BWW Previews: COCKTAIL HOUR: THE SHOW at The Crest Theatre

The Crest Theatre at Old School Square brings the brilliant signature flair of New York City's Ballets with a Twist to Delray Beach, with a performance of Cocktail Hour: The Show. Throughout the evening, a special selection of cocktails and mocktails complementing the program will be available in the lobby.

Cocktail Hour: The Show is Friday, February 9 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $55 (regular) and $65 (premium). To purchase, visit http://www.oldschoolsquare.org/ or call the Box Office at 561-243-7922, ext. 1. The Crest Theatre is located on the Old School Square campus at 51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach 33444.

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

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

· "Rum Runner" - A spicy night in Cuba, a promenade through Puerto Rico, a samba in Brazil... This Latin suite brings on the heat!

· "Singapore Sling" - Shimmering sirens glide through an exotic soundscape to paint this haunting fantasy.

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. "Martini" - A dangerous, percussive score sets the stage for this blonde bombshell super-spy, who dodges sharpshooters and stays cool in hot situations.
· "Rum Runner" - A spicy night in Cuba, a promenade through Puerto Rico, a samba in Brazil... This Latin suite brings on the heat!
· "Singapore Sling" - Shimmering sirens glide through an exotic soundscape to paint this haunting fantasy. 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 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 http://www.balletswithatwist.com/.

Old School Square is the center of arts and entertainment in downtown Delray Beach, and has served as the community's gathering place for over 25 years. The historic campus welcomes half a million people each year for programs, classes, events and rental activities, and includes the intimate Crest Theatre (in the restored 1925 Delray High School building) the Cornell Art Museum (in the 1913 Delray Elementary building), and the Fieldhouse (c. 1925). The Pavilion, which opened in 2002, hosts outdoor concerts and shows. The Creative Arts School (2nd floor of the Crest Theatre building) offers art, photography and writing classes. Old School Square also serves as a venue for community, corporate, private and media events. For information on all programs and services, call 561-243-7922 or visit http://www.oldschoolsquare.org/.

Old School Square programs are sponsored in part by the City of Delray Beach, the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council and the State of Florida through the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.

Photo: By Nico Malvaldi