COCKTAIL HOUR: THE SHOW Heads to Illinois in November

Drama, mystery, humor, romance - New York City's Ballets with a Twist serves up all this and more in Cocktail Hour: The Show, coming to Raue Center for the Arts (108 Minnie Street) on Saturday, November 11, at 8:00pm. A special selection of cocktails and mocktails complementing the program will be available in the lobby throughout the evening.

Tickets start at $35. To purchase, visit rauecenter.org, call 815-356-9212 or visit the box office at 26 N. Williams Street.

The Show

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

"Sputnik" - A hip rockabilly remix and a rebellious attitude fuel this spunky cosmic caper.

"Roy Rogers" - Fellas, beware! With a crack of the whip, this rodeo gal corrals her man, America's Wild West as the backdrop for this amorous chase.

"Martini" - A dangerous, percussive score sets the stage for this blonde bombshell super-spy, who dodges sharpshooters and stays cool in hot situations.

The Company

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, from Cleveland's PlayhouseSquare 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. He has collaborated and toured the world with pop/rock icon Cyndi Lauper for more than a decade, and has also shared the stage with legends such as Patti LaBelle, Suzanne Vega and Ute Lemper. 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's Fashion Institute of Technology, where she and the company recently 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 Venue

Raue Center for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of all through the arts. For 16 years, they have provided quality programming - striving to make it pertinent, available and affordable to all. As a painstakingly restored, 1920s regional Showcase Theatre named for its benefactor - Lucile Raue - Raue Center has attracted the finest stars, Broadway shows, musicians and artists. Named on the League of Historic American Theatres, Raue Center is one of the finest examples of restored art and decor in the nation. The 750-seat theatre, located in historic downtown Crystal Lake, IL, is a gathering place for our region's citizens and has become a true destination.

For additional information, visit rauecenter.org, facebook.com/RaueCenter and twitter.com/RaueCenter.