Barrymore Film Center, a multidisciplinary cultural space with deep roots in classic cinema, will present Ballets with a Twist’s Cocktail Hour: The Show – A Halloween Special October 23-24, 2026. The engagement will bring the company’s Hollywood-inspired dance production to the center’s historic Allen Theater.
The Halloween special will feature the premiere of “Greyhound,” a lighthearted tale of a tour bus’s unexpected detour. Composer Stephen Gaboury will perform selections from the production’s original scores live on the Allen Theater Organ, adding live music to the dance performances. Audiences of all ages are invited to attend in costume.
“We’re excited to welcome Ballets with a Twist to the Barrymore Film Center and showcase Stephen Gaboury’s music on our Allen Theater Organ. This one-of-a-kind performance brings together exceptional dance and live music in a truly unique setting,” says Executive Director, Nina Larson.
The Halloween special builds on Cocktail Hour: The Show, Ballets with a Twist’s signature production, which harkens back to a time when entertainment was an engaging, vibrant social experience. Inspired by figures including Busby Berkeley and Lucille Ball and infused with the exotic flavor of legendary Hollywood haunts Trader Vic’s and Coconut Grove, the pop-infused production brings classic American cocktails to life through dance.
For the Halloween engagement, cocktail-inspired numbers include “Zombie,” a Wurlitzer-fueled 1950s American pool-party pastiche with a sci-fi finale; “Bloody Mary,” a wicked addition to the lineup; “Shirley Temple,” a soda pop-fueled fantasy set to an after-school hip-hop soundtrack; and more sparkling dance vignettes.
Choreographer Marilyn Klaus formed Ballets with a Twist in association with Grammy-nominated composer Stephen Gaboury and costume designer Catherine Zehr. The company has appeared at venues across the country, including Cleveland’s Playhouse Square, New York City’s Beacon Theatre and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, as well as the Tribeca Film Festival.
Gaboury’s compositions have been performed by celebrated musicians nationwide. As a pianist, he has collaborated and toured internationally with pop/rock artist Cyndi Lauper for more than 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 Patti LaBelle, Norah Jones and Sarah McLachlan and has performed at internationally televised events including the Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony and the New Year’s Eve Times Square Ball Drop.
Catherine Zehr is the company’s costume designer, creating designs that reflect the character and essence of each dance. She honed her skills while working at major American fashion houses before 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 and has presented “Designing Costumes for Ballets with a Twist” with the company as part of The Museum at FIT’s Fashion Culture series.
Reserved seats are $39–$49. Tickets are available at https://barrymorefilmcenter.org/ or by calling 201-585-0601.
For more information about Ballets with a Twist, visit https://www.balletswithatwist.com/.
Share this:
