A new cabaret and dinner experience, "All is Fair in Love & War," is premiering at Union Restaurant in Oroville.
Director Stevie Saffen said she poured her heart into creating the show, which is based on her personal experiences. It premiers tonight and runs through the weekend.
Saffen said she felt inspired to write the script after a recent break up while living in the mountains near Mendocino.
"I felt inspired, after a few years of solitude from my family and friends, to start writing about my experiences and the experiences that I had witnessed of others as we're going through love and heartbreak and the places that we sort of push ourselves," Saffen said.
The cabaret will feature an eight-piece live band that will play a selection of songs selected by Saffen, including tracks by Barbara Streisand, ABBA, and Connie Francis.
Show choreographer Eva Meea said she collaborated closely with Saffen to bring her vision to life.
"She's done a really incredible job of creating a show about really heavy-hearted topics, but making it light and entertaining and fun and whimsical," Meea said.
Saffen spent nearly an entire year working on “All Is Fair in Love and War” and has high hopes for its reception.
“I think about accessible art, it's always about this sense of creating something that feels like it's for everyone,” she said.
She hopes the show evokes a range of emotions and encourages audience members to reflect on their deepest feelings of love.
“My biggest goal is that I hope people tap into the time in their life when they loved someone the deepest and that they feel, within this show, the range of emotions that come just from one emotion,” she said.
There will be a pre-dinner show before the cabaret begins. That event will feature local musicians the Samaria Duo, a tin-type photo booth and a raffle.
Formal attire is encouraged. Union will have cocktails and an appetizer menu available throughout the show. Tickets can be purchased on Union’s website.
