Soiree Singers say they’re ready for ‘Cabaret’

Despite lost practices, troupe says show will go on this weekend

Amanda Fellman, 17, center, practices with her fellow Soiree Singers during rehearsal for the ‘Soiree Cabaret’ at Bedford High School, set for Friday and Saturday nights.

TEMPERANCE — The heat is on for Bedford High School’s Soiree Singers, and it’s all because of the snow and frigid weather early this month that shut down the district for five school days.

The 24 performers, along with their choreographer and director, have been working hard to make up for the lost rehearsal time, their eyes focused on Friday and Saturday, when the ensemble performs its annual Soiree Cabaret at the high school.

“It would have been nice to have that week, but the kids rise to the challenge,” choreographer Suzanne Smith said after running the performers through their moves during a vigorous rehearsal on the auditorium stage last week. “They know it’s difficult, but they’ll get the work done.”

Katherine Ortiz, one of the performers, agreed. Pressure intensified because of exams last week, she said, but cast members were on top of the situation and would handle the dress rehearsals scheduled for this week, including today, when classes are off in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day.

“It’s good to be under pressure,” said the 17-year-old senior. “It makes you concentrate.”

The high school auditorium’s doors will open at 7 p.m. Friday, with the curtain rising half an hour later. The Saturday show is at the same time, but with an optional dinner in the cafeteria beginning at 5:30. Tickets for the show alone are $10 for adults and $8 for BHS students and young children. A dinner/​show package ticket costs $16. For reservations, call 734-850-6131.

Soiree Cabaret is a variety show performed by the Soiree Singers, who are the school’s elite performers, according to Mark Smith, the show’s director and Ms. Smith’s husband. Cabaret planning begins in the fall, when he assigns songs to be sung in the January production.

Miss Ortiz’s song is “With You,” from Ghost: the Musical. She said she requested the song assignment after seeing the production on Broadway in the summer of 2011.

“It had just opened,” she explained. “It’s not really well known, but it’s a good story and song. The song really struck me.”

The cabaret’s ensemble medley is from another Broadway musical, Newsies, which is based on the New York City newsboys strike of 1899. The newsboys become heroes by challenging the bigwig publishers of the day and the show features a lot of high-energy dancing and singing.

The show includes selections from plenty of other Broadway hits, including Tick, Tick ... Boom!, Spamalot, Wicked, Into the Woods, The Phantom of the Opera, Avenue Q, The Little Mermaid, Chicago, Evil Dead, and Oklahoma!