Alacartoona lends her talents to the Arts Incubator's annual fundraiser. Come explore artistic chili creations by over twenty-five kansas city restaurants and chefs - including The Brooksider, Pizza Bella, Room 39, Moxie and The Bulldog - and enjoy drinks, desserts and an Incubator artist art raffle. In addition, you can expect a carnival of eclectic entertainment acts on every floor, including spectacles such as live music, fire breathers, aerial fabric dancers, live s'mores, KC Art Institute cheerleaders, ice sculpture and more.

Fired up by many hands, 'Oil Boiler' mixes theater, music and art

by Timothy Finn

featured in The Kansas City Star

The various disciplines in the local arts and entertainment community overlap regularly.

Ensembles like Quixotic and events like the monthly First Friday art exhibitions and live music shows at Midwestern Musical Co. all typically feature a varied mix of theater, dance, music and the visual arts.

This weekend, the worlds of theater, music and art will mix at 'The Oil Boiler,' a one-act play to be presented in the Living Room at the Pearl, 1818 McGee St.

The concept for the play was conceived by Tyson Schroeder, a visual artist with his hands in a variety of other projects, including music and the band Medicine Theory. Initially, Schroeder wanted to present 'Boiler' as a series of sit-down readings at a Kansas City drinking establishment.

But after he brought the idea to Christian Hankel of the theatrical/cabaret band Alacartoona, the plans evolved into something larger and more elaborate.

Eventually, a small horde of musicians and theater pros was enlisted. Joining Hankel and Schroeder in the play are Erin McGrane (Alacartoona) and actress Katie Gilchrist. Walter Coppage plays the disembodied voice of God, and musician and singer/songwriter Cody Wyoming is the club's emcee.

The ensemble recently invited members of the media to watch part of a rehearsal so they could ask questions about the performance and witness the collaboration among everyone in the production.

The set, designed by architect James Pastine and Schroeder, was still in pieces at the back of the room, so at the rehearsal, the scene was set orally:

The play takes place in a jazz nightclub circa the late-'40s/early '50s with its own live house band that has several local or formerly local musicians: jazz vocalist Shay Estes, keyboardist Jeffrey Rukaman, drummer Kent Burnham and bassist Johnny Hamil. The show's musical director is Jeff Freling, who works for Blue Man Group in Chicago but is formerly of the local dance/party band Mongol Beach Party.

The show's other local music connection is soundman Chris Meck, formerly of the band the Gaslights, now of Tiny Horse (and a new, as-yet-to-be-named band).

The music that was performed that night was a blend of noirish blues and jazz. The 'soundtrack' has a few songs with vocals and a few instrumentals, all written by Freling and Hankel.

Veteran Kansas City actor/director Scott Cordes is directing the play and putting all that creative energy and know-how to use. But more than act as overlord, he oversees a project that is the product of everyone's input.

'This show isn't a bunch of actors with a playwright and director telling them what to do,' Hankel said. 'Everyone is welcome to make suggestions.'

Wyoming said that was one element that persuaded him to be part of the project. 'Everyone's opinion matters,' he said. 'Everyone has been involved from the start. That's what made me want to be a part of this.'

The play is loosely about, as McGrane put it, 'the big to be or not to be' question. It involves a murder and the issue of evil and its creation and God's role in it.

.

Here's one plot synopsis: 'Welcome to the Oil Boiler, the twisted tale of Leon Nesrac, neurotic hit-man who has lost his mind and possibly his nerve. In the moments after killing his lover, Leon converses with God about the nature of free will and his attempt to come to terms with the person he was, is and will remain.'

'The play was written like I paint,' said Schroeder, whose paintings (go to thegreatandsmall.com) are as stunning as they can be abstract, sci-fi and/or phantasmagorical.

'This play,' Estes said, 'is like walking into one of Tyson's paintings.'

The other 'actors' in the play included several puppets created by Schroeder, plus a projection of his artwork on a screen at the back of the set. Cordes said 'The Oil Boiler' takes him back to his 'old performance art days. ' Sometimes I had to ask, 'What does this mean? What's happening here?'''

