Warren Central’s semi-annual Cafe Cabaret took place on May 10 in the Performing Arts Center and was well received by the Warriors. The casual talent show featured a variety of acts, including vocalists, instrumentalists, poetry, dancing, artists and color guard performances. This wide variety allowed for the audience to experience and enjoy different kinds of acts for the first time, along with allowing all of the performers to express their talents. 

“My favorite aspect was seeing the vast amount of talent that participated. I loved seeing people like the dance group and the instrumentalists [perform] in Cafe Cabaret,” sophomore Jilana Carter-Brown said.

The event provided a relaxing and encouraging environment for both the performers and the audience. Students from every grade were able to perform their acts with confidence due to the supportive atmosphere that was present, allowing for everyone to have a pleasant night, even the nervous performers.

“The thing I love the most about this event is the overwhelmingly positive attitude from all of the performers and audience members. It's incredible how supportive everyone is. They are all there to enjoy the spotlight and have fun being performers. There's a lot of positive energy on those nights and I love that,” teacher and host Jeffrey Dalstrom said.

Dalstrom got the inspiration for the Cafe Cabaret from a previous event called Warren’s Got Talent, which is no longer in existence, but gave him the idea to create an event for all students to express any of their talents.

“There aren't any events that I'm aware of that are open to all students with all types of talents at once. I think it's important for students to get the opportunity to show their school community how talented they all are in a different way,” Dalstrom said.

Cafe Cabaret offers a place for students to perform without the worry of embarrassment or critique from others because the nature of the event is so supportive. Underclassmen are able to feel comfortable showcasing their talents, which allows them to perform to their fullest potential.

“My favorite aspect of Cafe Cabaret was the support that everyone gave to the performers. There was no judgment, no laughs, no side glances, everyone was there for the same reason,” senior Anjelic Mormon said.

The Cabaret has allowed for non-experienced performers to gain confidence in themselves and given them a stage to experiment in their talents. The event has inspired them to continue showing their talents to their community and performing on stage.

“Cafe Cabaret has impacted my life in many ways. Cafe Cabaret gave me some more of the experience I needed to get over my stagefright. It makes me incredibly happy to perform and I am extremely grateful for it,” freshman Taylor Olivia said .

While Cafe Cabaret has been going on for a couple years now, this one in particular surprised a lot of people at the spectacular displays of talent. The Cafe presented a wide array of emotions for those in attendance that was only able to be shown due to the hard work and preparation that all of the performers put in the days leading to the event.

“What made this Cafe Cabaret special was the fact everyone was supportive and had great talent,” Olivia said. “We were able to make people laugh, cry, jump and relax. This cafe cabaret was special because of the people that worked so hard to make it happen.”

Unfortunately, some notable, performing seniors will be graduating this year and will be unable to perform in next year’s Cabaret. However, the seniors appreciated the time they had during the event and will be forever grateful for the experience it provided.  

“I will definitely be missing Cafe Cabaret because it gave me a chance to share different types of music with people,” senior Ashton Kester said. “Music is really beautiful and having the chance to touch other people's lives with it is the best feeling ever.”

While the final Cafe Cabaret for this year has concluded, the show will go on during next school year’s Cabarets, which will include a multitude of new freshmen talent. It will also showcase new and returning upperclassmen who wish to share their talents with the school.

“I am so excited for next year’s show! With new freshmen coming in, it’ll be way more diverse with acting and creative activities,“ freshman Mia Stewart said.