Texas Premiere of COCKTAIL HOUR: THE SHOW Comes to El Paso's Plaza Theatre Tonight

Tonight, January 30, 2015, at 8:00 pm, El Paso City Ballet welcomes New York City's Ballets with a Twist to the Plaza Theatre for the Texas premiere of Cocktail Hour: The Show.

Created by Artistic Director Marilyn Klaus, Cocktail Hour reinvents the glamour and excitement of classic American entertainment with a fresh mix of charismatic choreography, intoxicating music and exquisite costume design. This cinematic, pop-infused performing arts experience launches the Mai Tai, Shirley Temple, Martini and more off the menu and onto the stage in a series of sparklingly spirited vignettes. It's high-style fun for the whole family to enjoy!

Highlights of the program include such quintessential quaffs as the "Mint Julep," "Gimlet" and "Margarita," and special guest appearances by talented young dancers from El Paso's own D'ansa Jazz Stage. For a taste of true Twist flavor, adventurous audience members are invited to visit the Plaza concession stand, where cocktails (and mocktails!) from the program will be made to enjoy in the lobby. For tickets, visit http://bit.ly/ElPasoTicketing.

Klaus, whose choreography has been seen internationally, formed Ballets with a Twist in association with composer Stephen Gaboury and costume designer Catherine Zehr. The company has performed its signature floorshow-to-stage production, Cocktail Hour, in a wide range of venues, from Lincoln Center and Ohio's PlayhouseSquare to SoHo House and Manhattan nightclub Stage 48.

Gaboury's compositions for Cocktail Hour have been performed by celebrated professional and aspiring musicians nationwide. He has toured the globe with pop/rock icon Cyndi Lauper for more than a decade, also contributing as co-writer on selections in her hit Broadway musical, Kinky Boots. Gaboury's music has been heard in film, on television and in concert, and he has performed with many A-listers, including Patti Labelle, Suzanne Vega and Ute Lemper.

Zehr is the artistic force behind Cocktail Hour's costume design. Her creations evoke the origins and essence of each spirit with vivid colors and embellishments. 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 the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Craving more cocktail culture? Visit http://balletswithatwist.com.

El Paso City Ballet - The only professional, world-class ballet company in the nation's largest border community, El Paso City Ballet brings unique, quality dance productions to the West Texas/Southern New Mexico/Northern Mexico region. Under the artistic direction of El Paso native Lisa Skaf, EPCB's mission is to showcase the highest quality of ballet to the citizens of El Paso, Juarez and Las Cruces through innovative, challenging and artistic professional ballet. The company also seeks to educate the public on what professional ballet is and to serve the community through educational outreach efforts. Enjoy the entire EPCB story at http://www.elpasocityballet.org.

The Venue - Known as the Showplace of the Southwest, The Plaza Theatre (125 W. Mills Ave.) presents a variety of concerts and Broadway shows throughout the year, and is home to the El Paso Symphony Orchestra and the Plaza Classic Film Festival. Over the years, the venue has hosted such popular entertainers as Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, the Barrymore family, Sally Rand, Tallulah Bankhead, Hopalong Cassidy, John Wayne, the Marx Brothers, Rita Moreno, Henry Fonda, Tom Mix, and James Stewart. Directions and other details can be found at http://elpasolive.com/venues/plaza_theatre.

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