In character, Wyoming guaranteed only that you'll leave his club 'with a great sense of existential dread.' And that is the wider purpose. McGrane said the experience is more about the bigger picture ' the process and the journey, not the destination, however that may reveal itself.

That process also includes insinuating the audience into the performance: The room will be set up as a nightclub, with tables and a bar serving alcohol, so the viewers are part of the set.

'We are trying to manipulate the line between art and the audience,' Hankel said.

For the actors and musicians, however, the larger process is also about working with colleagues and peers in other disciplines.

Cordes hailed Rusty Sneary and Shawnna Journagan, the proprietors of the building, who let the production take residency in the space, which saved everyone a bundle of time and expense.

Estes, who performs regularly at Jardine's and other local jazz clubs, said that gesture is just one example of how willing people in the Kansas City art/entertainment culture are to help one another. And that can stimulate the creative processes and inspire people to think big.

'You can take artistic risks here because the financial risks are low,' she said. 'It's an easy place to be an artist. There's such a community for it here.'

An Interview With the Creators of The Oil Boiler

by Rachel Murphy

featured in KCFreePress.com

This Friday in the Crossroads, artist Tyson Schroeder will be painting with a different brush as The Oil Boiler, his first one-act play, takes the stage in the Living Room at the Pearl Gallery. Located at 1818 McGee, the gallery is transformed into a nightclub, a fitting setting for a conversation between God and hitman Leon Nesrac about freewill. With a Greek chorus of the house band and some puppets on hand, so to speak, the show grew from an inkling to an action when Schroeder was joined by Christian Hankel and Erin McGrane, both of the performance art band, Alacartoona.

KCFP: This play is supposed to be about a hitman talking to God. Where do the puppets fit in?

Tyson Schroeder: They're really just there as another vehicle for telling the story. One of the initial concepts with the play itself was, I just wanted to make it as messed-up as I could and confuse people as much as possible. Why not throw in puppets?

Christian Hankel: It's integral to the theme of the show as well.

Erin McGrane: Absolutely, I think that's been an interesting thing that's happened during this collaboration, is that Tyson had this original idea and showed it to me and Christian and we were like, this is awesome, there's something going on here. Each person that has joined the group has said the same thing and added to it. So some elements that might have seemed, not random, but disparate, and suddenly all of them have had added meaning as each person joins and brings something different.

TS: It really has been a large painting with a lot of people.

EM: And the idea with the puppets is that the essence of the conversation is free will. It's sort of like, do you really serve the devil if it's all God's plan? So the idea of is there freewill or is there not freewill, so the puppet theme is pretty right up to the point.

KCFP: This is one of the first theatrical efforts during the art walk. Was this purposeful?

TS: We did want to do it on a First Friday. We knew that there would be so many people down here and with it being such an unknown project, we needed every chance that we can get to get people in here.

EM: Plus, since Tyson is a well-known and brilliant visual artist, we'll be showing his work down on the first level, so it seemed like absolutely natural hand-in-glove situation.

TS: We're really trying to make sure that as soon as people walk into the door of the space (of the Pearl) that we're putting them into the space that they'll be in up there, and that the stage itself is a visual element.

CH: When somebody starts up those steps, they're entering the stage in many ways and will be part of the performance. If we do it right, when we get done, at least a few in the audience will go, 'Oh, that just happened to me, too.'

That's always it. I don't like looking at art, I like being in it. In Alacartoona, we try to take the fourth wall away, but here, we're saying that the fourth wall is at the back of the room.

KCFP: Why did you choose a one-act structure?

TS: That's just how the story came out.

CH: It's technically a five-act play, but each act is only five or so minutes long.

EM: I'll say from a production point of view, that made it a selling point, because doing such a short, one-bite piece, it's easy to produce, it's easy to get everybody involved, it cuts down on the money needed. And I think it's an easier sell, especially for First Fridays because it's an hour or less. It's not a lot of commitment. People aren't going to say, 'I don't want to see some weird play about God or some weird performance art thing for two hours.' This will be fun and it'll fly by and the music is so good.

