The lights in Kemper Auditorium dimmed as the members of Photon, a light manipulation group, took to the stage, swinging their pulsing poi lights in the darkness as they performed to “Ready for Love” by Cascada.
“The light show was incredible; it was very different from the rest of [the show] and I thought that was very good. I think they can maybe do more than just singing; all of the singers were amazing and I really enjoyed it but I feel like they could add more [types of] talent. I thought the light show was a good [act] to change it up,” said audience member Sofia Poncel ’21.
On Saturday night, students and faculty gathered in Kemper Auditorium to watch students sing and perform in the annual Abbot Cabaret. A variety of acts were showcased on stage, from original pieces sung by Jacques Kuno ’20 and Yuping Zhu ’21 to arrangements performed by student a cappella groups. All earnings from Abbot Cabaret were donated to the Greater Lawrence Disaster Relief Fund, which helps those affected by the Columbia Gas Leaks from early September.
“We aimed to just choose the most enjoyable acts which would translate well to the stage. Preparation ended up being a big factor — a few groups which typically perform at ABB Cab didn’t make the cut. This event is an important showcase of the incredible diversity of talent we have on campus!” wrote Abbot Cluster Co-President Cameron Freeman ’19 in an email to The Phillipian.
Abbot Cabaret also marked the debut of a new a capella group on campus called Downbeat. Consisting of Kuno, Chi Igbokwe ’21, Quintin Moss ’21, Denise Taveras ’21, Adaeze Izuegbunam ’20, and Sam Wright ’19, the group performed Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain.”
“We only got to rehearse twice as a group before the show, but I think that all of us are pretty skilled and committed so putting that together in such a short amount of time was really cool and really fun and I’m glad that we were able to pull it off,” said Izuegbunam, founder of Downbeat.
Along with the diversity of talents featured in Abbot Cabaret, the event cultivated a supportive audience, according to Natalie Shen ’20, a member of Photon.
“I think it was really fun. I think the crowd made it really nice because the crowd hyped us up and the louder the crowd reacts the better we do. I was really thankful for everyone who came,” said Shen.
