Annual Jazz Cabaret canceled due to scheduling conflicts

The annual Jazz Cabaret and Swing Dance, hosted by the music department, is usually a major fundraiser for the Saratoga Music Boosters (SMB). This fun-filled tradition has featured not only Saratoga Jazz Bands I and II and choir but also the Redwood Middle School Jazz Band and semi professional groups. Students of all ages have attended —and enjoyed — the event as they are able to enjoy delicious food and top-notch music.

However, because of facility scheduling problems, the Jazz Cabaret was left without a date and given no good options to resolve the issues.

“The original date was April 18, and we weren’t aware that it was the same day as Junior Prom,” said music director Michael Boitz. “We were told in August, so we had to take it off the calendar.”

In March of last year, the Music Department submitted a request for the Jazz Cabaret to the administration, who approved the initial date. The Music Boosters group posted it on its calendar for April 18, 2015. But this information did not get to the school’s calendar somehow, and it ended up planning Junior Prom on that same day. Later, when the Music Department tried to get a different date, they were unable to find one that worked.

Despite the issues this year, hope is bright for the future of the event.

“If we can get a date, it’ll be great to have it next year again,” Boitz said. “[Jazz Cabaret] has been going on before I was here and I am very sad and disappointed to see it be gone.”

Because the Jazz Cabaret is only three of the actual fundraisers per year, not having one this year will have an impact. This is the first year since Boitz’s arrival in 1997 that the Jazz Cabaret will be canceled.

Sophomore Jaewoo Lee, a Jazz band member, said the sheer number of people who usually attend Jazz Cab means that SMB will miss out on an important source of income.

“A lot of people go to Jazz Cab, so it does generate a lot of money for SMB,” Lee said, “but I think the Pancake Breakfast can make up for that, since a lot of people go there as well.”

Junior Ursula Bravo, who has attended the event in the past, said that she was disappointed by the cancellation of Jazz Cabaret.

“It’s such a bummer,” Bravo said. “I really like the Jazz Cabaret because they have a lot of food and cool instruments. I really enjoy the environment because of the dim lights and music.”