More than 140 people enjoyed scrumptious desserts while listening to eight fabulous local singers as they performed hits from Broadway and beyond at ONNY’s first Cabaret Show with Desserts on Saturday, February 1 in SUNY Potsdam’s Thacher Hall.
ONNY wishes to extend its sincere thanks to the performers who donated their time and talents for this fundraiser. They were Jim Fryer, Kyle Flint, Meaghan Janovsky, Jennifer Blewett, Hailey Hodge, Andrea Ellison, Laura Gilbert, and Kimberly Busch, with Josh Barkley on piano. We are also grateful to all those who attended the show.
Jim Fryer has performed with Community Performance Series summer musicals, with Grasse River Players, and Parishville-Hopkinton School. He is an Associate Professor of Psychology at SUNY Potsdam.
Kyle Flint has also had roles in CPS summer musicals, including Gomez in The Addams Family. He is a clinical pharmacist at Canton-Potsdam Hospital.
Meaghan Janovsky was also familiar to audience members having played leading roles for several CPS productions, including Midge Mahoney in last summer’s production of the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. She teaches fifth grade in Massena.
Jennifer Blewett is a veteran of several CPS productions, including the aforementioned Spelling Bee show, Once Upon a Mattress, and Mary Poppins. She is the Director of Compliance and Continuing Education at Auto Manager.
Hailey Hodge joined other CPS production actors in this cabaret show. She has played Frenchie in Grease and Cinderella in Into the Woods, in addition to several other roles. She owns Luna, a women’s clothing and lingerie store in Canton.
Andrea Ellison is a Crane alumna who is honored to be part of the musical community of the North Country. She shares her love of performing with her music students at Parishville-Hopkinton Central School.
Laura Fitzsimons Gilbert has worked previously as a soloist in the CPS “Back to Broadway Cabaret” and as a lead in their musical, The Taffetas. In her free time, she performs with her rock/folk/country band, The Whiskey Room, at festivals and other venues in the area. She is the PreK-12th grade Vocal Music Teacher at Morristown Central School.
Kimberly Busch, who organized the cabaret, joined others in production numbers. She has served as guest conductor for the Herkimer County Music Educators’ Association and the St. Lawrence County Music Educators’ Association (SLCMEA). She directed the CPS production of Once Upon a Mattress and was Vocal Director for The Addams Family. She is the Vocal Music Director at Canton Central School where she directs choir students in grades 5-12. Ms. Busch is also the immediate past president of the Orchestra of Northern New York and a current board member.
Josh Barkley accompanied the performers on piano. He has had a role in more than 25 musicals, from music directing and playing keyboards in the pit to sound engineer and lighting designer. He is the new Assistant Facilities Manager for the Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam.