The Broadway Cabaret

The magic of musicals lies in the music, where every note, lyric, and melody has the power to move audiences and tell a story like no other form of performance. On the evening of Friday, February 14, Lawrencevile’s annual Broadway Cabaret brought that magic to life, bringing together students, faculty, and community members for a night of various performances. As a part of this beloved tradition, students showcased their talents through powerful vocals and a medley of iconic musical numbers. 

Mihajlo Gajic ’26 made his Cabaret debut with “Neverland” from Finding Neverland by Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy. Finding Neverland, one of Gajic’s all-time favorite musicals, tells the magical story of how Peter earned the famous nickname “Peter Pan.” From the show’s various numbers, Gajic specifically chose “Neverland” because he had always thought it was a really beautiful song. He had been preparing it with his vocal instructor since the fall, and they immediately figured out it was an amazing fit for his voice. He also had a lot of success in other auditions with it, which motivated him to continue using the song for Lawrenceville’s Cabaret. Much like how Peter Pan found his freedom in Neverland, Gajic found his fit in the song, making the performance truly magical.

Ethan Lee ’27, also a first-time performer at the Cabaret, recalls how much he enjoyed the preparation process and performance. He sang “I’d Rather Be Sailing” from A New Brain by William Finn. The show follows Gordon Schwinn, a children’s television show composer, ill in a hospital, who contemplates different aspects of his life while being haunted by an imaginary frog from the show he is composing for. When Lee was introduced to the number “I’d Rather Be Sailing” by his vocal instructor, Aaron Cafaro, he fell in love with the relaxing melody that communicated a longing for love in a tranquil manner. Practicing a song that he felt comfortable with was a delightful process, and he was thrilled to find out that Cafaro was directing this year’s Broadway Cabaret as well. Lee is looking forward to more Cabaret shows in the future, and he is especially excited to explore various musical hits.   

Sonia Lackey ’25 and Anika Ponnambalam ’25 sang the only duet song of the evening. The duo performed “What is this Feeling?” from the recent hit Wicked by Winnie Holzman, with Lackey as Glinda and Ponnambalam as Elphaba. The story behind their song selection goes all the way back to last summer, when the two friends were staying at the School for the Heeley Scholars program. As day students, Lackey and Ponnambalam quickly realized how different their lifestyles were when they started to share a dorm room for the program. Lackey explained how relieved she was that they were very close friends before becoming roommates, since it would have been difficult to navigate through their differences. This situation mirrored the conflicts between the characters in Wicked, and the two friends were intrigued by the idea of singing “What is this Feeling?” after such an experience. Lackey and Ponnambalam learned the song together and figured out their harmonies before any help from vocal instructors. Glinda and Elphaba’s story came to life through the two performers, who overcame their differences and learned the power of teamwork. 

The immense amount of effort of the performers paid off on the evening of the show. Before the show even began, attendee Ilya Thomas ’27 was greeted by the beautiful Valentine’s Day decorations in the concert hall. Since the show was on Valentine’s Day, round tables with Valentine’s-themed treats and ornaments were set up for the audience. Thomas truly enjoyed the performances, and she was grateful to be introduced to many new musical numbers. She also recognized a few, including “For the First Time in Forever” from Frozen and “What is this Feeling?” from Wicked. She was pleasantly surprised by the performances of some of the students, as she did not know about their singing talent before their performances. In addition to the talented singers, she gave special credit to the evening’s emcee Reed Cloninger ’25, whose witty yet informative comments enhanced the fun. Ultimately, this year’s Broadway Cabaret was a celebration of the performers’ hard work and the timeless joy that live music brings to an audience.