Joe’s Pub
425 Lafayette St. by Astor Pl.
Thursday, October 4, $15, 9:30
212-967-7555
www.joespub.com
We’ve been following the exciting transformation of Raquel Cion’s cabaret show Gilding the Lonely over the past few years, as it has traveled from the crowded confines of the Dixon Place lobby to the intimate stage at Joe’s Pub, each performance turning it into something more. For Thursday night’s encore presentation at Joe’s Pub due to popular demand, Cion (Cou-Cou Bijoux: Pour Vous) is promising another big step up. “Gilding the Lonely’s move to Joe’s Pub has been a huge joy. It’s such a beautiful room, and it has given us the chance to expand the show musically and theatrically,” Cion told us in a follow-up to June’s twi-ny talk. “The space itself is playful and can be very expansive while still being very intimate. The skill of the technicians and the staff allows artists to play and be free, and you know you’re lit and heard.” Among the songs people will hear in the show, which is directed by Amanda Duarte, are uniquely interpreted covers of David Bowie, Prince, the Rolling Stones, Dwight Yoakam, Tom Waits, and others, accompanied by Zecca Esquibel (Get Wet) on piano, Bill Gerstel (3 Teens Kill 4) on drums, and Ken “Kenball” Zwerin (Gigi & Pop) on upright bass. “So we can do grand gestures, like crawl on pianos, have hot men in gold hot pants, and give prizes to the audience — for August’s show they gave everyone in the audience birthday cake,” Cion notes. “We can be supremely glittery, silly, and showbiz while still opening one’s heart and making you feel like you are in conversation with each and every person in the audience. It is pure joy!”