The UNC Pauper Players will open up the world of musical theater this Saturday evening as they present performers who will sing songs from roles they could never before play on the stage. Men will sing songs intended for the female voice. White women will perform the words of Latina.
“This is kind of a chance to sing that song you have always wanted to sing,” said junior Max Bitar, Pauper Players’ executive director of publicity.
Pauper Players presents “Miscast Cabaret” Saturday at 9:30 p.m. at Linda’s Downbar. All of the proceeds will be donated to the Carolina Women’s Center.
The student-run musical theater company normally presents two main-stage productions a year and one smaller production. But members wanted more opportunities to perform. Thus, the “Miscast Cabaret” emerged.
“The idea of a cabaret is you just come with your friends, get drinks, get food, talk, laugh and kind of just listen to people perform and have fun. It’s totally chill and informal,” Bitar said.
In its 24 years on campus, Pauper Players has never hosted something of this nature. The performers are not necessarily members of Pauper Players. The company accepted performances from anyone, which includes people who regularly perform in other theater productions as well as people from a cappella groups. Junior Maggie Poole, Pauper Players’ social co-chairwoman, said the group is expecting 15 to 20 performances.
“This is a less structured way to give people experience performing,” Poole said.
Poole and junior Haley Smyser, also social co-chairwoman, work together to organize the group’s social events such as galas and cocktails.
“We always try to pick some sort of organization to donate the money we make to,” Bitar said.
