Real, not Virtual Connections at Camp Cabaret | |
Real, not Virtual Connections at Camp CabaretWhat a night it was at Camp Cabaret on June 24!
Topanga’s soul shone through the performances of campers culminating their two-week musical theater experience in a show that spotlighted each and every member of this joyous company.
Camp Cabaret, in its 22nd year of providing an outdoor musical theater experience for children, belongs to and was founded by Queen of the Fairies of Goodness, Antonia Bath, who has a knack for pulling performances out of the shyest little members of the company and encouraging the fiery light within the stage-loving, performance-loving others. Antonia Bath, Founder and Director of Camp Cabaret for 22 years, takes a bow. |
Ranging in age from 5 to 12, student actors treated an appreciative and engaged audience to solos, duets and ensemble numbers performed with sparkling hair and make-up, costume changes, and outstanding choreography. Among the many talented performers, five-year-old Luther Geer-Polin astounded the audience with his seven-minute, completely memorized delivery of Alexander Hamilton from “Hamilton.”
 Photo by Emma Farkas Rylie Applegate waiting to go on. |  Five-year-old Luther Geer-Polin performed a seven-minute piece from Hamilton.
Vic Burkon, seven-year Camp Cabaret Camper, won the hearts and souls of everyone as she belted out her “Rose’s Turn” from Gypsy. Wow! She has definitely got ‘IT!’
Teyjas brought people to tears with his tender delivery of “Julia,” and sisters Evan and Hila Hyatt rocked out the audience with renditions of “Touch the Sky” and “Good Morning Starshine.”
Sidney Blue Haas, my own grand-daughter, had the time of her life, rehearsing and performing with kids who truly supported each others performances and rolled with the punches of live performance—they really were a jolly company!
| Topanga grandparents, Topanga home-grown parents, and new members of the community were all treated to an Aerial performance at intermission by Zoe Tashjian and Birdie Douglass, assisted by Mackenzie Runyon, one of the many, hard-working, local teen counselors who assist with the juniors before producing their own show coming up in August. It was a magical night for everyone—genuine, warm and filled with good will.
 Sidney Blue Haas (center) in ensemble number from Annie, “Hard Knock Life.” |  Tejas Peterson sang the Beatles song, “Julia,” a tender, romantic love song which he sang with all his heart and melted everyone into puddles. There was technology involved. Lights, wireless mics, sound boards. But this wonderful evening was pure Jedi Topanga. There was a network, a human network where all things were connected. A human network of imagination, music, love, appreciation and gratitude. There was an invisible loop connecting the audience and the performers. The actors lifted the audience, and the audience sent that energy right back to the stage. The connections in that loop were not virtual, they were real, not driven by artificial algorithms but genuine. Handcrafted costumes, handcrafted scenery, handcrafted children. My kind of night! (BTW, you can get the same wonderful experience at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, theatricum.com.)
Antonia Bath is a treasure in our community. Viva Topanga!
Vamos a ver! | | | | | | | | | | | |
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