The Oil Boiler is directed by Scott Cordes and features music by Christian Hankel and Jeff Freling. Show times are at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on May 7 and 8, with advance tickets for $12 and door tickets for $15. Sunday is industry night with tickets available on a sliding price scale for artists and service industry workers at 7 p.m. The Pearl is located at 1818 McGee. For more information, visit, www.theoilerboiler.com.

photos by Paul Anderson

featured in KCFreePress.com

One-act play The Oil Boiler debuts on Friday, May 7th at The Living Room at The Pearl Gallery in the Crossroads district. The play runs from May 7th through May 9th.

The Oil Boiler:  A Multi-Sensory Experience

by Steve Walker

featured on KCUR 89.3 FM

Like the crack of a champagne bottle against the bow of a ship, a menagerie of actors, artists and musicians are launching a new performance space within the skeleton of a an old car showroom this weekend. Called The Living Room, it's the newest venue in the Crossroads District to house a mix of performance styles. And when the yet unnamed company invited reporters down to the space for a preview recently, KCUR's Steve Walker took the bait.

"The Oil Boiler"
May 7, 8, 9, 2010
The Living Room at The Pearl
1818 McGee
Kansas City, MO
Show times: May 7-8, 7:00pm and 9:00pm
May 9 at 7:00pm, Service Industry Night performance.
Ticket prices are $12.00 advance, $15.00 at the door.

"Welcome to the Juggler," says Cody Wyoming. "To some people, I'm the preacher. As I look around, say, 'Good evening, preacher.'"

Crowd: "Good evening, preacher."

Dressed in a white tuxedo jacket that's both tacky and retro, musician Cody Wyoming is setting the stage for a handful of guests invited to a sneak preview of a new performance piece that premieres this weekend at The Living Room.

"It's a special night at our club we call 'The Oil Boiler,' a dramatic foray into a story with which many of you are unfamiliar," says Wyoming. "But as the old saying goes: Dark rooms are often lit by twisted bulbs and sordid twisted tales illuminate the dark recesses of the soul."

The show is called "The Oil Boiler," a 55-minute multi-sensory experience resulting from a collaboration of Kansas City artists of all stripes. Its earliest outline was written by Tyson Schroeder, a visual artist, and Alacartoona's Christian Hankel.

Among the theater artists represented are actors Walter Coppage and Katie Gilchrist, and from the film "Up in the Air," Erin McGrane.

Ambling up to the microphone for a smoky, jazzy contribution, dressed in a slinky black dress, is Shay Estes who sings, "This dime store novel/Is frightfully boring/..."

In between songs, something looking like a narrative rears its head.

Walter Coppage: "Get to the point already."
Tyson Schroeder: "Does there need to be a point to create art?"
Katie Gilchrist: "Oh, do shut up. This is supposed to be entertainment, not some art school seminar on high brow vs. low brow, how does it fit into the existential equation. Blah, blah, blah. Nobody (bleep)ing cares."

The run through is raw and unfiltered yet focused. But if there's no traditional play within miles of the space this night, there's a healthy respect for how these artists of various disciplines collaborate.

Dressed in a tutu and striped, Tim Burton-ish tights, Erin McGrane explains why "The Oil Boiler," in Kansas City, at this time.

"Part of what's different is the spirit of collaboration," says McGrane. "Number one, you just can't do this in other cities ' the space, no budget. It's amazing we can do this in KC effortlessly, and that's what makes it a valuable artistic town."

If Shay Estes is more comfortable around jazz than theater, you wouldn't know it.

"If you look at the people who work in this city, they don't isolate their talent to just one arena," says Estes. "You are capable as an artist of stretching yourself out and taking risks, not financial risks but artistic risks."

Though "The Oil Boiler" comes and goes over one weekend, The Living Room will stage another play later this month. Its structure is more orthodox, but audiences will take it in while sitting not in theater seats but big, cushy sofas. Steve Walker, KCUR News.

