From The South Orange Performing Arts Center:
The South Orange Performing Arts Center’s (SOPAC) popular Cabaret in the Loft series returns on Sunday, October 1 at 7PM with Emmy-nominated composer Eli Bolin’s group show Eli Bolin Has No Friends. Curated by Matthew Luminello and presented in partnership with SOPAC’s Creative Community Brain Trust Member Dana Spialter and SOMA Stage, this night of Broadway fun will feature deep cuts, pesky earworms, new songs from new shows, and less new songs from less new shows, along with a cast of more than a dozen Broadway stars, including Kara Lindsay, Christiana Noll, and Charlie Pollock.
Bolin is an accomplished composer and lyricist with an Emmy nomination in 2019 for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for the cult favorite Original Cast Album: Co-op and John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch., and the Atlantic Theater Company’s new musical Found. Bolin has written music for Sesame Street for over a decade, as well as for The Animaniacs, Difficult People, and the theme song for Clifford the Big Red Dog (no, not that one, the new one). Bolin is also co-writer of musicals such as Volleygirls, Skippyjon Jones, and The Last Song of Eddie Scourge.
“I am so excited to have Eli Bolin bring his acclaimed group show to SOPAC and to be partnering with SOMA Stage for this one night only event,” says Curator Matthew Luminello. “I can’t wait for audiences to see some of SOMA’s most talented Broadway performers singing Eli’s catalogue as we kick off season two of Cabaret in the Loft. Curating this series is the gift that keeps on giving. And it turns out that Eli Bolin has ALL the friends!”
For his evening at SOPAC, Bolin put together a robust cast of local Broadway talent that includes L.R. Davidson (Dogman), Becky Gulsvig (A Beautiful Noise), Lauren Hooper (Ragtime), Lean Horowitz (Follies), Andrew Kober (Beetlejuice), Jamie LaVerdiere (Motown), Kara Lindsay (Newsies), Manu Narayan (Company), Christiane Noll (Dear Evan Hansen), Charlie Pollock (Pretty Woman), Allison Posner (The Magnificent Seven), Jed Resnick (Avenue Q), and Sandy Rustin (The Cottage).
SOPAC’s Cabaret in the Loft began in 2022 and is a 54 Below-like experience west of the Hudson River. Drawing on the wealth of talent from the greater SOMA area—or the place “where Broadway comes home to sleep” (The New York Times)—Luminello puts together evenings of intimate storytelling and unforgettable performances perfect for any Broadway lover.
A sold-out success, the first season of Cabaret in the Loft included the solo show debuts of Ginna Claire Mason (Wicked, the Hallmark Chanel), Mark Evans (Titanique), and the first Drag Show in SOPAC’s institutional history. Stay tuned for the artists performing in this season’s other Cabaret in the Loft shows on January 28, March 10, and in June (date coming soon!). But first, you do not want to miss this season’s opening act. Get your tickets today!
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About SOPAC:
Since 2006, SOPAC has been serving as a premier performing arts center in the region. SOPAC offers innovative artistic and cultural experiences for diverse audiences in an intimate, inviting environment. The arts center hosts a variety of live performances, community events and education programs for all ages. SOPAC is home for Seton Hall University Arts Council’s performances, including the Classical Concert Series, Jazz ‘N the Hall performances and Seton Hall University Theatre productions. SOPAC programs are made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. The South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. For more information, visit SOPACnow.org.
