Campus Activities Council (CAC) is excited to announce the second show in the 2024/25 Performing Arts Series, Cocktail Hour: The Show by Ballets with a Twist. This unforgettable performance will be held in the Edward J and Helen Jane Morrison Performing Arts Center, Edson Auditorium, located in the Student Center. This performance was made possible by the generous and visionary support of a private donor. Due to this generosity, admittance to this performance will be free of charge, and attendees are also invited to enjoy an informal pre-event reception hosted by Chancellor Janet Schrunk Ericksen in Oyate Hall.
Cocktail Hour: The Show is a lively, visually stunning night-on-the-town experience. From coast to coast, Ballets with a Twist is turning heads and setting trends with this signature production. Watch as "Manhattan," "Martini," 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 through time and around the world with original choreography, music, and costume design. You’ve never seen ballet like this!
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 high-style entertainment for the whole family!
— "Ballets with a Twist is unlike any other company. They are wholly invested in works that are engaging, creative, and unique. It is a company that you will want to see again and again." (Broadway World)
Program Highlights
“Champagne” — A glittering ballroom bubbles to life in this silver-screen dream.
“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.
“Hot Toddy” — Are these cats on the level or on the lam? Mayhem reigns supreme in this red-hot rollick through the Roaring Twenties.
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 various 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 over 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. He 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 and 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.
No tickets are needed for this performance, and seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. To request disability accommodations, please contact Disability Services at 320-589-6178 at your earliest convenience but no later than 48 hours prior to each event.