OCT’s ‘Macabaret’ returns this weekend

Maren Miller, 17, Suriana Im, 15, Maiyah Smith, 15, and Estella Cavalier, 16, left to right, rehearse a scene from Tinseltunes: A Holidazzled Cabaret at the Ocala Civic Theatre in 2023., a cabaret-style Christmas-themed play. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette].

“Macabaret” makes its return to the Ocala Civic Theatre this weekend, Oct. 25 to 27. After a several years long hiatus, the annual teen cabaret show, which was once a staple of OCT’s youth and teen program, aims to leave a delightfully frightful impression on a new generation.

But before you think it’s something scary, think again. The show is geared towards being light-hearted and fun, getting you into the Halloween spirit just in time.

“It’s comedy,” said co-director Jason Bartosic, who previously was music director on the original. “It has spooky and Halloween themes, nutty, crazy, fun, and some dramatic scenes.”

“We did a holiday show last year, a Christmas show, and that’s a hard time of year,” said co-director Jessica Mongerio. “This was a better time to do something. It just made sense, and we were excited to bring it back.”

“Macabaret” is a 90-minute-long show that features varied material, such as things from sketch comedy to musical and dance numbers. Each scene contains an element of the “macabre,” hence the name “Macabaret,” although usually done tongue-in-cheek, embodying the Halloween spirit.

“We’ve taken some musical numbers from ‘Harry Potter,’ ‘Addams Family’, ‘Nightmare Before Christmas,’ quintessential themes, and just some scenes that have fun characters and Halloween masks,” said Mongerio. “We wanted to honor some of the original material that was used and do some more contemporary stuff as well.”

For the cabaret aspect, OCT’s “Studio A” has been dressed up with Halloween decorations, and the audience will be seated at tables surrounding the stage, as cast members serve the audience members with drinks and desserts before and during the show. The setting presents an opportunity for crowd-work later on, for when scenes take place off-stage and cast members can playfully interact with audience members they just served out of character.

The cast is made up of students between 13 and 17 years old, in eighth grade or high school. For some, the experience is entirely new. For others with more theater experience, it’s an opportunity to try something new and develop other skills.

“Some of the students have never done mask work, puppetry, or even choreography,” Bartosic said. “It’s a brand-new experience for many of them.”

“A lot of the students are actually my students,” said Mongerio, who works full-time as the choir director at Forest High School.

“It’s been fun to bring them here into a different environment and have this technical support,” Mongerio added. “Not everybody’s comfortable with singing and dancing, but they’re jumping in and doing it, so it’s fun to watch them grow.”

“Macabaret” is this weekend only. Tickets can be purchased online at ocalacivictheatre.com, by calling (352) 236-2274, or in person at the OCT box office daily until 2pm.

To learn more, go to ocalacivictheatre.com