- By Linda Glaser
- Entertainment
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The theme of dreams -- the yearning to achieve them, the joy of success, and the heartbreak of failure -- will be reflected in the cabaret songs, like 'Kindergarten Boyfriend,' from Heathers: The Musical, and 'The View from Here' from Darling: The Musical. The performers' youth gives the songs a special poignancy and relevance.
The goal of the cabaret is to help young singers achieve their own dreams. "It's hard to grow as a performer without great training," says Elisheva Glaser, one of the nine teens involved with the cabaret.
All the teens are voice students at BodySong Studio, created and run by Sharon Costianes. The students credit Costianes with great advances in both their vocal abilities and other areas: "Being in Sharon's studio has helped me so much with my self-confidence. Monthly rep class helped me learn to sing in front of people," says Laura Fegely.
The teens hope to raise enough money to continue the scholarship, established with their 2013 cabaret, for teens who can't afford the private lessons necessary to succeed as a vocalist. The scholarship will be administered by BodySong.
"We want kids to have the opportunity we've had to learn vocal training in such a good environment," says Keara Byron.
All the teens are also active members of Ithaca's theatre community. Many of them have starred in school plays, Running to Places productions, and even professional theatre. Some of them also sing with the Ithaca Children's Youth Choir, and Vitamin L, as well as their school choirs.
"This is a really talented group of students, who have put in a lot of hard work for a good cause," says Byron, "It'll be a lot of fun for everyone."
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