For additional photos from "The Oil Boiler" rehearsal, check here.

by Emily Van Zandt

featured in INK

What do you get when a musician acts, an artist writes and a singer dances? Theater in Kansas City, apparently.

If you're planning to be in the Crossroads Arts District for First Friday this weekend, be sure to stop by the Living Room in the Pearl (1818 McGee St.). This new theater/music space is hosting a production called 'The Oil Boiler,' a one-act show that incorporates traditional drama with visual art and jazz music to tell the story of a nightclub of assassins exploring the idea of free will.

The show was written by local artist Tyson Schroeder and actor/musician Christian Hankel (both also act in the production) and features Erin McGrane, Walter Coppage, Katie Gilchrist and Cody Wyoming.

A highlight of the production is the music. Smokey nightclub-esque jazz numbers ' original music by Hankel and Jeff Freling ' are infused throughout the play. Jeffrey Rukaman, Kent Burnham and Johnny Hamil round out the live band. KC jazz performer Shay Estes packs in some serious talent as lounge singer Holly Red, slinking her way onstage to entertain and further the plot with devious looks and lyrics. Look for Wyoming, who plays MC for the night, to duet (and dance) with Estes.

Wyoming is, perhaps, more known around town for his music than his acting, but that seems to be the theme of this production. Hankel and McGrane are both known for their work in Alacartoona, and bring the same sense of mysterious theatricality to this production. Schroeder's visual-arts background comes into play in design elements (and did I mention puppets?).

Estes points to 'The Oil Boiler' as being part of a larger trend in KC.

'It's a city built for cross-genre work,' she said, noting Quixotic, Alacartoona and Mark Southerland as all working to incorporate elements of various arts. Estes and others in the cast describe Kansas City as a place where they can afford (literally) to take artistic risks.

And for the audience, those risks pay off in this show. Think of it as an artistic multivitamin: You're getting a lot of good stuff at once. If you're not into theater, go for the jazz. Not into music? Go for the art. If you're not into any of these things, you're still in luck.

Said Wyoming of the show: 'This is my club and I, personally, want you to leave with a sense of existential dread.'

Sounds like my kind of Friday night.

The show starts at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. Go to theoilboiler.com for tickets and more info.

The Oil Boiler

by Alan

feature in The Pitch

The Oil Boiler ' a one-act dramatic fantasy about a hit man chatting up God about killing his lover, while a jazz band plays in a nightclub for assassins ' sounds dark, daring and just maybe a touch ridiculous. But that's how we like our local, scared-up-from-nowhere, collaborative First Friday theatrical happenings. A mob of artists, musicians, actors and what have you labored to mount this unlikely affair. Artist Tyson Schroeder and musician Christian Hankel wrote the script and also act, design and, with Jeff Freling, make fresh music. Directing first-tier performers Walter Coppage, Katie Gilchrist and Alacartoona's Erin McGrane is Scott Cordes. Meanwhile, that jazz band, a four-piece featuring the pipes of Shay Estes, does what it does. Schroeder and architect James Pastin designed the set. Really, everyone who has ever done anything of aesthetic significance in Kansas City seems to be involved in this. The show runs at 7 and 9 tonight and Saturday in the Living Room at the Pearl (1818 McGee). Tickets cost $12 in advance or $15 at the door and can be purchased at theoilboiler.com.

Working From Blank Pages:  Creating the Oil Boiler

by Tom Ryan

featured in PresentMagazine.com

'Night Is the Mirror': KC cabaret with a kick | 3 stars

Three Kansas City actresses get screen time in new Clooney film

© 2010 Kansas City Star and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.kansascity.com

ERIN McGRANE | Calling it 'theatrical music'

Erin McGrane, an actress who sustains a career in commercials, voice-overs and film, rarely appears in a local theater production, mainly because Alacartoona, the band she fronts, has always performed with a theater sensibility.

Each band member plays a specific character, and the group's last public performance, "Bought and Souled," was closer to a real play than anything the band had created before. It was a Faustian tale with plenty of music, but it also required actors ' Vi Tran, Katie Gilchrist and Andy Garrison.

