Expect to sit onstage when the Hot Box Girls present the Houston premiere of their musical Crown Jewels. In town for a one-night two-show run, the group was founded by native Texan Rebecca Greenstein. Originally performing in operas and musical theater, Greenstein started the burlesque troupe after a stint in an opera. “I was cast in a production of Mozart’s The Impresario,” she tells us. “The libretto was rewritten as a 1930s comedy and my character’s role was changed from an opera diva to a burlesque diva. I had to research the art of burlesque for my character.” Greenstein liked what she found.
Crown Jewels is set in the late 1920s and incorporates “the song-and-dance era of vaudeville with a fun story line.” When asked about the choice to have the audience sit onstage during the performance, Rebecca explains, “Much of what we do onstage works best in an intimate setting, and you can’t get much more intimate than having the audience onstage with you.” 7 and 9:30 p.m. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, 615 Louisiana. For information, call 713‑227‑4772 or visit spahouston.org. $63 to $125.
Sat., Jan. 10, 7 & 9:30 p.m., 2015
This article appears in Jan 8-14, 2015.