Something innovative waits to excite the bored patrons of Los Angeles. Amongst our populated streets there are hidden playhouses with the grass roots ability to be fresh. The Cabaret Voltaire will find you, if you do not find it.
February 10th thru 12th the Cabaret Voltaire is presenting The Red Red Rose, a modern adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Nightingale and the Rose. Before you consider looking forward to or rejecting yet another telling of Wilde’s story, you have to realize it is not what you would normally expect; nor could you possibly know what to expect from the abstract capabilities of the Cabaret Voltaire.
You will be entertained, with all artistic mediums applied and small theatre at its utmost creativity. Dancing, singing, film, live music, not to mention the return of the puppet show, all coexisting at a new level of effect. The dialogue spontaneously erupts into powerful flows of emotion then drifts into very humorous human commentary.
It is thought provoking and not afraid of being ridiculous, questioning not just love in general, but the differential values of divine love and the love of art. Director, L. Flint Esquerra, manages the complexity of the script combined with the irrepressible acting of the cast to create appealing method out of madness.
Will Salmon performs with dramatic dominance, altering his character and levels of intensity with strong delivery; he multitasks between musical instruments and human souls.
The Student in search of the red rose, Charles Pacello, tears across the stage as if it his own playground of wild sentiments; he cries out, caves in, and affects the audience.
Bringing melodious pleasure to the performance is the voice of opera soprano, Christina Linhardt, as the martyr nightingale. No microphones or synthesizing special effects, just rich, unfiltered sound to reward your auditory senses. After The Red Red Rose, she will fly to Germany to open a concert hall with her ‘Classics to Cabaret’ act.
The Cabaret Voltaire will not appeal to everyone. It is not diluted to the point of casual appreciation, like wading into the kiddie pool of mainstream. Specific objectives and style make The Red Red Rose for those intrigued by avant-garde efforts trying to reshape art and life. Break the mold of out-dated expressions. Forget fatty chocolates and flowers that’ll wilt, this Valentine’s explore notions of love and art.
The Red Red Rose will be playing from February 10th through 12th at the Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica.
For more information on upcoming Highways events, go to www.HighwaysPerformance.org.
For more information on Cabaret Voltaire, visit www.CabaretVoltaire.org
