Cheyenne Civic Center Presents COCKTAIL HOUR: THE SHOW

The Cheyenne Civic Center launches its 2019-20 season with Cocktail Hour: The Show on Friday, October 4, at 7:30pm. In this electrifying original production, New York City-based company Ballets with a Twist brings the Mai Tai, Martini, Manhattan, and more to life on stage.

Before the performance and during intermission, beer, wine, and a selection of cocktails and mocktails from the program will be available in the Civic Center lobby, courtesy of the Plains Hotel.

In partnership with the City of Cheyenne, Ballets with a Twist will offer workshops to young local dancers in several age groups. All participants will learn repertory from the show, and selected students will have the opportunity to rehearse and perform with the company.

Individual tickets are $20-40, and season subscriptions are available. To purchase, go to cheyenneevents.org, call 307-637-6363, or visit the Cheyenne Civic Center Box Office (510 W 20th Street).

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

• "Brandy Alexander" - Atteeennntion! In the wake of a bold marching band reveille, The Great One arrives with loyal troops in tow, ready to conquer the dance floor.
• "Mint Julep" - Sophisticated fillies leap toward a photo finish on a breeze of bluegrass and southern hospitality in this Kentucky Derby story.
• "Zombie" - The dazzling undead have their day in this Wurlitzer-fueled 1950's American pool party pastiche. Beware the sci-fi finale... It's a real killer!

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 Cheyenne Civic Center's mission is to be a leader in providing and promoting quality service to presenters of the arts; to assume the responsibility of presenting a dynamic, diverse and affordable season of top-name entertainers and events; and to ensure services by which to educate, challenge and meet the cultural needs of the people of Cheyenne in order to make the arts an active part of everyone's life.

For more information, visit cheyenneevents.org.

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