Natural cha-Riz-ma
Rizo returns to Newport for two fabulous nights
By Gretchen Ammerman
Oregon Coast TODAY
Rizo, the diva of delightful display, invites you to climb aboard her electric ark and sail away during a new show of music, spectacle and story at the Newport Performing Arts Center this Friday and Saturday, May 23 and 24.
“I’ve worked with some new design collaborators and the results are pretty exciting,” she said. “I have a real boat, we set sail and there’s even a storm. Then our boat turns into a life raft and we go to the ‘end of the world’ and find rebirth in a land of flowers, abundance and joy.”
One year since her last Newport performance, Rizo, aka Amelia Zirin-Brown, returns a whole year wiser than last and with a lot to say. Come and experience cabaret in its finest form, and let Rizo cradle you in her tiny palms.
“What I like to do when creating a new show is to respond to the moment in time,” she said. “I like to ask myself what I’m needing and if that might be true for a lot of other people, too. There is such a daily onslaught of ideas right now in particular. I like to see how far we can go and find the land of our dreams where we can find compassion and kindness and start again from there. I feel that is so needed right now.”
The New York Times once referred to Rizo as “SENSATIONAL… A fierce but kindhearted fusion of comedy, burlesque, performance art and rock ‘n’ roll.” Taking a cue from Édith Piaf, she fully embraces the role of chanteuse. In recordings, she is a mysterious figure, a siren ushering you through tableaus of heartbreak, lust and the murkiness in between.
This international cult favorite’s stage shows bring her powerhouse vocals together with seductive storytelling and wild hilarious audience experiments. Rizo is a provocateur with an electric wit, and has been called a “diva par excellence” by The Guardian. In the studio she has collaborated with Moby, Reggie Watts and Yo-Yo Ma; whose album “Songs of Joy & Peace,” which features Rizo, won a Grammy Award.
“In this show I will, as usual, sing a mix of originals and covers, including some fun songs people will know like ‘Pirate Jenny’ and the Black Sabbath song ‘War Pigs,’” she said. “The last time I sang that song was with Moby at a PETA benefit.”
Presented by Pacific Dance Ensemble, the show promises spectacle but not clear definition.
“I call it cabaret even though it's a hodgepodge of things presented to you by a glamorous sex clown,” she said. “Of course I want my audiences to have fun, but I also want to create a space for people that makes you think and review life choices and feel connected to the people around you.”
Rizo recently starred in a successful Seattle Teatro Zinzanni winter run.
“I actually said no at first because I had just cleared my schedule to take a break,” she said. “It’s a lot of work putting my shows on, from set design to costume design and song preparation. Plus I rehearse in front of audiences, which is brave but stupid. I realized that maybe I was doing things the same just out of habit, and having a more structured situation would still give me a break, just a different kind of one. It was definitely exhausting, though. I’ve really learned the power of acupuncture”
Performing alone or as a group are both ways that Rizo fulfills her destiny.
“My need to perform feels like showing up for what I was put on Earth to do,” she said. “I don’t say that out of hubris, just that early on in life I had an understanding of what my life’s purpose is and I am so very grateful for that.”
Rizo will take to the stage at 7:30 pm on both Friday, May 23, and Saturday, May 24. Tickets are $28.75 to $44.25. To help ensure an enjoyable experience for all, guests are asked to consider attending fragrance-free in support of those with allergies and sensitivities.
The Newport Performing Arts Center is located at 777 W Olive Street. For more information, go to coastarts.org or call 541-265-2787.