From coast-to-coast, Ballets with a Twist is turning heads and setting trends with its sparkling style. The company’s signature production, Cocktail Hour: The Show, makes its North Carolina debut at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country. Watch as Champagne, Hot Toddy, mocktail Shirley Temple, and more spring off the menu and onto the stage in a series of dazzling vignettes. Suitable for audiences of all ages, the fun and fast-paced show transports theatergoers around the world with original music, choreography, and costume design. You’ve never seen cocktails like these!
Single tickets are $32 with student tickets at $15 (reserved seats) and can be purchased through the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country website (apptheatre.org), by visiting the box office at 559 West King Street or by calling (828) 865-3000.
The Show
Created by artistic director and choreographer Marilyn Klaus, Cocktail Hour: The Show melds the glamour of Hollywood’s Golden Age with a sleek, state-of-the-art sensibility. Elegance, electricity, and all-American energy combine in a series of delightful dancing drinks. It’s entertainment for the whole family.
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.
- “Manhattan” — After a big-city evening, a socialite steps out with her dearest companion. As they stroll past each lamppost on Park Avenue, a jazz trumpet echoes the mood of the changing skyline.
- “Roy Rogers” — Fellas, beware! With a crack of the whip, this rodeo gal corrals her man. America’s Wild West is the backdrop for this amorous chase.
The Company
Marilyn 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 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. — “This troupe blends vaudeville flash and flair with tutus and pointe shoes.” (The New York Times)
Stephen 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).
Catherine Zehr is the artistic force behind the company’s costume design. Her creations evoke the origins and essence of each dance with brilliant 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.
About the Appalachian Theatre
The Appalachian Theatre of the High Country is a historic Art Deco theatre built in 1938, renovated, and restored to a 629-seat state-of-the-art performance venue which reopened to audiences in October 2019 to serve the North Carolina High Country region as a nonprofit performing arts center. Programming includes a diverse array of live performances, concerts, films, educational, community arts and civic events. More information about the Appalachian Theatre, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is available by calling 828.865.3000 or by visiting www.apptheatre.org.
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