www.cmu.edu/news: He was mesmerized by every song he heard, moving to the rhythm of the music, eyes closed as he absorbed the performances and mouthed the lyrics. Yes, this man knew every song by heart but, then again, he should. Because this man wasn't just any audience member. He was David Yazbek, and he was witnessing his songbook coming to life through 12 juniors from Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama.
7 comments:
I am really glad I got to see this year’s cabaret. I think this is a really important opportunity for our musical theater students to have and a great chance for the rest of us to see some really talented people at work. I think this is one of the best showcases of our student body’s talent that we have in the school of drama, and they really did put on an impressive show. I love seeing the classmates who I do not get to interact with much in class thriving in this way doing what they enjoy so much. I did not know his name before he came here, but David Yasbek’s repertoire is truly impressive and I have been and continue to be enthralled by his work. The Band’s Visit is absolutely one of the best shows I have seen on Broadway and it is in no small part due to the music it brings with it. I loved getting to hear Yasbek himself sing songs from that show. His song “Is It Good for Baseball, Is It Good for the Jews” was great too. It was nice to see some of his work that had nothing to do with musical theater.
The opportunities that CMU gives their students are outstanding. I got to see the juniors perform in the JPP and how all of them are incredible performers (and I bet what I saw wasn’t the full representation of their abilities!) As a freshman I still don’t know a lot about the school and I haven’t been able to meet too many people outside of the design and production group (love DP family of 2023 <3) but I can see that most of the people I have met have a real drive to become the best they can be and they are willing to take any opportunity given to them. I also really love seeing all the events that go on to help support the seniors on their trip. It's really nice to know that the School of Drama supports the students in many different ways and gives everyone opportunities to grow. I wish that I had been able to see the cabaret, I bet it was stunning and I will make sure to support the next one.
I really loved seeing this show! It wasn't what I expected it to be, but it was wonderful! When I heard it was David Yazbek, I got my tickets. I loved The Band's Visit and I was truly excited to see the show he would put together with our students! And they didn't disappoint! Even hearing songs I didn't know, our juniors are so talented that I was entertained the whole time! As the author of this particular article points out, Simone's "Something Different" was just wonderful and one of the highlights of the night!! It seems like Showcase filled seats like they intended to! There were people sitting on the floor in the student section and everyone was so so so excited! Yazbek's song book is truly impressive and there are very few songs and shows he's written that I don't enjoy! Overall, I was so thrilled with the Cabaret and it will definitely be an annual event for me!
I got the chance to see this show Sunday! I didn't know much about it other than it would be another chance to see more performances from the Junior Musical Theater students so I decided to get a ticket for the show. I was so stunned to hear them sing once again after I first saw them perform in Elegies for Angles, Punks, and Raging Queens. So I didn't know much about this cabaret going in. I heard David Yazbek would be a part of the show somehow as well. I haven't heard of who he was before this show but I really enjoyed his music. I understand that this show was separate from the rest of the shows that happen throughout the year at Carnegie Mellon but I hope more cabarets happen. It is a great little show to showcase and share everyones talent, and I love how simple it is tech wise so everyone can just focus on the magic of the performers.
-Pablo Anton
I wasn’t able to go to the David Yazbek Cabaret that the junior class put on, but I’ve heard a couple clips of it and they sounded fantastic! It’s wonderful the opportunities that students at Carnegie Mellon Drama are allowed, both to view and to take part in. Especially since we (design and production majors) do not get to get out of the freshman studio too often to interact with other disciplines, it’s awesome that there are events such as this cabaret and the junior performance project to see other talent outside of a structured production. I, like Cooper, had not heard of David Yazbek (a friend had to list a couple shows of his before I caught on) before this performance, but the fact that the juniors had the opportunity to work with him on some of his own songs is a great opportunity not afforded to all performers, let alone students.
I was, fortunately, able o attend the cabaret with my parents and I absolutely loved it. Some of the songs I recognized, some of them were new. Either way, I thought each piece performed was amazing. It's an amazing opportunity for these performers to showcase their abilities on stage. I also think its a very smart way to raise money for the senior showcases in LA and New York. I think every single performer on that stage was incredibly talented and sang songs that very well showcased their abilities. I do wish that a couple of the juniors got a chance to sing more than just one song. I would have loved to hear Grant's voice more than once. I didn't recognize David Yazbek's name when I first read the announcement, and to be completely honest if it weren't for my parents wanting so badly to see the performance, I probably wouldn't have gone, but I'm glad I did. It was an amazing evening filled with amazing music.
Our school is home to so many talented artists. I can not help but feel inspired every time I see them on stage. I never stopped to think about this cabaret, and I think it is a really good networking exercise. They get to be trained by a Broadway composer and lyricist, this will most definitely work on their favor when they go and showcase in New York. Or at the very least, Yazbek will talk about the talent and discipline he saw from our junior class. I tend to joke with my friends “were good, because we go to Carnegie mellon” and as much as I hate and love our institution, no one can deny that the preparation we receive is one of the best in the country. I have experienced this over summer jobs, when I am faced with co-workers with different trainings, and I can experience how well rounded our training is, regardless of the department.
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