"We blur the line all over the place," McGrane said. "We call it theatrical music. It's not really musical theater. We're not doing 'Carousel.' It's not a straight play, but it's not a concert either."

McGrane will be in a full-fledged theater piece in May called "The Oil Boiler," an original play co-written by musician and visual artist Tyson Schroeder and Alacartoona member Christian Hankel. Actors Gilchrist and Walter Coppage will be in the show, McGrane said, and Scott Cordes will direct.

McGrane said Kansas City is an ideal place for artists who want to smudge boundaries because the environment here is mutually supportive and collaborative.

"The cross-discipline and collaboration that happens in Kansas City just doesn't happen in other cities," McGrane said.

Music, theater ' regardless of the specific art form, McGrane said it's all about finding that creative mojo.

"When you're doing original music, there's something very immediate performing your own work," she said. "It's more frightening, but it's also more rewarding in some ways. So it's different, but they're both exciting and very satisfying for an artist. In Alacartoona I get to be a character, but I also get to create music."

Read the whole article here:  http://www.kansascity.com/2010/02/24/1768954_p2/these-multitalented-musicians.html

Erin McGrane: Actress

The actress recently appeared in 'Up in the Air,' a film that has generated tons of award-season buzz since its December release.

Her screen time totaled, oh, approximately 40 seconds, but her role as George Clooney's former flame is nothing short of enviable.

'The hardest acting I've ever done was turning him down onscreen,' said McGrane, who stars in the Web series parody 'Unreal Housewives of Kansas City' (on unrealhousewivesofkc.com) and who fronts cabaret band Alacartoona.

Yeah, yeah. More about Clooney, please?

'George is like he seems ' gracious, funny, warm and drop-dead handsome,' she said. 'What I found surprising is that he's even funnier than you think. He clowns a lot and makes faces and had the whole set in stitches.'

So, what's next for this high-riding heroine?

Another season of 'Unreal Housewives,' a starring role in horror film 'Nailbiter,' and a new stage show with her bandmates of Alacartoona.

'I'm challenging myself this year to stretch in terms of the types of projects I do and in my technical abilities.'

Home: I live in a house in the Brookside/Waldo area.

Pets: Nick and Nora are my sweetie cats, but I currently care for an elderly cat named Asia.

People: The KC artistic community is simply amazing. The talent pool is as deep as it is wide, and I am constantly impressed by the great people who choose to live and create here and the work they generate. As a cross-discipline performer, I love to collaborate with different artists, and creating new work here is about as good as it gets.

Organizations: SAG and AFTRA acting unions ' but for fun, I love my girls group. We started out as a book club, but we decided to ditch that pretty quickly and just get together when we can. We don't do it as often as we should ' that's for sure.

Gadget: I like my iPod and my little workhorse of a laptop.

Restaurant: There are so many great places to eat here that I love ' from the first-class cuisine of Bluestem to wonderfully unique gems like Le Fou Frog and Domo, to neighborhood joints like Rudy's Tenampa Taqueria and Waldo Pizza.There's never any shortage of good food in KC.

Drink: Extra foamy 2 percent latte, not too hot, please.

Snack: Chocolate. Really, anything with sugar. I'm kind of a sugar hound.

Food: My favorite winter comfort foods are macaroni and cheese or pot roast with all the trimmings.

Athlete: Marcus Allen always seemed like a real gentleman.

Actor: Right now? George Clooney! Also I really love Ed Norton and Kevin Spacey. Favorite sassy actress: Myrna Loy.

Book: For a long time it was Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. I also really enjoy Tom Robbins, especially Even Cowgirls Get the Blues.

Video game: I just discovered 'Rock Band,' and I'm now officially addicted.

Movie: It's too hard to pick just one favorite movie, but I never tire of the classic 'Thin Man' series from the 1930s.

Scent: A musky essential oil that I get from Temple Slug or Phoenix Herb Co.

