Cabaret will return with a 2020 show; fundraiser coming up soon

May 15, 2019 by Carol Britton Meyer

The show will go on!

The popular "Cabaret" variety show, a fundraiser for Hingham Community Center, will return in early 2020, much to the delight of past Cabaret performers and audiences.

The show had been produced for the past 50-plus years when the heat went off in the Hingham National Guard Armory -- long home to the show -- causing the 2016 Cabaret to be cancelled.  Subsequent problems with asbestos and lead extended the delay, but with these issues resolved with assistance from Cabaret organizers, longtime show co-directors Jinnie Ryan Walsh and Lorri Costello are ready to get the show back on the road. This will be their 16th year serving in that capacity.

"We're glad this tradition didn't die when there were issues with the Armory. The National Guard has always been good to us. Besides, there's nowhere else in town where we could hold the show that meets the qualifications, the space requirements, and the ability to accommodate the tables and chairs that people sit around at Cabaret," Walsh said. "There's really a special relationship between the Armory, Hingham Community Center, and Cabaret in general and the ambience at the Armory makes it even more special.

Next year, the Armory will once again be transformed into a theater, complete with colorful sets.  Hingham Artist Susan Kilmartin, who was involved in Cabaret for a number of years -- will design the program cover. "A lot of people save these ad books," Walsh said.

An email has gone out to past performers and others involved with the show previously, and Walsh said the response has been "extremely positive. People have been asking over the past few years when Cabaret would be starting up again, and they are very excited about the comeback."

In the meantime, Armory rental fees have skyrocketed, from $4,500 to rent the Armory and pay Armory staff for their assistance to between $8,000 and $9,000.

Fundraising has already begun. A successful meat auction was held at a local restaurant recently, with another one planned.

On the creative side, Denise Feeney, director of set designs and an art teacher in Abington, will lead a Paint Night at Hingham Community Center, Friday, May 24, at 7 p.m. A painting by Feeney from a photo of Hingham Harbor will be on display. The idea is for participants to copy the painting as best they can and to have fun while doing it. Then everyone admires one another's individual works of art. The cost is $40 per person, with proceeds benefiting the upcoming Cabaret show. Refreshments will be served.

The traditional Meet the Directors party, with auditions for soloists, duets, and other singing groups, is planned for New Year's Day, Jan. 1, 2020, starting at 1 p.m.  "Everyone is welcome to participate," Walsh said. Performers come from all over, including Hingham and Hull. Showdates are Jan. 30, 31, and Feb. 1. Dance tryouts begin Jan. 2 and 3. The name of the show has not yet been decided.

"Cabaret, which features dance and chorus numbers and other performances, is a fun night to sit and chat with friends," Walsh said. "We're hoping to get some of our spectacular soloists back."

Longtime Cabaret participants and new ones are expected to perform in the 2020 show. The Directors party is a great opportunity to catch up with old friends and to make new ones. The show attracts its audience from Hingham, Hull, and the surrounding community.

Hull resident Jeff Williams will return as music director, and Ed Sorrentino -- who teaches at South Shore Conservatory -- will be back with his band from a previous show. The choreographers from past shows will also return.

"We're writing the show now," Walsh said. "Cabaret organizers are already meeting to start to pull all the pieces of the show together." This is her 38th year of being involved with the show.

Watch for further details and updates on the hcccabaret facebook page. For further information contact Walsh at jinniew22@gmail.com or Costello at costello4@comcast.net.