ASTRO CABARET To Open At The Three Clubs In June
Written and performed by Emma Irene Olson and directed by Natasha Mercado (Tree), with music direction by Martha Eies (Red 40).
By: A.A. Cristi May. 01, 2024
Embark on a journey through Emma Irene's natal chart one drag character at a time with Astro Cabaret! No astrology knowledge needed - but shameless self love is a must. Written and performed by Emma Irene Olson and directed by Natasha Mercado (Tree), with music direction by Martha Eies (Red 40).
Inspired by Emma Irene's own astrological birth chart, Astro Cabaret takes audiences on an enchanting and clowny musical ride through twelve distinct characters that inhabit Emma Irene's cosmic psyche. From the dramatic glamourpuss Leo Sun to the spacey weirdo Aquarius Moon to the dark and elusive Scorpio Rising, each character embodies a different aspect of Emma Irene's personality, as told by the stars.
With the energy of a living room performance plus some drag spectacle and audience interaction, Astro Cabaret promises to delight audiences with an eclectic mix of pre-recorded tracks and live instrumentation by Emma Irene including piano, acoustic guitar, flute, and a looping machine, as well as sensational singing, and, ultimately, a message of self acceptance.
"I'll be interacting with the audience as the emcee and within each number in character," adds Olson. "Part of the fun will also be watching me transform from myself to a character and back again, over and over again, sometimes transforming into three characters in the span of one song."
Tickets
Join Emma Irene and her cosmic entourage for an evening of celestial spectacle at The Three Clubs Cocktail Lounge at 1123 Vine St in Hollywood, premiering as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
Preview show is Thursday, June 6 at 7pm and festival shows are Thursday, June 13 at 6:30pm, Sunday, June 16 at 2:30pm, Friday, June 28 at 8:30pm, and Sunday, June 30 at 2:30pm. Tickets are $12 and available to purchase now on the Hollywood Fringe website. This show is 21+ and discusses mental illness. For tickets, visit https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/10327.
ABOUT THE TEAM:
Emma Irene Olson (she/her) is an actor, musician, writer, clown, improviser, fiber artist, and burgeoning astrologer living and working in Los Angeles. Her first solo musical, The Faults In My Stars, premiered at the 2023 Hollywood Fringe Festival to rave reviews and she previously wrote & performed the solo play Universal & Absolute at the Son of Semele's Quick Creation Festival. She has been a featured performer in variety shows As The Wheel Turns, Darling Tallie, SORORITY Haus, BALLOON BALLROOM, and Lucy Said Go! She has studied at Upright Citizens Brigade, Lesly Kahn & Co., Identity School of Acting, World's Greatest Improv School, WE Improv, and Feminist Acting Workshop as well as with clowns Deanna Fleysher, Natasha Mercado, Gemma Soldati, Chad Damiani, Zach Zucker, and Tallie Medel.
Natasha Mercado (she/her) is an actress, director, producer, writer and theatre arts educator. She moved to Los Angeles, became a clown and the rest is history. You can see her on Adult Swim, Amazon, HBO, TBS and stages across LA. She created "Send in the Clowns", the first monthly clown show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and is touring her award-winning solo show "Tree" -which was called "one of LA's Top Ten Shows" and "a must see" by Stage Raw and the Times Colonist. She is also a teaching artist for the Unusual Suspects who's mission is to champion those most needed to be heard by mentoring youth to write and perform their stories by using theater. She has virtually taught adults and children at Stomping Ground Comedy Theatre along with a workshop called "Playful Mindfulness" sponsored by the National Alzheimer's Association to implement improv into the world of caregiving. In 2020, she was named an "Emerging Content Creator" by the National Association of Latino Independent Producers. She was a director and producer for branded events at UCB and brought customized comedy programs to groups across the country including improv, sketch, storytelling and public speaking intensives.
Martha Eies (she/her) is an artist and musician who lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Eies is also a vocal coach and "voice doula," as she guides singers and self-proclaimed nonsingers alike through song to their voices as a means for transformation. She also leads workshops in cabaret, devised theater, physical theater and ensemble-building. Eies received her MFA in Physical Theater, Ensemble Work and Devised Performance from the Pig Iron School for Advanced Performance Training and the University of the Arts. While performing with various theater companies and bands in Philadelphia, Billy Penn awarded Eies the title of "young professional creating the new Philadelphia sound." Eies was commissioned to create an original piece of music and theater, DUE TO THE SENSITIVE NATURE, at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in 2019. She is now creating a piece about death acceptance and hosting NOT THAT KIND OF GAME SHOW as her drag persona Red 40. Red 40, aka your toxic ex-boyfriend's worst nightmare, led the house band for two years at Philly's legendary arthouse, FringeArts. Named a "local legend" by Philadelphia Magazine, her queer feminist agenda and powerhouse pipes have been featured on NPR's Sound Opinions, at Ars Nova's ANT Fest, and on many a sold-out stage. Stream her anthem on period sex from her LP SHE'S KEEN TO FEED anywhere musicians are underpaid!
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