Editor’s Note: The author of this article is a St. Joseph Hill Academy student who participates in the Advance/SILive.com High School Journalism Immersion program.The initiative is designed to help young people explore the world of community journalism.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Between the bustle of putting Christmas decorations up, and finding gifts for loved ones, this time of year has a special meaning to a large group of Staten Island high school students from across the borough.
The fifth annual “Very Merry Minty Christmas Cabaret” with the Minty Organization took place recently at Lorenzo’s Restaurant, Bar & Cabaret at the Hilton Garden Inn, Bloomfield.
From left: St. Joseph Hill Academy’s MaryGrace Pallarino, Moore Catholic High School’s Ava Deliz, and St. Joseph Hill Academy’s Santina Ruggiero, all sophomores.(Alexa Viggiano for the Advance/SILive.com)
“The Minty Christmas Cabaret is a time for students, family, and friends to get together and celebrate one of the most wonderful times of the year,” said Julia Tarantino, a junior at Moore Catholic High School. “It’s a night that brings hope and joy, through music, to those who need it this Christmas season.”
From left: Notre Dame Academy’s Grace Assile, St. Joseph Hill Academy’s Lucia Ferlazzo and Julianna Baldwin, St. Joseph by-the-Sea’s Danilynn Fiore, and St. Joseph Hill Academy’s Julianna Johnson and Ava Robbins.(Alexa Viggiano for the Advance/SILive.com)
To these young performers, this cabaret is more than singing on the stage at the Hilton Garden Inn venue: It’s about spreading happiness around the holiday season and strengthening friendships.
Sophomores performing the song “Must Be Santa” in the “Very Merry Minty Christmas Cabaret” at Lorenzo’s.(Alexa Viggiano for the Advance/SILive.com)
This year’s sold-out performance marked the start of another year full of Minty programming. Ultimately, the Minty Awards in June are a competition between these talented students. Yet, the mission of the Minty Organization, especially Executive Director Kayla McBratney, is to foster the sense of community and love that the Mintys are based on.
The venue at Lorenzo’s Restaurant, Bar & Cabaret at the Hilton Garden Inn, festively decorated for the holidays.(Alexa Viggiano for the Advance/SILive.com)
Now in her second year as executive director, McBratney facilitated rehearsals this past month. Between classic ballads like “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” to contemporary hits like “Christmas Tree Farm” by Taylor Swift, McBratney’s hard work was integral to the cabaret’s success. “These students were tireless in putting on an amazing show to benefit both Carmel Richmond Nursing Home and Where to Turn with our toy drive,” McBratney said, referencing the community impact the cabaret has.
Executive Director of The Minty Organization Kayla McBratney making an appearance on the stage at Lorenzo’s Restaurant, Bar & Cabaret during the “Very Merry Minty Christmas Cabaret.”(Alexa Viggiano for the Advance/SILive.com)
Audience members and performers alike are invited to bring an unwrapped toy to benefit Where to Turn’s annual drive. Performers also take a separate trip to Carmel Richmond Nursing Home to perform highlights of the setlist to residents there to ring in the holiday season. “I am so beyond proud of all of them and their talents amaze me every day,” McBratney added.
Students from Moore Catholic High School posing before the Minty Christmas Cabaret.(Alexa Viggiano for the Advance/SILive.com)
“Being part of the Minty Organization has been such an amazing experience so far,” said Claudia DeVito, a freshman at St. Joseph Hill Academy. With the cabaret being so early in the high school experience, it provides freshmen and theater newcomers with the opportunity to meet students from other schools. “I’m so grateful to be a member and I’m excited for what’s ahead.”
From left: St. Joseph Hill Academy students Mia Mangin, Ava Vitale, Claudia DeVito, Alessa Faljean, Julianna Johnson, Santina Ruggiero, Natalie Chernyakhovsky, and Avery Albertson.(Alexa Viggiano for the Advance/SILive.com)
For many, this cabaret is the first performance of this 15th Minty season. This year, the season includes “Seussical” at St. Joseph Hill Academy, “Damn Yankees” at Monsignor Farrell High School, “Into the Woods” at St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School, “The Music Man” at Moore Catholic High School, “Legally Blonde” at Notre Dame Academy, and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at St. Peter’s Boys High School.
From left: Minty Organization alumni Ella Dreher, Sean Woods, Max Gordon, Sofia Fink, and Ryan Albertson coming back to watch their friends perform. Dreher is a freshman at Wagner College and Gordon is a freshman at Iona University, with Woods, Fink, and Albertson all being freshmen at Sacred Heart University.(Alexa Viggiano for the Advance/SILive.com)
This past month, students have juggled auditions, rehearsals at multiple schools, cabaret rehearsals, college applications, schoolwork, and other extracurriculars. Being on that stage is a testament to the hard work they’ve put in so far.
– The fifth annual Very Merry Minty Christmas Cabaret with the Minty Organization took place recently at Lorenzo’s Restaurant, Bar & Cabaret at the Hilton Garden Inn, Bloomfield.(Alexa Viggiano for the Advance/SILive.com)
“After a month-long collaboration from 50 students all across Staten Island Catholic high schools, our Christmas Cabaret was the perfect way to get audience members in the Christmas spirit,” McBratney said.
From left: St. Joseph Hill Academy junior Daniela Colella, a member of the Minty Junior Board, with Moore Catholic High School sophomore Ava Deliz.(Alexa Viggiano for the Advance/SILive.com)
“I’ve made new friends, found a strong sense of community, and have grown my skills and love for theater,” added DeVito.
From left to right: Lucia Ferlazzo and Ava Robbins from St. Joseph Hill Academy; Danilynn Fiore from St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School; and Addison Ward, Grace Assile, and Star Papas from Notre Dame Academy.(Alexa Viggiano for the Advance/SILive.com)