On Saturday, April 25, Upper St. Clair High School hosted its third Cabaret for A BroaderWay. Melissa Levine, a senior who created the event during her sophomore year, says that it “was awesome! All of the acts were so good. I was blown away by the talent we had.”

The Thespian Club at USCHS sponsors Cabaret for A BroaderWay, a talent show that raises money for A BroaderWay Foundation (ABW) in New York. Nearly 150 people went to Cabaret for ABW this year, and Levine says they donated more than $500.00.

Lindsay Buono, a senior who sang “Anything You Can Do” from Annie Get Your Gun with her best friend Megan Jones, says, “It is amazing to see more and more people supporting such a great cause by coming to [Cabaret for ABW].”

A BroaderWay Foundation, which was founded by Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs in 2010, seeks to provide young women from New York City with “self-confidence, self-worth, and leadership” through performing arts programs. During Camp BroaderWay, the girls learn to build relationships, express themselves, work with their peers, and think creatively.

Students from ninth through twelfth grade can perform in Cabaret for ABW, and since its creation, Cabaret for ABW has featured performances by actors, singers, dancers, and musicians from the high school. Many of the students who perform in Cabaret for ABW take performing arts courses at USCHS, but the event has also featured students who do not take these courses but who want to share their passion for music with their peers.

Morgan Cook, a senior who sang The Token’s “In the Jungle” and The Del-Vikings’ “Come Go With Me,” said his favorite part about Cabaret for ABW was singing with his friends who had never performed for a large group: “I really enjoyed [Cabaret for ABW] this year because I performed with a group of guys who had not had very much stage experience. [We had] a really fun time.”

Cook and his group, who referred to themselves as the “Doo-Wop Boys,” also helped make the night memorable for two seniors: Pat DeMarco and Bayley Reddecliff. DeMarco, who was one of the four “Doo-Wop Boys,” asked Reddecliff to the senior prom during the performance of “In the Jungle.” He presented her with a bouquet of red roses, and the whole room cheered.

Madhu Mahesh, a senior who performed a traditional Indian dance with three of her friends, said her favorite part of the night was DeMarco’s “promposal.” Needless to say, Reddecliff told DeMarco, “Yes!”

Levine designed Cabaret for ABW two years ago for her MYP Personal Project; however, it has already grown to interest students throughout the high school. Levine, who plans for the talent show to continue once she graduates, says, “I would also like to see [Cabaret for ABW] become more of a community-wide event. It receives a lot of attention at the high school, but I would like to see students from the elementary and middle schools come with their families because it is such a great event for families.”

Levine also shares that A BroaderWay Foundation hopes to plan Cabarets for ABW for more high schools in the country. Students interested in hosting Cabarets for ABW at their high schools should email [email protected].

Girls who participate in Camp BroaderWay can also discover themselves through participation in several activities that A BroaderWay Foundation hosts during the year. For more information about A BroaderWay Foundation or Camp A BroaderWay, please visit http://abroaderway.org/. You can show your support by following A BroaderWay Foundation on Facebook (A BroaderWay Foundation), Instagram (@abroaderway), and Twitter (@abroaderway).