Living Legends at The Palm

Does everybody have a nice big chunk of Rosca, Three Kings bread, with coffee this Epiphany morning? (Don’t break a tooth on baby Jesus.) I read that Mexico City residents will spend 4 billion pesos on gifts for their kids today; Christmas just keeps on giving.

The Palm Cabaret has premiered a new show called Living Legends, which made its debut last Friday. The show features the incredibly talented Guadalajara native Mariana Vigueras Restelli, who brings a remarkable voice to the stage. This particular production pays homage to some of the most celebrated and, at times, the most challenging voices in music history, including Julie Andrews, Streisand, Cher, Whitney Houston, and more. Mariana’s voice sails up and over the highest notes with her extraordinary upper range acing Celine Dion. And her voice is powerful, unlike many sopranos. Mariana is charming and warm and, after some of the enormous stages she has sung upon – including Teatro Degollado, it was endearing to see her exhibit a touch of nervousness during her first show at The Palm. Cabaret is a completely different environment, where the audience is right there, just a few feet away, and such intimacy can be both thrilling and intimidating.

Brent Barrett and Bernie Blanks, a dynamic duo onstage, celebrate their life together in Islands in the Stream, currently at the Casa Karma Red Room. I will have more on this lovely show in a separate article soon.

The First Saturday of every month means a joyful fiesta with live music, freshly-made tacos, and an eclectic mix of tourists and ex-pat art lovers who come together to celebrate at Arte Vallarta Museo. Run and mark February 01 on your calendar for the next one.

I had the pleasure of reuniting with Brian de Lorenzo and John Amodeo who are visiting from Boston; we had not seen one another since 2019, so we had lots to talk about over coffee at Dee’s by the pier in Zona Romantica. John writes reviews for various magazines on the East Coast, including NiteLitfeExchange, so we had several shows to discuss that are happening in Vallarta while they are in town.

Tune in tomorrow morning to learn about a new dance class happening every Sunday in Centro, dinner with dear friends on the beach at Langostinos and the triumphant return of Hedwig and the Angry Inch at The Palm Cabaret. Bring coffee and leftover Rosca.