Spokane’s bachelor picks a bachelorette in front of live audience

As former bachelorette Becca Kufrin and former bachelor Ben Higgins danced on to the stage Sunday night, cheers erupted from the audience.

“Do you believe in love at first sight?” Kufrin asked the crowd.

A few moments later they introduced Corbin Cabrera as Spokane’s Bachelor for “The Bachelor Live” at the First Interstate Center for the Arts.

It seemed to be love at first sight for Cabrera as he met the nine bachelorettes hoping to win the final rose.

The Bachelor Live condenses an entire season of The Bachelor down to 90 minutes. Within that short time frame, the show still includes a first impression rose, group dates, rose ceremonies and fantasy suites.

Cabrera is a 30-year-old single dad to two young boys. In an interview last week, he said he was looking for a woman who was willing to get out of her comfort zone.

After a few nervous jokes with the hosts, the stage transformed into the front of the bachelor mansion and Cabrera stood ready to meet the bachelorettes.

Representatives for “The Bachelor Live” declined to provide last names for the bachelorettes, who were all from the Spokane area.

Alyssa, a store manager who loves frogs, got out of the faux limo on stage and headed to greet Cabrera.

Next was Heidi, a nurse and mother. Jessica, a bartender and mom who loves hip-hop, arrived next.

Then came Jonica, a barber who has a large family and loves to travel. Katherine M., a senior vice president at a local bank and Ironman competitor, followed.

Katherine S. made a wild first impression coming out of the limo in animal print and imitating a jungle cat. After that came Melissa, who shared her passion for music.

Lastly, Nicole, a theme park director, took the stage.

Just moments after meeting the women, Cabrera had to hand out his first impression rose. He chose Katherine S. who accepted by saying, “Yassss.”

After a group Newlywed game, it was time for “Lip Service,” where the contestants lip synced on stage.

With Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” (from the movie “Titanic”) playing on the speakers, Heidi took center stage, drawing cheers from the audience with her dramatic performance.

During the same song, Jessica stole a kiss from Cabrera, shocking the crowd.

After a few more rounds of lip syncing and a few more kisses for Cabrera, it was time to choose a winner.

“That was a lot going on at once,” Higgins said.

“You’re telling me,” Cabrera replied.

After giving the group date rose to Jessica, it was time for the first rose ceremony.

Cabrera sent Jonica home before heading into intermission. During the break, Cabrera and the contestants spent time together backstage to have a real conversation.

When he came back to the stage Cabrera said of those conversations, “We’re all going to trauma bond after this.”

After a second rose ceremony, it was time for “Naughty or Nice” a game where contestants chose either something sweet or sassy to share with the audience.

The game brought out confessions like Melissa saying she is “very naughty” because she speeds up at yellow lights rather than slowing down.

After the third rose ceremony the final four contestants were Jessica, Heidi, Melissa, and Katherine M.

Up next was the “hometown dates” segment, when Cabrera asked slightly deeper questions to the contestants.

He started out with: “If you were a kitchen utensil what would you be and why?”

The audience cheered for Katherine’s answer of a spork “because it’s versatile.”

Cabrera asked the women about their biggest fears to which both Heidi and Jessica replied something happening to their children. Cabrera, who has two kids of his own, smiled in agreement.

After another rose ceremony, Heidi and Jessica were selected as the final two.

While having a “fantasy suite” overnight date might not seem stage appropriate, a few modifications and Cabrera and his bachelorettes were ready to spend three minutes “alone” on stage in a cabana.

Kufrin and Higgins answered fan questions while the couples got to know each other better.

“She came out here really on a whim and I like that,” Cabrera said of his conversation with Heidi.

Finally, the final rose ceremony took place.

“I really can’t make a wrong choice here,” Cabrera said.

As tense music played, the crowd yelled the name of their favorite contestant.

After a long pause, Cabrera chose Jessica and the pair sealed the evening with a kiss.

For attendees, Brittney Freeman and Leah Evanson the show was a fun night out.

“It was cringey but I loved it,” Freeman said.

The pair has watched the show for a few years and bought tickets on a whim yesterday.

While the women didn’t love Cabrera’s final choice (they said they would have picked Heidi), they said they would come to the show again if they could.

“I was entertained as hell,” Evanson said.