On December 15th, all worries about the cold weather were swept away by North Allegheny’s annual winter cabaret. Despite the freezing temperatures, those inside NASH were warm with a nice cup of cocoa in hand, dazzled by acts of students singing and performing all evening.
All acts required live accompaniment, which meant both students and teachers took to the stage playing a plethora of instruments for the fabulous singers throughout the evening.
“I love participating in the cabaret because I get the opportunity to sing whatever I want, and I also get the chance to hear my friends perform,” said senior Avery Besket.
Basket sang a power ballad “Snow Angel” by singer Renée Rapp while accompanied on piano by Ray Chen Zeng.
Soon after Besket’s tune, junior Charlotte Graham sang the classic gloomy christmas song “Where Are You Christmas” with Sanjeev Arora on the piano.
“This experience was so amazing!” Graham exclaimed. “It was such an incredible opportunity to share my art with the community around me. It was also so incredible to be able to work with Sanjeev Aurora as my student accompanist. He was amazing, and it was so fun to build a new friendship!”
Junior Selah Jackley sang a rendition of “I Will Always Love You” in the style of Dolly Parton. She was accompanied by a student guitarist.
When asked about her experience with the cabaret, Jackley said the following:
“I like cabaret a lot. It’s always such a great experience. It’s so much fun getting to work with my friends to create music together.”
Senior Denisse Matos-Pérez played “Valerie” by Amy Winehouse with her band, the 45’s.
“Playing with my band was exhilarating,” Pérez said. “We always get our songs together in one or two rehearsals. My bandmates are really amazing people to play with. They really brought Valerie to life. We had a lot of fun together.”
The entire program lasted roughly two hours, but the music wasn’t the only thing that the audience could enjoy. A cookie table was provided by the parents alongside a hot chocolate bar. Everything was free, with the only payment being an optional donation box for future choral fundings.
Fundings are very important to arts programs like these, as it takes an entire community to ensure that students get amazing performance opportunities like the cabaret.
Junior Sam Peffer sang a heartfelt song from the musical “The Great Gatsby.”
“The cabaret is such a fun experience! It’s exciting to hear so many different people perform such a wide variety of songs, and the student support is incredible,” Peffer said.
“I think Mr. Schmeich and I both really love the cabaret because it gives all of our students a chance to really showcase their individual talents and their abilities. It also helps to build a really strong sense of community among our singers,” said Mr. Sable, the co-director of the cabaret.
“It’s really nice to see the night of the performance where everybody is cheering for each other and super supportive of each other. We’re going to continue the tradition as long as Schmeich and I are both here because we think that it builds a stronger choral program and it gives students the chance to shine individually. At some other schools with smaller programs, a lot of people would be a featured soloist, but there’s just not enough opportunities to go around and showcase everyone. We really love everyone who does it.” He continued.
Although it was freezing outside, hearts were surely warmed by the phenomenal performances created by these incredibly talented students. From depressing power ballads to flashy showtunes, the energy created in each song was palpable.
