During my time in Cedar City, I came to look forward to Thursday nights with a gleeful anticipation usually reserved for opening my stocking on Christmas morning.
Thursday nights in Cedar City during the Utah Shakespeare Festival are home to REACH Presents: The Cabaret, described as “an up-close variety show, new every week, performed by USF Company Members”. Personally, I’d describe these nights as “an up-close variety show of glorious, hilarious, moving, brilliant, and soul-uplifting wonderment”, but sadly no one asked me to be the copywriter.
With Sam as the accompanist and many of the performers being people I feel honoured to call new friends, these cabaret nights were a whirlwind of laughter, applause, and magic for my heart. And music! Let’s not forget the music.
(The fact that I got a reserved seat in the front row each week didn’t hurt, either.)
I desperately wish I could show you every video I took from the REACH cabaret nights. You could cheer for Logan’s tongue-in-cheek rendition of Part Of Your World, melt over the incomprehensible adorableness of the company’s young actors singing Don’t Stop Believing, snort with laughter at the lyrics to Random Black Girl, shiver as Tricia belted out Natural Woman, and try not to cry over Matt’s spoken word pieces.
Sam and Logan, pre-mermaid magic.
But, alas, copyright is a stupid demon and I’m not allowed to post anything longer than 30 seconds. I do, however, have two clips that I can show you, both of which came from performances that made me dissolve with laughter.
Believe you me, you haven’t lived until you’ve seen the Bishop from Les Misérables, Laertes from Hamlet, and three other swanky men re-enact the Cell Block Tango from Chicago, complete with red lipstick.
Or until one of your temporary housemates has burst onto stage in drag as Patti LuPone to blast out Everything’s Coming up Roses, freak-out and all.
Thank you, USF performers, for giving me so many golden memories from your cabaret nights. You are nothing but amazingful glorious joy, and it makes me cry inside to know I’ll be missing the Disney night at the end of September.
To everyone else: if you find yourself in Cedar City during the Utah Shakespeare Festival, you must prioritise these cabaret nights. And if you decide to buy a coffee at The Grind and make it your dessert for the night? I highly recommend the salted caramel syrup.
It will make your night even sweeter.
Well, I for one think they should hire you as copywriter now in preparation for next year …
Well hey, I wouldn’t say no…
Your magic knows no bounds … the comment here is different to the one that came through on my e-mail notification!
Yes, yes it is.
Wow what a great caberet show
Sighhh wish you could show more ~ Where are you off to next? ~
Alas, you’ll simply have to get to one of these yourself one day!
You deserve nothing less than front row dahlink!
You’re always such a charmer, Spay Lady!
How fitting for you that they did a Disney number. How sad for you that you’ll miss Disney night.
I love Journey.
Heel click!
IT HURTS MY SOUL.
The kids all had dimples. I’ll have to show you the video sometime. Slays me.
It sounds like so much fun. I love events like this one. I can see you had a great time!
What a shame you can only post a 30-second video. I was just settling down to enjoy these when bang, ‘time’s up’. What fun to be watching these shows and always from a front-row seat xx
Perhaps one day I’ll be able to show you the long videos. I can’t even begin to explain how great they are.
I’d go to a night described as you would, whatever it was like! They sound brilliant, I love that sort of different night – and the top video looks hilarious. I’m so tempted by the sound of a Disney night in that style too…! And I’m not sure about syrup in coffee; could I just have a bowl of the salted caramel?
I’m not entirely sure a bowlful of salted caramel syrup for coffee would be altogether delicious, but on the other hand I’d never stand between anyone and sugar.
Hmm, maybe you’re right, I have to say I’ve never had coffee syrup, even in coffee, just overcome by greed by the words “salted caramel”
Neither had I, at least not before coming to America where the coffee is generally so bad that flavouring it makes sense
That sounds like incredible fun. How dare they schedule the Disney one for after your departure!?
It’s really quite incredible rude of them.
I wish life were a musical and spontaneous songs were encouraged more.
Heidi xo
Amber and Matt are none too impressed with my tendency to spontaneously sing songs from musicals at all hours of the day…