Designer: Right now I'm completely in love with Sue Wong. However, I've been fortunate to have several local designers design dresses for me to wear as Ruby Falls in Alacartoona ' props to Christel Highland of Pistol Threads, Laura McGrew of Tomboy Design, and De De Deville.

Shoes: Doc Marten 20-eyelet black leather lace-up boots.

Who cuts your hair? Ryon at Mood Swings salon in the Crossroads. She's so talented!

Shampoo: Whatever is in my shower and was probably on sale.

Accessory: I was given two new pairs of earrings for Christmas from a friend who is way more style-savvy than me, and I love both of them.

Exercise: Dancing with friends to a hot band.

Albums: Joni Mitchell's Blue and the Split Enz's Time and Tide come to mind. Right now I'm listening to Sondre Lerche's Faces Down.

Phoning or texting? No question: Texting for sure.

Facebook or Twitter? Facebook. I don't Twitter. ' I don't think I could keep up.

Quote: 'From this hour I ordain myself loos'd of limits and imaginary lines.' ' Walt Whitman.

Vacation spot: Next on my vacation wish list is Prague and Budapest.

Motto: My motto is based on something my mom told me before she passed away: 'Life is short ' live it now. Don't wait to do the things that make you happy, and stop doing things that don't.' Live now ' find joy!

link to article:

http://www.inkkc.com/node/16653

hello my loves,

for a limited time, alacartoona will be offering both of her cds for $5 apiece on cdbaby.com.  to take advantage of this sale price, you will need to order at least three cds from their $5 sale section.  ordering one copy each of "songs from the show" and "live on the air: kkfi radio" gets you 2/3 of the way there!

http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/alacartoona

maybe you have one of her cds and need the other.  or maybe you have both but are looking for a gift for a particularly libidinous friend.  possibly, you have loved alacartoona from afar but have never purchased her for your personal collection.  no matter the reason, this is your opportunity.  grasp it before it passes.

saturday, 30 january - 6:30 pm
night of indulgences at café sebastienne

come and indulge yourself. alacartoona will forgive you.

join alacartoona and café sebastienne for a sinful night of cabaret and french cuisine. chef jennifer maloney has prepared a very special menu of gallic decadence especially for this event. you may not be able to buy your way into heaven, but this night of food, fun and frolic will be the next best thing.

indulge in a special prix fixe menu with two drinks for $65. dinner starts at 6:30 pm and the show begins at 8:00 pm.

please come prepared to be loved.

call for tickets:  816.561.7740
view the menu at http://www.kemperart.org/cafe/cabaret.asp


café sebastienne at the kemper museum
4420 warwick blvd
kansas city mo 64111
http://www.kemperart.org/cafe/

night of indulgences - cabaret dinner with alacartoona
 in the beautiful cafe sebastienne courtyard at the kemper museum.

$65 ticket includes prix fixe menu, two glasses of wine or champagne and a brief glimpse of heaven.

4420 warwick blvd, kansas city, mo 64111
816-561-7740

come and indulge.  we'll forgive you.

join us for dinner and a show at californo's lovely, romantic bistro in historic westport. reservations recommended | http://www.californos.com | 816-531-1097

join us for dinner and a show at californo's lovely, romantic bistro in historic westport. reservations recommended | http://www.californos.com | 816-531-1097

join us for dinner and a show at californo's lovely, romantic bistro in historic westport. reservations recommended | http://www.californos.com | 816-531-1097

join us for dinner and a show at californo's lovely, romantic bistro in historic westport. reservations recommended | http://www.californos.com | 816-531-1097

join us for dinner and a show at californo's lovely, romantic bistro in historic westport. reservations recommended | http://www.californos.com | 816-531-1097

details to come

you know you're a fool for alacartoona. 

half price bottles of wine, beer specials and the $5 alacartini, "the tears of an angel, distilled in hell's cauldron."

warm on the outside, hot on the inside. 

half price bottles of wine, beer specials and the $5 alacartini, "the tears of an angel, distilled in hell's cauldron."

merry christmas, happy holidays, good will and good cheer!  alacartoona wishes you love and happiness in the new year.

from the very first day of 2009, when she was awarded her inspiration grant, to her final show of the year just over a week ago, alacartoona has been rushing forward with little time to rest or reflect.  monthly shows at jardine's; bi-monthly shows at californo's; private and public gigs throughout the city; a full-lenth movie shot, edited and released; a full-length play written, produced and staged--these are the products of her industry.

and now, alacartoona has entered a much-needed period of calm contemplation, of experimentation, of writing and thinking, of exploring and learning.  there is much to be done in 2010--music to record, tours to plan, more plays to stage--but for now, right now, reflection is the goal and the vehicle.

