Youth Opera Company Of Middlebury To Present CABARET ON 46TH Featuring Vermont High School Students

Opera Company of Middlebury’s Youth Opera Company (YOC) will present its fall after-school production, Cabaret on 46th, on November 29 and 30 at three venues across Vermont. Featuring eight young singers from five area high schools, the lively new show invites audiences into a fictional New York City cabaret catering to the United Nations’ diplomatic community—where an unexpected last-minute rehearsal turns into an evening of discovery, collaboration, and song.

Directed by Sarah Cullins, OCM’s General Director, and led from the piano by Music Director Mary Jane Austin, Cabaret on 46th features a multilingual repertoire spanning cabaret, musical theatre, operetta, and zarzuela, performed in French, Italian, Spanish, German, and English. Selections include “Willkommen” from Cabaret, “La Vie en Rose,” and Offenbach’s joyous Can-Can.

Cullins describes the piece as “a nod to the 50th anniversary of A Chorus Line,” calling it “opera pared down to its simplest form—something audiences deeply relate to.” The show’s student cast echoes her sentiment, emphasizing collaboration and growth through performance. “This was a much more gentle way to get into the world of opera,” said U-32 High School’s Samara Davis, while Jacob Foster of Essex High School added, “It’s been a lot of work, but also a lot of fun to collaborate with talented musicians and meet people I wouldn’t have met otherwise.”

Beyond musical skill, Cullins notes that the program cultivates adaptability and confidence: “Rehearsing in and performing in multiple spaces teaches important resilience—skills that serve students far beyond opera.”

Performance Schedule

Cabaret on 46th

• Saturday, November 29, 2:00 PM – Faith United Methodist Church, South Burlington

• Saturday, November 29, 7:00 PM – Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society (CVUUS), Middlebury

• Sunday, November 30, 2:00 PM – Waterbury Congregational Church

Admission: Pay what you can (suggested donation $20/adult); audiences under 26 admitted free.

About Opera Company of Middlebury

Now in its 23rd season, the Opera Company of Middlebury (OCM) produces professional opera at Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater, from classics like La Traviata to contemporary works such as Rappahannock County by Ricky Ian Gordon. Under the leadership of General Director Sarah Cullins, Artistic Director Douglas Anderson, Music Director Filippo Ciabatti, and Executive Producer Mary Longey, OCM also supports young artists through its Youth Opera Company and Young Artist Program, providing performance and professional development opportunities year-round.

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