February 8, 2023
Oakland University’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance will present “Kaleidoscope Cabaret” on February 18 - 19 in Room 231 on OU’s new West Campus, located at 1500 University Drive in Auburn Hills, just two miles west of the main campus.
Honoring the human experience and celebrating joy, “Kaleidoscope Cabaret” will feature performances from students of the global majority, with songs from Hamilton, Six, In the Heights, and much more.
“The cabaret will honor the human experience by acknowledging the complexities of race and ethnicity within students of the global majority,” said Sarita Alvarado, director and an OU theatre student. “For example, in a medley composed by music director Cat Dacpano featuring music from In the Heights, and Title of Show, two friends find solidarity in their shared Latina experience of being of mixed ethnicity, pulled between two worlds.
“We also honor joy when tackling issues of intersectionality and sexuality,” Alvarado added. “For example, in a scene written by me, we see two women enjoy a first date with one another. It is sweet, and I wrote it because often, when you are part of a marginalized community, the world forgets you don’t experience everything through a lens of trauma.”
Alvarado came up with the idea for “Kaleidoscope Cabaret” while studying theatre in New York.
“I noticed there were not enough opportunities for people of color in the industry, and I wondered how I, as a young theatre maker, could change that,” they said. “I did some research and found that other universities do something called a ‘Color Cabaret,’ which honors their students of color, or as we now we refer to them, students of the global majority.”
Unfortunately, Alvarado’s plans to create their own “Color Cabaret” were put on hold when the global COVID-19 pandemic hit.
“Once things got on the up and up for the pandemic, I decided to transfer to Oakland University,” they said. “I was greeted by many fellow students from the global majority, and I thought to myself, ‘why not now?’”
With assistance from Anna De Valois Konno and Tuger Xiong, “Kaleidoscope Cabaret” was born.
“The name came about one day when Anna and I were chatting backstage during one of our rehearsals and our director, Kelli Crump, suggested we call it the ‘Kaleidoscope Cabaret’ so that we can encompass the complexities of race and ethnicity within students of the global majority,” Alvarado said.
The production features musical direction by Cat Dacpano, choreography by theatre student Madeline Daunt, and has been supervised by Rachel Stevens, visiting assistant professor of theatre.
Admission is free, but please reserve tickets at www.etix.com/ticket/v/26712.
For more information about this and other upcoming performances, visit www.oakland.edu/smtd/performances-and-events.
Performance Schedule
• 8 p.m. on Saturday, February 18
• 2 p.m. on Sunday, February 19 (There will be a talkback after this performance)