Colgate Cabaret presented their event “New Beginnings,” which was filled with various musical performances Friday, November 10 at the Palace Theater. A bi-yearly event, Cabaret showcases musical theater to the Colgate and Hamilton Community, including pop songs and classic theater songs.

The community has treasured Colgate Cabaret for close to forty years. Although decades change, countless Colgate students’ love for music and expression remain the same. Sophomores David Zevallos, Drew O’Hara and Isaiah Keyes and senior Lauren Moscato put forth tremendous dedication and time in directing this year’s Cabaret. 

“I loved being able to see my friends perform and do such an amazing job after working so hard all semester,” sophomore Kassi Mettler said.

The show began with a rendition of the early-2000s classic “Stacy’s Mom” by Fountains of Wayne performed by sophomores Brandon Biney, Dan Miller, Brian Regan, O’Hara and Zevallos. It immediately put the entire crowd in a good mood. This was followed by a more romantic tone with “A Whole New World” from Aladdin, and “I Can Hear the Bells” from Hairspray.

Other classics included Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” Grease’s “There are Worse Things I Could Do,” Frozen’s “Love is an Open Door,” and High School Musical’s “Start of Something New.” The combination of relatively new hits and classic pieces took the audience on a diverse musical journey. In addition to the wonderful performances by the singers, a live band also comprised of Colgate students provided music to accompany the lyrics.

Sophomores Brynn Johnson, Molly

Kantrowitz and Hailey Park performed Billy Joel’s “Vienna,” a song that particularly resonates with college students trying to plan the rest of their lives. In fact, many of the songs had positive, entertaining, profound messages that correlated with the theme of “new beginnings.” 

Junior Ben Phelps performed “You’ll Be Back,” the well-loved song by King George in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash-hit musical Hamilton. Phelps embodied the character who everyone loves to hate with his sarcastic tone of voice, mock British accent and amusing

facial expressions.

“I loved the feel-good throwback songs that they chose. The audience could tell that the cast members were having a great time performing and I think that’s what made it a success,” sophomore Olivia Haskell said.

More songs included “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers and “Feels like the First Time” by Foreigner, coupled with “Somewhere That’s Green” from Little Shop of Horrors and “She Used to Be Mine” from the Broadway musical Waitress. Some songs were duets, some were group pieces, and others were solos. The group dynamic was tangible, and there was definitely a lively energy and passion for performance in every song.

The Cabaret ended with a performance of “Morning Glow” from Pippin where the entire cast took the stage to bid the audience a farewell on a very uplifting note.

“The Cabaret was something that served as a reminder to me, and I think to a lot of people who attended, that we should still find joy, especially in light of recent events,” sophomore John Bennett said.

Overall, it was a fantastic night for the Colgate community to come together to appreciate the art form that is musical performance.