Hoosier artists team up for virtual performance in “La La Love”
After a year of show cancellations and darkened theatres due to the coronavirus pandemic, Klein & Alvarez Productions, LLC, under its Magic Thread Cabaret brand, is excited to provide stage time to a pair of homegrown artists for a special virtual show to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Friends and fellow New York theatre performers Cory Lingner and Melissa Schott will star in “La La Love,” presented on the mainstage and in association with Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre, to be livestreamed on February 11 and available on demand February 12-14, 2021. Here’s their conversation with Amber on this morning’s Indy Style!
“La La Love”
Livestream on Thursday, February 11 at 8:00 p.m.
Tickets for the livestream are $20. The show will be available on demand February 12,13 and 14 for $25. Buy tickets at magicthreadcabaret.com or phoenixtheatre.org. “La La Love” is sponsored by Noble Consulting and Frank and Katrina Basile. Multicamera video production is provided by Lingner Video & Design, LLC.
Melissa Schott grew up in New Palestine, Indiana and is an accomplished actor, singer, dancer and choreographer. Prior to the pandemic, she enjoyed portraying the infamous Mae Clarke in the pre-Broadway production of “Cagney the Musical” at Pioneer Theatre Company in Salt Lake City. She was also a featured dancer for Randy Skinner in “Make the Season Bright” at the Beacon Theatre in New York. Other past credits include “42nd Street” at Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine, “Thoroughly Modern Millie” at Riverside Theatre in Vero Beach, Florida, and Cirque du Soleil’s touring show “Banana Shpeel.” Schott was invited to perform as a featured soloist at the Adrienne Arsht Center’s 11th Annual Gala, “A Celebration of Women in the Arts,” alongside Chita Rivera, Rita Moreno, Gloria Estefan, and Vanessa Williams. Quickly thereafter, she was invited to be a featured soloist at Carnegie Hall’s Medal of Excellence Gala honoring Adrienne Arsht at The Plaza Hotel. Through her symphony concert work, she has been a featured soloist across the U.S. and Canada in the symphony pops concert, “Classic FM,” with Maestro Jack Everly. She is a choreographer and tap-dance instructor in New York, where she lives with her husband Aaron and their Yorkie family. For a full bio, visit her website at melissaschott.com.
Cory Lingner grew up in Indianapolis, where he started dancing at age four and later on stage at Carmel’s University High School, before graduating in 2009. He went on to earn a degree in musical theatre performance from the prestigious Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre at University of Oklahoma. Based in New York, his Broadway credits include “Carousel,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “An American in Paris,” and “On the Town.” He was cast as The Jester in the Off-Broadway revival of “Once Upon A Mattress,” which earned him an Astaire Award nomination. On TV, Lingner has appeared on Saturday Night Live, Tony Awards, Today Show, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Hulu’s “The Battery’s Down.”
Dustin Klein and Tom Alvarez founded Klein & Alvarez Productions, LLC in 2015. Two years later, they debuted Magic Thread Cabaret with the mission of “Connecting Songs to the Soul” via the intimate and urbane cabaret art form by providing practical financial support, promotion and exposure for the artists who bring it to life on stage. The nonprofit series is fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas, the New York-based nonprofit technology company that provides business tools for artists. Past highlights include selling out houses at The Cat in Carmel for “Cory Lingner: Just a ‘Dancer,’” exceeding the box-office record they previously set with “Katy Gentry: Judy Garland LIVE!” Klein and Alvarez’s partnership began when they produced the best-selling show of IndyFringe Festival 2016, “Calder, The Musical.” They turned that workshop presentation into a full-length musical in January 2017 and are currently working to present the show in other markets. For more highlights, reviews and news, visit magicthreadcabaret.com.
Klein & Alvarez Productions, LLC, which values inclusiveness, diversity and exceptional artistry, seeks to provide performance, income-building and educational opportunities for local artists. We believe that music, drama and dance can transform lives and enlighten society through art that is uplifting, compelling and entertaining.