The cast of “Cabaret” will transport the audience back to 1930s Berlin and the rise of fascism as the award-winning musical opens at Maui Performing Arts’ new black box theater on Friday. Photo courtesy Chelsea Fine

A timely new production of the iconic Tony Award-winning musical “Cabaret” debuts Friday in the Maui Academy of Performing Arts’ new black box theater.

Set in 1930s Berlin during the twilight of the Jazz Age as the Nazis rise to power, the musical focuses on the nightlife at the city’s Kit Kat Klub. With warnings about the rise of fascism and commentary on the dangers of complacency in the face of oppression, “Cabaret” has remained popular for more than five decades.

“It speaks so much to what we’re experiencing right now in our world,” said director David Johnston. “It’s a great piece of theater, and it’s been around for a long time. It’s a living testament to humanity gone bad. And it’s a great reminder to wake up and be aware.”

Based on Christopher Isherwood’s book, “Goodbye to Berlin,” set during the rise of the Third Reich, it first opened on Broadway in 1966, where its political themes and emotional depth resonated with audiences. Bob Fosse’s 1972 film adaptation starring Liza Minelli increased its popularity.

A near-constant on London’s West End or on Broadway since the 1980s, the play has attracted stars such as Michelle Williams, Emma Stone and Sienna Miller to the role of Kit Kat cabaret performer Sally Bowles.

The musical follows Bowles, played by Mehra Park, and American writer Cliff Bradshaw, played by Ryan Willis. The Maui show also includes Thalyn Nikolau as the Emcee and Paul Jackel as Nazi party sympathizer Ernst Ludwig.

With a cast of 23, the music of “Cabaret” is played live by a 10-piece band. “They are right on stage with the actors,” said Johnston. “Our first rehearsal with the band was so fun. The cast was so excited about it.”

With music direction by John Rowehl, “Cabaret” is co-choreographed by Kathleen Schulz and Jackie Dowsett.

Memorable songs in the show include the chilling Nazi anthem, “Tomorrow Belongs to Me.” For the cast, singing such an ominous song (which was adopted by British, American and German white supremacist bands) proved a little challenging.

“It is difficult for them, and as we’ve gotten deeper and deeper into the underpinnings of the scenes and all of that, the emotional level has ratcheted up and there’s a great sensitivity that the cast has to the material they’re working with,” said Johnston.

Audiences can experience “Cabaret” in the intimate setting of The Naylor, MAPA’s new black box theater.

“It’s been in the works for more than 30 years,” explained MAPA Executive Director Carolyn Wright. “It started as a dream that David (Johnston) had to create our own performance venue, and now, 30 some years later, it’s finally opening on Nov. 14. We’ve been this vagabond theater organization for 51 years, and a few years ago we got kind of tired of having to beg, borrow and steal other people’s performance venues. We had a $15 million capital campaign, and we have secured all but $200,000 of it. We’re grateful to all the generous donors.”

With a maximum capacity of 200 seats, the audience for “Cabaret” will be seated at tables and chairs. “It’s kind of this immersive layout where we’ll have scenery that moves through and into the audience,” said Wright.

Johnston added, “The other piece with choosing the show is that we could do it in a different way. We could play with a bit of the immersive kind of theater where there’s connection between actors and audience, and we can shake up the seating arrangement, to let people know this building’s going to be used for different approaches to theatrical moments and events.”

Johnston’s previous directing credits include “Les Miserables,” “Wit,” “Twelfth Night,” “The Boys Next Door,” “The Grapes of Wrath,” and “Jesus Christ Superstar” (with Keali’i Reichel).

Curious how Maui audiences will respond to the show, Johnston said, “I think the central core of the show is the song that Fraulein Schneider sings called ‘What Would You Do?’ It’s basically the question I think that we have to be asking ourselves now in this time period, ‘What will you do when you see the world kind of falling apart?'”

Cabaret will be presented Friday, Saturday and Sunday in MAPA’s new theater The Naylor, as well as Nov. 21-23 and Nov. 28-30.

Friday and Saturday shows begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday shows at 3 p.m. Tickets range from $24 for backrow seating to $75 for premium table seating at www.mauiacademy.org.

Sally Bowles, played as Mehra Park, and Thalyn Nikolau as the Emcee perform at Berlin’s Kit Kat Klub in the hit musical “Cabaret.” Photo courtesy Chelsea Fine