Performers will step into the spotlight

Coal City High School’s  annual Cabaret Night hits the stage at the Coal City Performing Arts Center this Friday.
Cabaret Night is a variety show open to anyone of any age, from any community, to audition and show off their talent. This local show is sponsored by the Coal City High School show choir, Footnotes, which is under the direction of Bonnie McDowell.
McDowell has been the organizer and hostess of Cabaret Night for 21 years. Throughout the past two decades, she reflects that her favorite performance was  the year teachers Jim Looper, Mark Masters and Ryan Bunton, dressed as women, performing the song “Dancing Queen” from the musical “Mamma Mia!”
Although, McDowell admits that it is a toss-up between that comical display and when a former student, Matt Gubelman, sang for the audience and received a standing ovation and encore.
“Everyone was on their feet, turning on the flashlights on their phones and it was phenomenal. Seeing all the lights shining during (Gubelman’s) performance was something I will never forget,” McDowell said.
Being the director of Footnotes, her favorite part about Cabaret Night is the fact that it helps raise money for Footnotes, which is a contemporary show choir that tours around Chicago in December and sings for other local venues.
“All that money goes right into their activity fund, which provides a good balance of money to start each new school year,”McDowell explained.
As a variety show, Cabaret Night is full of talent and numerous different acts, which range from dancing, to magic tricks, and even stand-up comedy.
This year, there are several people performing Broadway/movie musical songs, such as CCHS students Brendan and Riley Nevin, who will be doing vocals and choreography to the song “The Other Side” from “The Greatest Showman.”         Choreographer Kim Scerine’s “On Broadway Dancers” perform at Cabaret Night almost every year, and 2018 is no exception.
“They are just phenomenal,” says McDowell, “They always bring the house down.”
Also, McDowell’s very own Footnotes troupe will be performing a medley of popular pop songs full of soloists and dancing. She is also looking forward to seeing people from other towns perform for Coal City.
Overall, McDowell feels as though this year’s production will top last year’s, which she initially thought was improbable. Every act is accompanied by different props, set pieces, and lighting that adds more vibrancy to the performers.
“There is so much more onstage with the performers other than just them underneath a light. We make sure to go the extra mile in order to bring a certain theme to each act,” McDowell said.
Be sure to come out and support this talented roster of people at the Coal City Performing Arts Center on Friday night. Tickets are $5 per person upon arrival, and the show starts at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.