CABARET CASH: Student artists raise $1K for Make-A-Wish

Rose Hill’s Make-A-Wish Cabaret, a fundraising effort hosted by a handful of campus performing groups, drew a capacity crowd Friday night and raised $1,000 for the Make-A-Wish organization.

The event — which consisted of theatric scenes, comedy sketches and acapella songs — was the brainchild of Michelle Corr, a sophomore representative for the Mimes and Mummers. Noting that this year’s slate of Mimes shows was male-focused, she proposed a charity cabaret as a way to get more of the club involved.

Corr participated in a similar charity cabaret during high school, after one of her friends was diagnosed with leukemia and got her wish granted to be a princess in Disney World for a day. (She has since recovered.)

“With this cabaret, we can bring many of the extremely talented people on campus together to benefit another person, and work together to act on the Fordham mantra ‘Men and Women For Others’ by doing what we love the most,” Corr told Fordham Daily.

Corr also served as an emcee of the event, along with AJ Golio.

Members of the Mimes and Mummers performed “On My Way” from the musical Violet, along with selections from The Phantom of the Opera and Beyoncé. TOP presented a brief excerpt from their recent production of Twelfth Night.

FET’s  satellite groups Stranded in Pittsburgh, Verbal Essences, Free Pizza Sketch Comedy and Fordham Stand-Up also each had brief moments at the mic.

The event also featured performances from the four a cappella groups on campus: the b-Sides, Hot Notes, Satin Dolls and Ramblers.

Anthony Tantillo, a junior and the president of the Ramblers, said he saw the cabaret as an opportunity to support other performing artists on campus while helping Make-A-Wish achieve its goals.

“It’s a great idea that puts our collective talents towards a really good cause, by spreading awareness for the charity while putting together a show that people want to pay to see,” Tantillo said.

The Ramblers also brought some special guests along with them. An a cappella group from Bryn Mawr College performed three songs at the cabaret.