Update, Sept. 3: The Color Cabaret streamed Aug. 21. The stream is available to watch on Facebook and Youtube. The organization’s GoFundMe met its goal, raising $1,050.
OCU Care will stream “Color Cabaret,” a virtual cabaret fundraiser featuring music students of color.
According to their Facebook page, OCU Care is a coalition of “Creatives for Artistic and Realistic Equity, dedicated to advocacy for marginalized populations in the performing arts community.”
Nasir Panjwani, OCU Care president, said he was inspired to produce the event after seeing the University of Michigan’s own “Color Cabaret.”
“It seemed like a really cool opportunity. At that time, I was talking a lot in my circles about the issue of diversity and casting at OCU as a whole and diversity on campus not being a huge thing,” Panjwani said. “So, we wanted a way for the BIPOC community to come together and celebrate one another.”
Panjwani said the show will consist entirely of pre-recorded performances and will stream live on Facebook and YouTube.
“Everything has been edited and recorded and sound mixed,” Panjwani said. “We want it to be quality and as professional as possible.”
Panjwani said OCU Care reached out to BIPOC students by email and social media.
“We were kind of nervous at first, because we didn’t know what the response would be like,” Panjwani said. “We knew, especially amongst the musical theater students, that this was a conversation happening, but we weren’t sure what the entire atmosphere at the School of Music was.”
Shortly after sending the form, Panjwani said they received responses from over 30 people.
Zoe Dongas, music theater senior, is performing in the cabaret. She said the show is a good opportunity to feature students of color who don’t have the same number of performance opportunities as other students.
“I’m hopeful that opportunities continue to be created. I think OCU Care is doing a great job, and I think other group’s events are in the works,” Dongas said.
Chris Richie, music theater junior and OCU Care member, is also performing in the cabaret. He said the event will be meaningful for prospective students.
“When I first got to OCU, I didn’t see that many people of color, and that was really concerning to me,” Richie said. “I want this to help future people of color that are auditioning think, ‘oh my gosh, this fella looks like me. I want to go here.’”
Richie said the show is a huge form of positivity, inclusivity and diversity.
“It just makes me fall in love with the whole process again, like I’m going back to the beginning,” Richie said.
Panjwani said students can support OCU Care by watching the stream, and donating to OCU Care on their GoFundMe.
“Those proceeds are going 50% towards OCU Cares’ on campus initiatives, which are things we’ve been working on during the summer through our various branches and things like having guests artists come and talk about issues of diversity in our industry,” Panjwani said. “The other 50% will go to an organization known as Restore OKC.”
Panjwani said Restore OKC is a community driven organization working towards reconciliation, racial equity and restorative justice in Northeastern Oklahoma City.
Panjwani said students can follow OCU Care on their Instagram and Facebook.
“Color Cabaret” will stream Friday, Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. on YouTube and Facebook.
This story was originally published Aug. 19.
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