Cabaret night takes place of Cupid’s Ball

MILLSTONE — This February, the local education foundation has put its faith in cabaret over cupid.

“A Night at the Cabaret” will replace the “Cupid’s Ball” as the Millstone Township Foundation for Educational Excellence

MTFEE)’s first fundraising event of the year. The event will help the MTFEE provide grant funding to the Millstone Township School District for new programs to enrich and enhance students’ education.

“We thought going with a more casual event to adapt to the economic climate would work best this year,” Nicole Pyhel, the MTFEE’s information officer, said. “Plus, we are excited to be introducing something new and different.”

The cabaret night will start at 7 p.m. Feb. 27 at “Windows on the Water” at Frogbridge on Yellow Meetinghouse Road. The event will feature an open bar, cocktail reception, a four-course dinner, dessert, cabaret singers, as well as dancing to a DJ later in the evening. There will also be a silent auction and 50/50 raffle. The cost to attend is $75 per person.

“MTFEE is bringing New York-caliber talent to Millstone Township in ‘A Night at the Cabaret,’ ” Gina Whalen, chairwoman of the cabaret night, said. “It is set to be an entertaining evening that will feature songs ranging from Broadway standards to pop.”

Whalen, an accomplished cabaret performer and professional actress who will perform during the event, attended the Eugene O’Neill Cabaret Symposium where she worked with some of the top cabaret performers in the world. Her one-woman show at “Don’t Tell Mama” in Manhattan received critical acclaim. A resident of Millstone, she is also a member of the Millstone Performing Arts Center and MTFEE.

Performing music from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s will be Rose Shargo, a veteran of the New York City cabaret circuit, whose latest project is “Austin Rose” with partner musician Ed Austin. A member of Actors’ Equity, Shargo names her favorite stage roles as Saraghina in “Nine,” Mama Rose in “Gypsy,” and Rizzo in “Grease.” A resident of Millstone, she is also a member of the Millstone Performing Arts Center and MTFEE.

The MTFEE is a nonprofit organization devoted to funding educational experiences in Millstone’s public schools. To date, the foundation has awarded more than $370,000 in grants for classroom programs, educational opportunities, staff development, and state-of-the-art teaching materials that are beyond the scope of the general school budget. Grants have been awarded at every grade level and in every discipline.

Other MTFEE fundraising events planned for this year include a kitchen tour in the spring and golf outing in the fall.

For more information, please e-mail info@mtfee.org or visit www.mtfee.org.