An Event Not to Be Missed

Courtesy Blankenship Ballet

On March 31^st at 8:15 pm, I will be performing in the premiere of “Blankenship Cabaret Theatre.” The event, inspired by the famed Parisian Moulin Rouge, will feature a fine arts cabaret in the Blankenshio Ballet Grand Ballroom, located at the Alexandria Hotel in the ‘historic core’ of ‘Gallery Row,’ located at 501 South Spring Street in Downtown Los Angeles. The event will feature over 23 world-class artists, actors, dancers, and musicians.

Every performer is accomplished if not luminous in their field,” says executive director Mark Blankenship. “It’s a rare treat to watch them perform live in an intimate venue. Our goal is to revitalize historic structures and foment cultural patrimony by creating and producing live performances of classical artists uniquely blended in a way that encourages the community to join together to convene an eclectic venue on an ongoing basis so as to amplify the exhibition of the arts in a way that endures.”

Maykel Solas and Junna Ige, Courtesy Ballet San Jose

The evening will open with artistic director and Cuban ballerina Bertha Suarez Blankenship performing the lead role in the ballet “Carmen.” Opera diva Shana Blake Hill will be singing music from “Carmen.” An assortment of other ballets and operas will be performed, including the historic “Pas de Quatre” and the ever-stunning “Diana and Actaeon.” The event will also include a performance of Madonna’s song “Future Lovers,” choreographed by guest choreographer David Person. The piece will feature most of the ballet dancers, many from the world-reknowned Ballet Nacionale de Cuba, including director Suarez as well as Ramon Moreno, Alejandro Boza, Patricia Perez, and Maykel Solas. It  will also be a piece that I will be performing in as well as Japanese ballerina Junna Ige, who dances professionally with Ballet San Jose, and Tatiana Piche, who just got back from spending a year and a half with Ballet Nacionale de Cuba. The evening will also feature vocalist and dancer Megalyn Echikunwoke performing “Castle on a Cloud” from the hit Broadway musical “Les Miserables,” accompanied by  acclaimed pianist Mark Robson, who will also be featured throughout the rest of the evening. Belly dancer Meliza and “The Jewels that Raq” will be performing as well as flamenco dancer Richard Chavez and Afro-Cuban Master Ramon Ramos Alayo. The event will feature gourmet cuisine from Bravo ‘Top Chef’ Ilan Hall of “The Gorbals” and a full bar.

Ramon Moreno and Patricia Perez, Courtesy Bayer Ballet

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. To purchase tickets, go to www.brownpapertickets.com/event/230403. Visit www.blankenshipcabarettheatre.com or call 1-86-MY-BALLET for more information. If you cannot make it to the event, starting in April, the Blankenship Theatre will perform on an ongoing weekly basis at Downtown LA’s Salvage Bar and Lounge. The company will return to the Alexandria with another grand performance in May 2012. Other performances and venues are yet to come as well. Here is a link of what to expect:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-PfBitj0DU