Oregon Cabaret earlier this week, I must take issue with Go! Rogue’s recent review of “Disaster! The Musical,” which I just happened to read this morning. I don’t think we could have seen the same play.

Your reviewer begins with the implication that the play is nearly a disaster itself despite its “good laughs” in the first act.  She has two major criticisms: the writing and the directing. She finds the plot of this musical parody to be undeveloped and “contrived” to fit the ’70s music: precisely! She then asserts that the play has “gotten away from [the director.]” To the contrary, far from seeing “unorganized chaos,” my companions and I marveled throughout the performance at the obviously skillful direction of the constantly moving actors amidst the clever set. In particular, the energetic appearances and disappearances of the “twins” played by Alyssa Hertzog were a marvel.

Several of her specific criticisms are even harder to understand: (1) she says the choreography is “nothing we haven’t seen before,” which would seem to describe most musical comedy choreography, and (2) she characterizes the familiar iconic songs from 50 years ago as “played out” when they are exactly what the audience so obviously came to enjoy.

Finally, her critical statement that Asha Brownie Gordon “gets carried away with her character” is particularly mystifying since EVERY actor in this production (and none more so than the deliciously villainous Rick Wasserman) is delightfully “carried away” by their character, which is precisely what is required by such a madcap send-up.

The reviewer concludes that the play “doesn’t seem to go anywhere” but it’s unclear to me where a “parody of cult movie disasters” [sic] should be expected to “go;” it’s not “Hamlet.”

In conclusion, I hope no reader is discouraged from attending this fine production.  Although Ms. Scheuer found it “not up to the caliber we’re used to,” I could not disagree more. We are blessed that Cabaret continues to bring high quality professional theater to our community. Don’t miss this play!

Susan Stitham lives in Ashland.