“What good is sitting alone in your room? Come hear the music play! Life is a cabaret, old friend... come to the cabaret!”
Those are the opening lyrics to the title song “Cabaret” from Fred Ebb and Joe Masteroff’s classic Broadway musical Cabaret, and they perfectly capture the spirit of Tri-M Music Honor Society’s annual fundraiser: the Concordia Cabaret.
In a nutshell, a “cabaret” is a nighttime theatrical program that features singing, dancing, and other entertaining acts. Unlike most cabarets, however, the Concordia Cabaret is equal parts merriment and making a difference in the community. Those attending not only get to enjoy the talent of our Concordia student musicians, but they also get to enjoy the feeling of contributing to a charitable cause.
This year, Cabaret raised a total of 8600RMB, all of which went directly to Shining Star – a nonprofit organization devoted to holistically educating children in rural China. The program that Shining Star uses to teach “left behind children” about character and resilience was written by Concordia students and uses a variety of singing and dancing as well as various art projects to keep the students engaged.
The Concordia Cabaret 2023 featured 18 incredible student acts ranging from romantic duets to choral performances to electric guitar solos. Each act had its own unique flair, allowing for a diverse program that audiences of all different music tastes could thoroughly enjoy. The night culminated with a rendition of “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing” performed by every single student musician involved in Cabaret. My co-emcee, Bennett Tung, commented on how “it was so nice to see so many people come to support our talented performers. After such a long COVID hiatus, it truly felt like our community rallied together in that moment. That’s the power of music: uniting people.”
As a senior who’s mere months away from finishing my journey at Concordia, it’s so surreal to me that I’ve taken my final bow on the Cabaret stage. I think about how a younger me was absolutely starstruck by those who I saw singing and dancing on this very platform and how she dreamed of one day following in their footsteps. The Concordia Performing Arts Program has allowed me to see that dream become my reality, and it’s taught me so much more than what I can glean sitting in a classroom. I’ve learned to persevere in the face of hardship, to embrace my creativity, and to be unapologetically me. Even then, I’m constantly inspired by the younger musicians I see at Concordia. Their talent, passion, and dedication make me excited about how much further the Concordia Music Department can go.
And for all of us who’ve been through so much these past few years with COVID and all the other doomsday headlines that never seem to stop, music is healing. It’s a cathartic way for us to express our humanity where words seem to fail. It doesn’t matter who we are, where we’re from, or what we’ve been through, music transcends any differences we may have. Music is the language of the soul.
Thank you Tri-M Honor Society for the amazing production of Cabaret this year!
Written by Ellen Wang, Senior Class of 2023.