Spotlight Cabaret is a fundraising event held every year to support the Performing arts Department of Bishop Blanchet. The funds raised will help the department purchase new technology for the performances as well as funding the spring musical, festivals, and trips. The event features drinks, dinner and desert, as well as one of a kind entertainment performances by our performing arts students. Some performances are from choir, from auditions, the theater crew will perform a scene from the play, and most importantly, one lucky guest will enter a raffle to reveal the spring musical for this year!

This year the decor and dress theme is Art Deco, so everyone will be putting on their best 1920s attire and getting their Gatsby on. This article will feature a full review, as well as the reveal of the spring musical reveal, for all those who could not attend.

Reception begins at 6pm, curtain at 7pm. Guests mingle around the student lounge which has been beautifully decorated with silver and gold, and raffle tickets are being sold for a number of fun prizes, with the most sought after tickets being for the musical reveal. Drinks and food were provided, plenty of wine for the adults, a buffet with meat and vegetables, and sweet treats on every table.

Performances began at 7pm, with Mrs. Darr herself came on stage and sang with eight lovely backup singers and dancers to start off the show with a bang. After they had finished, Ian Welch was invited on stage to welcome everybody and to introduce the next act. A monologue from Middletown performed by Alyssa Flaa as a teaser for what to expect from the play. From the little we have heard so far it sounds like the play will be both introspective and comedic, the excitement is almost too much to bear! Up next came Lauren Welch, Abby Sorov, and Alyssa Flaa singing “I Won’t Say I’m in Love” from Disney’s Hercules. One of my personal favorite Disney songs, which is always a joy to hear no matter when or where.

Now everyone turned to the left of the main stage to focus on the talented vocal ensemble crew, who sang two beautiful songs “His Eye is on the Sparrow” and “Words”. The art of acapella engenders such a calming feeling, it’s impossible not to feel serene when listening to such lovely melodies. Up next was a piano solo performed by Jack Mitchell, it must require so much skill and practice to play so quickly and with such a level head.

Back to the main stage, Maddy Walls and Bridget Barnett, two incredibly talented dancers performed the entire dance choreography of the famously complex Hot Honey Rag from Chicago the Musical. With twirlers and top hats included, the girls wowed the audience with their perfectly synchronized dancing, a performance that I can only imagine took weeks of practice. After that stunning act, next came the improv club. The four member crew asked the audience to give them a scene to work with, highschool graduation, and they made up an entire story on the spot! Impressive work on their quick creative thinking resulted in a hilarious plot about “little Timmy” who failed to graduate, but at least he got a high five for his efforts.

Now came the intermission, can’t not have a little break in between all these amazing performers, everyone would be overloaded with amazement. During this time I got to hear from some other guests, “I really enjoyed the all around atmosphere and aesthetic within the cabaret,”said Ashlyn Warburton, a senior. After the quick intermission, it was time to reveal the first round of raffle ticket winners. The prizes were quite high value, and included everything from BBHS and Middletown swag to cookbooks and wine. The last raffle, for the reveal of the musical, would have to wait until the end. The suspense was killing everybody!

Back to performances, a lovely solo by Abby Rothermel singing “Fly Fly Away” from Catch Me if You Can. The strength of her gorgeous voice would make any professional singer jealous. Over on the left stage once more, an acoustic Guitar solo by Zandy Owens, the entire audience was listening intently to every note listening as hard as they could, not a whisper in the crowd. Still on the left stage, the BBHS Jazz Choir arrived to sing a couple more songs, a notable favorite being Old Devil Moon .

For the final act before the musical reveal, to the right side stage came the BBHS band! Led by our own Dr. Van Duinen, the band performed a number of wonderful songs featuring solos on piano, guitar, saxophone, trumpet, and trombone. Everyone loves listening to a good old fashioned band play.
Finally, it was time to reveal the musical. Right after a check in of the fundraiser goal, which was so close to being completed already by that time. One lucky raffle winner got to select a student to reveal the musical, with the help of the cast and crew the musical was revealed to be Camelot! Camelot is a musical retelling of the story of King Arthur and the knights of the round table. Such a well known story adapted into musical form is like peanut butter and jelly, you can’t go wrong with that!

By the end of the night the department had raised over 25,000$, surpassing their goal. According to Ian Welch, “It’s the bears that make the show”, and he’s absolutely right. None of this would ever be possible without the continued support from our Bears community, and the department is forever grateful.