Apocalypse Meow will now be an annual benefit raising funds to go into a Musicans Health Care Fund for Kansas City Musicians in need of emergency medical funds. It is run by the Nonprofit organization Midwest Music Foundation so all donations will be tax deductible. We are doing all we can to help but it doesn't happen without your help as well.

For more information about Midwest Music Foundation please visit http://www.midwestmusicfound.org.

3rd Annual KC Arts & Entertainment Industry Holiday Blowout!

Sunday, December 6th 2009

6pm - Midnight Californos

4124 Pennsylvania KC, MO 64111

Come party with the stars and starlets of the KC Stage & Screen!

O Come all ye Theatrical & Artsy to the 3rd Annual Holiday Bash celebrating (Live) Artists in KC and those who support them!

Californos Bar

FREE Entry - Open Invitation

Lounge Act:  Marilyn Wood 6pm - 8:30pm

Dance Party w/ DJ Aaron Jones 8:30 - Midnight

----

Californos Ballroom (Door opens at 7:00)

$15 Cover

Cabaret Act with Alacartoona!  7:30p- 9:30pm includes Heavy Hors D'oeuvres Buffet 7:00pm

Tickets for Alacartoona & the food are available in advance.

Call 816.531.1097 or email staff@californos.com today to purchase your passes.

Please join Alacartoona and the cast and crew of "Night Is the Mirror" for a special film premier and DVD release on 17 October, 2009 at the Screenland Theatre at the Crossroads, Kansas City, MO.

The night will feature two showings of the film (7:00 PM and 9:30 PM), with a cocktail reception between for all ticket holders, during which Alacartoona will perform some of her newest compositions in a cabaret setting.  Both showings will include a Q&A with Alacartoona, co-producer Phil Kinen and director Brian Hicks.

DVDs will be available for sale. Doors open at 6:30pm with preshow activities and a cash bar.

“Night Is the Mirror” is a feature-length film that walks the shadowy border between reality and fantasy.  Set in a forgotten cabaret over the course of one night, music and dreams collide in live performances that aren’t live, interviews that don’t answer questions and journeys of great expanses with little progress.  The film was made possible by an Inspiration Grant from the ArtsKC Fund, and through the generous support of PresentMagazine.com, Screenland Theatre, Gravity-Ink and Outpost Worldwide.  Additional funding was provided by fans of Alacartoona.

 
For more information, please visit Alacartoona’s web site:
www.alacartoona.com/movingpictures/night-is-the-mirror.html

A Faustian cabaret, starring Alacartoona.  Directed by Phil Kinen.

Details soon!

A Faustian cabaret, starring Alacartoona.  Directed by Phil Kinen.

Details soon!

alacartoona's fringe fest debut!

the historic kansas city club is opening its doors for this year's fringe fest celebration.  for years the setting of opulent decadence and smokey backroom deals, the club's well-appointed environs will provide a succulent backdrop for alacartoona's saucy show.

alacartoona's fringe fest debut!

the historic kansas city club is opening its doors for this year's fringe fest celebration.  for years the setting of opulent decadence and smokey backroom deals, the club's well-appointed environs will provide a succulent backdrop for alacartoona's saucy show.

trails west!® is northwest missouri's largest arts festival, offering fabulous family entertainment for sixteen years. bring the kids and get some great art and music all over you!  free parking.  for more information: allied arts council 816-233-0231 or 800-216-7080.

