Aka Cabaret is turning Anthem Orlando into a pink-hued, rose-festooned celebration of love and community with its variety show Love Is Love running three days this week (Thursday, Saturday & Sunday, March 26-29, Anthem Orlando, 100 N. Orange Ave., $40-$60).
Founded by Daniel Perez, Aka Cabaret is a budding pan-genre troupe looking to redefine nightlife with high-energy, high-quality productions.
Perez tells Orlando Weekly that a love-themed concept has been in development for quite some time. “It’s something that’s been bubbling for me, but I found the right people to collaborate with,” Perez says. “Theater, art, cabaret and music, and everything we’re doing as part of the show is really collaborative.”
Achieving Perez’s goal of a cabaret-style variety show celebrating the community required a cohesive ensemble. “Love is such a broad topic that I wanted to make sure that we had a specific point of view on it,” Perez says. “That’s where we landed on Love Is Love, to make it about celebrating all forms of love, but also centering it on queer art.”
Love Is Love features artists and performers carefully curated to create the show Perez dreamed of. Musicians Mimi Batista and Cesar De La Rosa join violinist Peter Vawter to create an immersive musical experience, all hosted by local drag queen Daisy Dior.
Perez explains that Dior serves as a guide through the show. “When we were creating the show, I knew I wanted a drag element to be part of this. It’s not just about the music. It’s going to make you feel, but Daisy is going to guide you through the night.”
Dior, meanwhile, tells OW that the diverse manifestations of love make the show a connective experience. “‘Love’ is love in your community, love in your neighbor, love of the art form, [it’s] all-encompassing, all aspects of love,” Dior says. “It’s not just necessarily love between two people, but incorporating it into a broad spectrum.”
Love Is Love features songs from seminal queer artists like Elton John, Sam Smith, Kim Petras and Billie Eilish. “We really looked to twist expectations,” Perez says. “There are some really fun arrangements of songs that you already know. Our opening number is a very well-known Lady Gaga song, but we’re taking a point of view that is really campy and jazzy.” Additionally, Vawter will reinterpret pop hits with solo violin arrangements.
Perez sets the scene, explaining that walking into Love Is Love, attendees will be illuminated with pink lighting and upbeat music. “The very beginning of the show is Daisy and the singers coming out and doing [the] opening number,” Perez says. “That just tells you you’re in good hands.”
Perez praises the performers’ artistry, emphasizing that each engages the audience uniquely. “Each one of the artists has a couple of solo moments in the show,” Perez says. “I’m really, really excited to see them connect with the audience and bring their own spin on the songs that they’re presenting.”
Perez and Dior emphasize that Anthem’s intimacy is perfect for the atmosphere that Love Is Love aims to create.
“It’s not like we’re in this giant massive theater where people are scattered everywhere,” Dior says. “They’re all going to be in there, and then they could eventually connect with the table next to them, or the person next to [them at] the bar. Who knows, friendships could blossom, or someone single comes to the event and they meet another person who’s single. There’s so much that could blossom from this because it’s surrounded by love.”
Dior’s favorite part of the show is a romantic interpretation of a drag staple. “Traditionally, at a drag show, you’re handing the queen a dollar,” Dior says. “We have a moment where everyone is going to be able to tip with a rose. They can place the rose [behind] your ear, they could place it on the collar of your shirt, or up a sleeve.”
The immersiveness of Love Is Love fosters connections among the audience through music and dance. “The very end of the show is a huge disco party, essentially,” Perez says. “Our goal is to bring everyone together. And I know that … everyone’s going to remember getting an opportunity to dance together and be part of that.”
At its core, Love Is Love is an experience designed to entertain and comfort. “I think of entertainment as like medicine for the soul,” Perez says. “I really want folks to feel that relief.”
Dior says that community engagement is crucial right now, and Love Is Love aims to foster that. “Orlando, I mean, it’s struggling in a sense of queer-friendly spaces and just spaces in general,” Dior says. “What we do is to bring safety, respect and love to our communities. This show will be really nice for the Orlando scene.”
