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Meridian Little Theatre begins its 91st season Thursday night with the acclaimed musical, Cabaret.

Set in the 1930s, Cabaret explores the dark, heady and tumultuous life of Berlin’s natives and expatriates as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich.

Cliff, a young American writer, becomes enchanted with English nightclub singer Sally Bowles. With musical numbers that include “Willkommen,” “Cabaret,” “Don’t Tell Mama,” and “Two Ladies,” audiences are sure to enjoy MLT’s revival of this groundbreaking musical.

“Cabaret is one of, if not the first concept musical,” Director Tiffany McGehee said. “The musical uses the setting of a 1930s Berlin cabaret nightclub and the rise of the Nazi party as a backdrop to illustrate the dangers of apathy, naivety, bigotry, escapism and Nihilism.

“Each character represents some concept related to the above. The iconic character of the Emcee weaves his way through each scene, directly connecting with the audience and commenting on the scenes we all witness. The Emcee represents unfettered sexual freedom, and at the time the show was written, the Emcee was a symbol for American film, tabloid journalism and television. Sally Bowles personifies instant gratification, decadence and apathy. Herr Schultz, the Jewish German fruit seller represents naivete, Fraulein Schneider symbolizes passivity and Clifford represents morality and conscience.”

MLT favorite Stephen Thomas plays the role of the Emcee. Cabaret marks Thomas’ fifth production with “Chorus Line,” “Meet Me in St. Louis,” “Something Rotten,” and “Big Fish” under his belt. Thomas did his research before auditioning for this role.

“I learned German. I watched every version of Cabaret I could find on YouTube,” Thomas said. “So many people associate this role with the one made famous by Joey Gray, so I knew I had my work cut out for me.

“I am so excited for our audiences to truly experience the performances as they are transported back to Germany before World War II. Most importantly, I want them to get our important message. While the play debuted in 1966, the themes and concepts are so relevant to our world today.”

McGehee said the script called for the Emcee to enter the stage with an old gramophone that he cranks; it plays a song Kander and Ebb wrote to be a patriotic anthem for young German boys of the Nazi party.

“These two Jewish men wrote a beautiful tune used to instill pride in something so evil,” she said.

“When we couldn’t find a gramophone in our prop room or at the local flea markets, we turned to Facebook to search their attics. Well, a longtime supporter who moved away from Meridian to Italy, Dan Ryals, saw our cry for help, found one on eBay, and sent it directly to us.”

Ryals and his wife Gabriella reside with their son, Andrea Dan, in Italy, but he lived in Meridian in the 1970s when he was an army recruiter. MLT Director Jimmy Pigford heard him make a speech and invited him to audition for a performance.

“I guess he liked my British accent, so my first performance was “Mame” at the Temple Theatre, but I went on to the new theatre on Highway 39 and starred in ‘1776,’ ‘South Pacific,’ and ‘My Fair Lady,’” Ryals said.

“I have a special place in my heart for MLT, so when I saw the call for the need of this gramophone, I just started searching websites on my computer. I found many in India and Germany, but I also located one in a shop in Alabama. I was happy to make it happen, and they may not have received them yet, but I also sent some miniature mementos for the cast and the director.”

McGehee said, “The community just doesn’t know how lucky they are to have a community theatre like MLT. With acting, people, young people especially, learn so much. It is a joyful place to be. It’s people like Dan that prove how powerful our community and our community theatre really is. His love of theatre developed at Meridian Little Theatre, and he carried that passion all the way to Italy. He continues to bless his theatre home from afar and we are so grateful.

“MLT thrives because of people who volunteer their time, share their gifts, donate their money, and attend the performances. We have survived the last 91 years because MLT and the community enrich each other.”

As Sally Bowles sings, “Put down the knitting, the book, and the broom! Time for a Holiday! Life is a Cabaret ol’ chum! Come to the Cabaret!” Come get distracted, unsettled, brokenhearted, entertained, and leave your troubles behind at The Meridian Little Theater.

To purchase tickets for the show that runs through this Sunday, with a 2 p.m. matinee, and 7 p.m. shows on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, call the box office at 601-482-6371.