join us for dinner and a show at californo's lovely, romantic bistro in historic westport. see you on their gorgeous deck! reservations recommended | http://www.californos.com | 816.531.1097

californo’s is throwing an oktoberfest party! details soon. reservations recommended | http://www.californos.com | 816.531.1097

moulin bloom 2009 event.

the iconic parisian playground comes to kc with a decadent splash of diamond-dropped dancers, silky beats, sideshows, cabarets and absinthe dreams. see the sights and sounds surrounding the stage and feel the grandeur of the midland by amc. patron sponsored chandelier reception 6 to 8 pm.

bloom is a fundraiser for the kc free health clinic providing free care to people in need. http://www.kcfree.org

join alacartoona for her monthly happy hour twilight show!

she has challenged herself to bring something new to the stage each month - a new song, spoken word piece or vignette or perhaps a guest artist. she has chosen jardine’s as her laboratory. (that would make you her little lab rat.)

she is also proud to present her signature cocktail, the ’alacartini’ aptly described as the tears of an angel distilled in hell’s cauldron. dinner, cocktails and love, from 5:30 to 7:30.

RESERVATIONS STRONGLY SUGGESTED

join alacartoona for her monthly happy hour twilight show!

she has challenged herself to bring something new to the stage each month - a new song, spoken word piece or vignette or perhaps a guest artist. she has chosen jardine’s as her laboratory. (that would make you her little lab rat.)

she is also proud to present her signature cocktail, the ’alacartini’ aptly described as the tears of an angel distilled in hell’s cauldron. dinner, cocktails and love, from 5:30 to 7:30.

RESERVATIONS STRONGLY SUGGESTED

join alacartoona for her monthly happy hour twilight show!

she has challenged herself to bring something new to the stage each month - a new song, spoken word piece or vignette or perhaps a guest artist. she has chosen jardine’s as her laboratory. (that would make you her little lab rat.)

she is also proud to present her signature cocktail, the ’alacartini’ aptly described as the tears of an angel distilled in hell’s cauldron. dinner, cocktails and love, from 5:30 to 7:30.

RESERVATIONS STRONGLY SUGGESTED

join alacartoona for her monthly happy hour twilight show!

she has challenged herself to bring something new to the stage each month - a new song, spoken word piece or vignette or perhaps a guest artist. she has chosen jardine’s as her laboratory. (that would make you her little lab rat.)

she is also proud to present her signature cocktail, the ’alacartini’ aptly described as the tears of an angel distilled in hell’s cauldron. dinner, cocktails and love, from 5:30 to 7:30.

RESERVATIONS STRONGLY SUGGESTED

join alacartoona for her monthly happy hour twilight show!

she has challenged herself to bring something new to the stage each month - a new song, spoken word piece or vignette or perhaps a guest artist. she has chosen jardine’s as her laboratory. (that would make you her little lab rat.)

she is also proud to present her signature cocktail, the ’alacartini’ aptly described as the tears of an angel distilled in hell’s cauldron. dinner, cocktails and love, from 5:30 to 7:30.

RESERVATIONS STRONGLY SUGGESTED

join alacartoona for her monthly happy hour twilight show!

she has challenged herself to bring something new to the stage each month - a new song, spoken word piece or vignette or perhaps a guest artist. she has chosen jardine’s as her laboratory. (that would make you her little lab rat.)

she is also proud to present her signature cocktail, the ’alacartini’ aptly described as the tears of an angel distilled in hell’s cauldron. dinner, cocktails and love, from 5:30 to 7:30.

RESERVATIONS STRONGLY SUGGESTED

join alacartoona for her monthly happy hour twilight show!

she has challenged herself to bring something new to the stage each month - a new song, spoken word piece or vignette or perhaps a guest artist. she has chosen jardine’s as her laboratory. (that would make you her little lab rat.)

she is also proud to present her signature cocktail, the ’alacartini’ aptly described as the tears of an angel distilled in hell’s cauldron. dinner, cocktails and love, from 5:30 to 7:30.

RESERVATIONS STRONGLY SUGGESTED