The outrageous Joy Hermalyn (right) was one of the featured performers at the Late Night Cabaret hosted by the Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre on Thursday, July 15.
LOGAN – Have you ever wondered what the performers that you see on-stage are like after hours when they let their hair down?
If you attend the Late Night Cabaret hosted by the Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre, you’ll discover that those artists are just as talented and charming in real life.
Maybe more so, in fact.
The premiere cabaret of the UFOMT 2021 season was held Thursday on the patio at Café Sabor with a capacity crowd attending.
Don’t let the starting time of 11 p.m. deter you from signing up for the next cabaret on July 22.
The classy entertainment will definitely keep you awake, even if you’re not exactly a night owl.
UFOMT education director Vanessa Ballam served as master of ceremonies for the event, introducing each performer with details about their backgrounds.
Coming straight from an evening performance of “Souvenir,” Joy Hermalyn opened the show by teaming with young Ben Ballam for a cute duet of the Irving Berlin standard “You’re Just in Love” from the musical “Call Me Madam.”
The festival’s other diva, Susan Hanson, also displayed her prodigious talents by performing an operatic composition by Kurt Weill.
The cabaret show even gave the UFOMT’s backstage contributors an opportunity to shine. James Harrington, the company’s seasonal manager, delivered a jazzy rendition of the Glenn Miller classic “Moonlight Serenade.”
Then Hermalyn returned to the spotlight to perform an upbeat version of “Orange Colored Sky.”
UFOMT veteran Curt Olds also performed twice. His first solo was the wonderfully wistful “It All Fades Away” from the recent musical “The Bridges of Madison County.” Later, Olds teamed with pianist Jerry Steichen to revive the novelty song “Louisa” by Noel Coward.
After playing the Mute in the ongoing UFOMT production of “The Fantasticks,” Alex Lambert got a chance to exercise his vocal chords by performing a lovely rendition of “On the Street Where You Live” from “My Fair Lady.”
But it was one of the company’s youngest members who really brought down the house. Levi Hopkins performed the 1937 standard “Down with Love,” jazzed up with snatches of other love songs inserted into the traditional lyrics. The crowd loved it!
The UFOMT will host another Late Night Cabaret on Thursday, July 22. Seating for that event is limited. Tickets can be reserved by calling the festival opera ticket office at 435-750-0300.