YOUNGSTOWN — Swastikas are such a buzzkill.

Watching the first act of “Cabaret,” it’s almost easy to forget they’re coming. It’s a funny, sexy, risque show, and Millennial Theatre Company’s production of the John Kander /Fred Ebb / Joe Masteroff musical is funnier, sexier and more risque than most.

But it’s been 58 years since it debuted on Broadway and 52 years since it was adapted into a movie and even someone who’s never seen it before learns in the opening scenes that it takes place at the start of the 1930s in Germany. So, it shouldn’t be a spoiler to say those swastikas are coming, ol’ chum.

That’s part of what makes the show so special. It lulls the audience into a false sense of joie de vivre and then hits them with a gut punch right before intermission. Those body blows continue throughout the second act.

Director Joe Asente doesn’t settle for a simple armband when the swastikas make their first appearance. Asente and his cast go big at every opportunity, and they deliver big throughout the

2 1/2-hour running time.

Singling out one musical performance is impossible. I’ve learned to expect excellence from Molly Galano (Fraulein Schneider) as an actor, but her solo rendition of “So What?” and her duet with Terry Shears (Herr Schultz) on “It Couldn’t Please Me More (Pineapple Song)” made me wish she did more musicals. Both she and Shears not only sang their parts beautifully, but they made the lyrics feel like character-illuminating dialogue in the process.

The story of German boarding house owner Schneider and Jewish fruit stand owner Schultz is the heart and soul of the musical. It takes the global issue of the rise of Nazism and presents the breadth of its impact by focusing on the relationship of two lonely people. The naturalness of Galano’s and Shears’ vocal performances only added to the poignancy of the story.

In the second act, Hannah Sinclair as Kit Kat Club singer Sally Bowles delivers the title song with a palpable rawness and a combination of rage and resignation. Conor Bezeredi’s rendition of “I Don’t Care Much” right before it was just as heart-wrenching.

The group numbers were standouts as well. “Willkommen,” “Mein Herr,” “Money” and “Kickline” all delivered vocally and featured well-executed choreography by the Kit Kat Girls (and guys) created by Danielle Mentzer. The level of dance talent displayed by the ensemble is rare in community theater.

“Mein Herr” also impressed with its gorgeous lighting design by Asente, who also designed the set. I never want to challenge Asente to a game of Tetris, because he’s proven to be a master at taking advantage of every square inch of space available at Hopewell and making large-scale musicals feel right at home in that intimate space. For a dramatic musical like “Cabaret,” the audience members’ proximity to the performers only adds to the show’s power.

The costumes by Daniel Chiaberta and all of the technical elements reach the same level of quality as the cast, continuing MTC’s streak of polished, impressive work.

A few of the eight performances of “Cabaret” already were sold out before Friday’s opening night, and others were close to it.

It’s three weeks into 2024, but I feel safe in saying “Cabaret” is one of the best shows that will be done locally this year.

agray@tribtoday.com