Ballet With a Twist at New Yorks Biggest Gay Club, XL
In the wake of a scintillating fall season that
included appearances at New York City’s
Beacon Theatre and New Jersey’s
new Hamilton Stage, Ballets with a Twist,
the hot next-generation ballet company, announces
a new performance date for the intoxicating evening-length dance experience Cocktail Hour.
Photo: Nico Malvaldi)
On January 13th at 7 pm, cocktail culturists will enjoy
the full suite of delicious dances at the company’s Manhattan home, XL Nightclub and Cabaret, one of the sleekest nightlife
hotspots in the city. Several of the dances will feature live musical
accompaniment by some of New York’s
most celebrated musicians, all of whom can be heard on the official Cocktail Hour soundtrack. Trombonist Peter
Zummo will add an extra tropical twist to “Mai Tai,” singer Barbara
Morillo will sweeten up “Shirley Temple,” and Deni Bonet will bring
“Mint Julep” back to its Southern roots with her finest fiddling.
Peter Valentine and Tabitha Fair will end the show on a high note, adding their
soulful vocals to the crowd-favorite “Holy Water.” Ballets with a
Twist fans will also delight in the long-awaited return of the majestic
“Margarita.
Conceived and choreographed by celebrated dance-maker Marilyn Klaus — whose eclectic
background ranges from vaudeville and show dancing to Isadora Duncan and
classical ballet — Cocktail Hour
is a sassy suite of dances, each inspired by a well-known beverage. The show
both reinvents ballet and pays respect to the rich creativity of cocktail
culture, launching the Martini, Gimlet, Manhattan,
and more off the menu and onto the stage
Cocktail Hour features original music by Stephen Gaboury, who has collaborated with
Klaus for over 20 years. Gaboury’s music has been featured in film and on
television. In 2004, he received a Grammy nomination for his work with pop/rock
legend Lauper, with whom he recently contributed as co-writer for selections in
her new musical Kinky Boots. He has also performed with many A-listers
including Patti Labelle, Suzanne Vega and Ute Lemper. Catherine Zehr is the artistic force
behind the glamorous costume design. Her exquisite creations evoke the origins
and spirit of each libation with vivid colors and embellishments.
Critics and audience members agree: Cocktail Hour is an artistically seductive
must-see. The Huffington Post raves that Klaus is
“blasting the boundaries between high art and entertainment,” and
that her style is a distinctive mix of “Hollywood glitz and New York polish,”
while The New York Times praises
her as “witty and fantastic.” Recent performances also caught the
attention of The Wall Street Journal
and New York City’s
PIX11 Morning News.
For more information on Ballets with a Twist, please visit Balletswithatwist.com or
Facebook.com/
For more information on XL
Nightclub and Cabaret, please visit XLnightclub.com. Tickets for Ballets with a
Twist’s January performance at XL Cabaret can be purchased in advance.
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