On February 24th, students gathered in Koch Auditorium to participate in and enjoy the performances of Smokey Jane’s Café, an annual cabaret-style show put on by Stern College Dramatics Society (SCDS). This year, the show had a 90s theme, with performances ranging from Disney classics to Whitney Houston, to the Backstreet Boys, and more.
Rachel Gottlieb (’16), Vice President of SCDS, says that the 90s theme was chosen for nostalgic reasons. “With this year’s freshman class born in 1996, we felt that it was our last opportunity to do a 90s theme that people would enjoy as a blast from their childhood.”
As to the success of the event, Gottlieb comments, “There was a really nice turnout, with some people we have never seen before at any of our other events.” She admires the “responsive audience, engaging emcees, and incredible performers.”
This year, the directors, Sara Rozner (’16) and Zahava Taylor (’15), put a special emphasis on vocally coaching the singers. Taylor, a professional opera singer and has a strong background in Classical singing, says, “It was important to me that I try to teach my singers some tricks and tidbits so that they could feel more confident, perform better, receive insight about how not to ruin their voices, and attempt to break bad vocal habits. These techniques ranged from posture, to tongue placement, and breathing. In order to accomplish that goal, I demanded professionalism from my singers.”
Many people involved in Smokey Jane’s feel that it is an important event to run on campus because it boosts confidence in students. Rozner says, “There is incredible talent in this school, and I think it is so important for people to have creative outlets to share.”
Taylor adds, “The show provides the singers with an opportunity to step outside of their comfort zones, explore singing as an art form, and feel proud and be satisfied with their own performances. Although it is important to provide cultural entertainment to the student body, I think it is even more worthwhile for the singers to dedicate themselves to a song, work diligently to prepare it, and be proud of the time and effort spent to create a song that is uniquely their own.”
Performers such as Orly Gabay (’15) and Jennifer Wiseman (’15) echo these sentiments. Gabay says, “I think this event is extremely important for students on campus because it allows students to get up on stage and truly be themselves. Students are given an opportunity to shine, and reveal a part of themselves that is often concealed. Smokey Jane’s Cafe is such a special event because it is not about winning or competition; rather it is about supporting and encouraging your fellow students.”
According to Wiseman, Smokey Jane’s is “about positivity and empowerment. It takes guts to perform on stage, especially because we practiced so much prior to the event. The welcoming and supporting audience relieved the pressure and I could focus just on giving it my all.”