“Cuba Libre” from Cocktail Hour: The Show
Photo: Nico Malvaldi
December 20 – 21, 2019
Boca Raton, FL — Old School Square welcomes New York City-based company Ballets with a Twist back to the Crest Theatre for another round of Cocktail Hour: The Show on December 20 and 21. The program will celebrate the holiday season and will feature pieces never before seen in Florida. Beer, wine, and a special selection of cocktails and mocktails complementing the program will be available in the lobby during the performances.
Tickets are $57-67. To purchase, go to oldschoolsquare.org, call 561-243-7922 ext. 1, or visit the box office at 51 N. Swinton Avenue.
The Show
Created by artistic director and choreographer Marilyn Klaus, Cocktail Hour: The Show reinvents the glamour and excitement of classic entertainment with a theatrical mix of charismatic choreography, intoxicating music, and exquisite costume design. This pop-infused performing arts experience combines the magnetism of Hollywood’s Golden Age with a sleek twenty-first-century sensibility, capturing the timeless American spirit in a series of witty, sparkling vignettes. It’s high-style fun for all ages to enjoy.
Program highlights include
- “Hot Toddy” — Are these cats on the level or on the lam? Mayhem reigns supreme in this red-hot rollick through the Roaring Twenties.
- “White Russian” — This festive trilogy tells the tale of a wintry royal wedding to the tones of a cinematic piano concerto.
- “Cuba Libre” — Sparks fly on a hot Havana night when rum and cola collide.
The Company
Klaus, whose choreography has been seen internationally, formed Ballets with a Twist in association with Grammy-nominated composer Stephen Gaboury and costume designer Catherine Zehr. Her company — lauded by The Huffington Post for “blasting the boundaries between high art and entertainment” — has appeared in a wide range of venues throughout the country, from Cleveland’s Playhouse Square and New York City’s Beacon Theatre to Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the Tribeca Film Festival.
Gaboury’s compositions have been performed by celebrated musicians nationwide. As a pianist, he has collaborated and toured the world with pop/rock icon Cyndi Lauper for more than a decade, most recently joining her alongside the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra at its historic home venue. He has also accompanied such artists as Patti Labelle, Norah Jones, and Sarah McLachlan, and has performed at internationally televised events such as the Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony and the New Year’s Eve Times Square Ball Drop. Gaboury’s music has been heard in concert, on television, and in films (including Boyhood and American Beauty).
Zehr is the artistic force behind the company’s costume design. Her creations evoke the origins and essence of each dance with dazzling colors and ornamentation. Zehr honed her skills while working at major American fashion houses, then by designing and manufacturing attire for her own label. She studied art and design at Washington University and New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology, where she and the company delivered the presentation “Designing Costumes for Ballets with a Twist” as part of The Museum at FIT’s Fashion Culture series.
Craving more Twist culture? Visit balletswithatwist.com.
The Venue
The Crest Theatre is housed in the restored 1925 Delray High School building on the Old School Square campus in Delray Beach. It was dedicated in 1993 as the performing arts center of Old School Square. Originally the high school auditorium, the Crest Theatre was re-designed as a charming, state-of-the-art 323-seat facility. The Crest also serves as an important venue for other organizations, schools and community groups to present their own productions. Surrounding the theatre are nine beautifully restored classrooms which now serve as meeting, workshop, reception and class space.
For more information, visit oldschoolsquare.org.