UNC Pauper Players cabaret celebrates powerful women on and off the stage

This Friday, Nov. 15, the UNC Pauper Players is hosting its first cabaret of the season at Linda’s Bar & Grill at 7 p.m.

UNC Pauper Players hosts its signature cabarets once or twice a semester. The cabarets give Pauper Players and others interested in musical theater a chance to perform their favorite songs.

“Basically, it's when we rent the down bar of Linda’s and we host a cabaret,” said Carla Hardy, one of UNC Pauper Player’s social coordinators. “So people sign up in advance, and they usually choose musical theatre songs, but also whatever they want.”

The theme of this upcoming show is Broadway Divas, Powerhouses and Legends. Hardy said the idea for this theme came from her co-social coordinator, Hunter Cates, in order to pay homage to the divas of Broadway. 

“Since we are a musical theater organization, I wanted the first event of the year to be centered around musical theater, but also to showcase the powerful women in the community at large and in our own school,” Cates said. “We all have like idols we look up to that come from Broadway.”

Cates said that some of the idols that members of Pauper Players have looked to for this event are singer and actress Barbra Streisand and singer Celine Dion. 

Matthew Keith is the UNC Pauper Players executive director of outreach, and said the cabaret gives performers an opportunity to sing some of their favorite songs, even ones that wouldn’t normally get the chance to sing. 

Cates said performers have the opportunity to sing solos, duets and even group performances. 

“For instance, I’m singing ‘Take Me or Leave Me’ from ‘Rent’ with my friend,” Cates said.

First time cabaret-goers can expect a laid back and supportive community where they can sing in a low-stakes setting.

“It’s just a chance for everybody in the musical theater community and outside — wanting to get more involved — to come together and spend the night together and celebrate each other's singing abilities, each other's company and have a fun time with singing as the backdrop,” Keith said. 

Anyone can sign up for mic times online through the Pauper Player’s Facebook event. There is also an aux cord at Linda’s, so attendees can play karaoke from their phones. Admission is free.

“It’s like a two hour event where people can come and sing and it's super fun and everybody orders a lot of cheese fries and hangs out,” Hardy said. “It’s just a space for bonding and performing.”

arts@dailytarheel.com