The History of Kids Cabaret

A Kids Cab high point; Best Float Award for the 2000 Hingham Independance Day parade.

Kids Cabaret was started in the summer of 1989 by Jamie O'Neil and Jay Muldoon, two graduating members of the Hingham High School Drama Club who wanted to share what they had learned with kids in Hingham who had no summer outlet to enjoy theatre. Together they put on a small musical revue called Kids Cabaret, with a cast of about 25 kids, performed at the Old Ship Parish House. Although an outgrowth of the Hingham School System's Drama and Music Department, the organization was founded by local young adults, and to this day remains and independant non-profit organization.

The following year, Michael Kaye and Ema Dassori (who are now married) took over and decided to keep the name, Kids Cabaret, but they wanted to do something more than a musical revue. They purchased a liscence to do Kids Cabaret's first full length show, Rowan and Martin's Laugh-in and they added a tribute to Jim Henson using songs from The Muppets. Because of the previous year's success, the cast grew to about 65 and was performed in the Saint Paul's School Hall. 1990 also marked the first year that Kids Cabaret would march with Hingham's 4th of July parade, with splatter-painted pink hats and tricycles behind Kids Cabaret's first float.

Kaye and Dassori stayed on through 1991 with Amy Stevens as a solid accompanyist, (who would remain with KC for many future shows). This time, a show was chosen that had recently been on broadway, Once Upon a Matress. The cast grew to just under 90 kids and the show was a hit.

1992 brought Karen Bartholemew to the director's chair. 1992 also marked Kids Cabaret's move from St.Paul's gymnasium to the HHS cafeteria. Karen made her opening with Barnum and went on to direct Peter Pan the following year. The success of these shows proved to everyone that Kids Cabaret, as an outgrowth of Hingham High's Drama program, was becoming a permanent part of Hingham's summer programs.

Grace Davenport, who had assistant directed for Bartholomew, led the 1994 production of Oliver, which had a cast of 120. Bartholemew went on to produce for Oliver.

Davenport and Bartholemew turned over the group, which had become an official tax-exempt organization through the legal assistance of Mr. Dassori, to three directors - Eric Juhola, Aidan O'Hara, and Sarah Blowers, with Chrissy Hickey as a producer. The quartetput on The Wiz and went on to direct Once on This Island the following year.

In 1997, Blowers and Hickey left leaving O'Hara as director and Juhola as producer for a production of Bye Bye Birdie, with a cast of 152.

In 1998, Aidan O'Hara passed on the Directors torch to assistant directors Sarah Born and Dennis Hurley, who director the show The Boyfriend. Eric Juhola passed on the Producers torch to Kendra Juhola and Laura Caldwell. After her summer at interlochen music camp, Elizabeth Olson returned to Kids Cabaret and became musical director. This show also marked the end of Amy Stevens' long service as pianist.

In 1999 all positions changed for the production of The King and I. Chris Shaugnessy and Kristen Buckley, who assistant directed under Born and Hurley, joined Liz Olson to direct, and Carrie MacKay produced. The ensemble now featured the talents of a new accompanianst, Jenn Morash. Due to construction at Hingham High School, Kids Cabaret could not perform in the High School Cafeteria in the summers of 99 and 00. In 1999, the group moved to the newly restored Sanborn Auditorium at Hingham's Town Hall.

Kids Cabaret 2000 was directed by Michael Hines, Matt McLaughlin, and Adam Thibault, and produced by Abby Goodhue and Carrie McKay. The show, Annie. To date, it had the largest cast ever, with a chorus of over 180 kids from twelve towns! Notably, Kids Cabaret won the Grand Prize of "Best of Parade" for its "Annie" Float in the Hingham Parade July 4, 2000.

On December 28, 2000, Kids' Cabaret incorporated with the State of Massachusetts. The "Articles of Organization" for the new "corporation" declared that Kids' Cabaret was formed for the non-profit purpose of teaching kids about theatre, dance, and music, and that it would be dedicated to those things for the duration of its existance. In recognition of this charitable purpose, the Internal Revenue Service of the United States declared that Kids' Cabaret was a "501 (c) 3" non-profit organization.

The staff and crew that brought Kids' Cabaret Annie continued on in 2001, bringing the production back to Hingham High School. The show performed was JOSEPH and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Although not the biggest cast ever, this show featured the largest audiences ever, toping 570 on the final show night. It was at this performance that the staff was turned over to new directors Kendal Bryant and Sean Chisholm, Musical Director Jenn Morash, and Producer Steve Feeley.

Bryant, Chisholm, Feeley, and Morash decided after a year of rock opera it was time to take Kids Cabaret out to the wild west with Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun. The show became the second to use the Hingham High School auditorium to sell to a high volume audience.

Matt McLaughlin is back in place of Steve Feeley with returning Bryant, Chishom and Morash to direct Kids' Cabaret's 15th anniversay show, Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance, a challenging operetta musical. Information about this show including its venue will be posted as it becomes available!

Throughtout the years, Kids Cabaret has come to stand for alot more than our final product. We are the largest group in the area run by kids, for kids. Our goal for cast and crew alike, is to learn group cooporation, individual responsibility, and to instill a sense of confidence into each person involved. Our overall goal is to have a good time during the summer. We accept everyone who has a desire to be involved, to learn, to work hard, and to have a good time.

The cast and crews of Kids' Cabaret owe many thanks to two groups. First the parents and community members, including the Hingham and Weymouth Public Schools, and many area churches, who have been a major support for the past 13 years. Also, we must thank all of those who have been our adult drama, music, and dance teachers, who by sharing their knowledge with us have given us the ability to make these shows happen!

Written By Eric Juhola and Michael Hines. The History of Kids Cabaret is maintained by its production staff directors and producers.