The Madison Theatre At Molloy College Presents COCKTAIL HOUR: THE SHOW

This spring, the Madison Theatre at Molloy College raises a toast to entertainment with Cocktail Hour: The Show, by New York City-based dance company Ballets with a Twist. The performance will take place on Friday, April 1, at 8:00pm, and will feature the stage premiere of Mirage, a four-part suite safely choreographed, rehearsed, and produced for film between pandemic-induced lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.

Single tickets are $35-50 and can be purchased at madisontheatre.org or by calling the Madison Theatre Box Office, at 516-323-4444. Additional information, including directions to the college (1000 Hempstead Ave.) and a campus map, can also be found on the venue's website.

Created by artistic director and choreographer Marilyn Klaus, Cocktail Hour: The Show reinvents the glamour and excitement of classic entertainment with an original 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

• "Mirage" [PREMIERE] - Intrigue and illusion bloom in this urban desert suite as wild spirits discover oases of the imagination.
• "Rum Runner"- A spicy night in Cuba, a promenade through Puerto Rico, a samba in Brazil... This lively Latin suite brings on the heat!
• "Manhattan" - After a big-city evening, a Park Avenue socialite steps out with her dearest companion, the soulful strains of a jazz trumpet echoing the mood of the changing skyline.

Klaus - whose choreography for the theater, film, music videos, and television has been seen internationally- formed Ballets with a Twist in association with Grammy-nominated composer Stephen Gaboury and costume designer Catherine Zehr. Her company has appeared to critical acclaim in a wide range of venues throughout the United States, 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 Madison Theatre at Molloy College is a versatile, first-class facility that offers a diverse range of world-class entertainment for the South Shore and greater Long Island region. Situated only 30 minutes from Manhattan, the venue strives to be an incubator for creative development within the artistic community while also educating and inspiring young performers, writers, and technicians to pursue careers in the arts.

For more information, visit madisontheatreny.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.