Springtime in Nickyland
Curated & Hosted by Nicky Paraiso
In the spirit of rebirth, renewal, and the resurrection of the spirit, curator and host Nicky Paraiso addresses the current political and social climate in a serious attempt to investigate and celebrate the origins of cabaret. A cabaret in the early 20th century was an informal salón or safe place, as it were, where poets, artists and composers could share ideas and compositions, present new works-in-progress and decry the political ills of the day. Exemplary writers and performers extraordinaire are invited to respond to recent life-changing and transformational events while songs continue to be sung with entertaining consequence. Special guests joining Nicky for this season’s celebration include writer Laurie Stone, composer Gordon Beeferman, writer/storyteller extraordinaire Edgar Oliver, choreographer Yoshiko Chuma & The School of Hard Knocks (on video), performance artist George Emilio Sanchez and choreographer Raja Feather Kelly.
With Special Guests
Gordon Beeferman
Yoshiko Chuma & The School of Hard Knocks (video)
Raja Feather Kelly
Edgar Oliver
George Emilio Sanchez
Laurie Stone
Paul Hallasy
plus Surprise Guests
Nicky Paraiso has been Director of Programming at The Club at La MaMa since 2001 and is also Curator for the annual La MaMa Moves! Dance Festival, which recently completed its twelfth season in May 2017. He has been an actor/performer in the NY downtown theater, dance and performance scene since 1979, working with actor/playwright Jeff Weiss and composer/visual artist Richard C. Martinez, Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble, Yoshiko Chuma & The School of Hard Knocks, among many others. Nicky’s one-man shows (including Asian Boys, Houses and Jewels and House/Boy) have been presented at La MaMa, Dixon Place, BACA Downtown, Performance Space 122, Dance Theater Workshop, Pillsbury House Theater (Minneapolis), the 4th Int’l Festival of Cabaret (Mexico City), the KO Festival (Amherst College), Dublin Theatre Festival and the Initiation Performance Festival in Singapore (both in 2007). Paraiso’s awards include a 1987 New York Dance & Performance BESSIE Award and the 2012 BAX Arts and Artists in Progress Arts Manager Award. Nicky will present a new dance-theater work, now my hand is ready for my heart: intimate histories, to premiere at La MaMa’s Ellen Stewart Theatre in March 2019.