Montreal's Hart Barnwell Brings Erotic Cabaret Home After Berlin Debut
Théa Hart Barnwell, a Montreal native, is bringing her provocative cabaret spectacle Donna the Show to Théâtre Plaza this weekend, marking its homecoming after a successful premiere in Berlin last fall. The production represents a deeply personal journey for Hart Barnwell, who spent six years dancing in Berlin's renowned Friedrichstadt-Palast before returning to Montreal to create her own showgirl project.
A Personal Artistic Reawakening
After leaving her Berlin cabaret position four years ago, Hart Barnwell experienced what she describes as an internal crisis. "I realized I was crying from the inside," she revealed during an interview at Au Coin Café in Montreal's Mile End neighborhood. "Nothing makes me feel better than dancing. It's the most beautiful thing in the world."
Her artistic reawakening came during a contract performing as a showgirl on a cruise ship, which followed university classes and restaurant work back in Montreal. "When I was on the cruise ship, I remembered 'Oh, this is who I am,'" Hart Barnwell explained. "I want it to be part of my life for the next 20 years."
Donna the Show: A Contemporary Cabaret Vision
Donna the Show features four Montreal dancers—Kaia Portner, Elizabeth Parenteau, Maïka Martel, and Tessie Isaac—alongside two local pole artists, Minji Kim and Kheanna Walker. Hart Barnwell herself performs a solo number in the production, despite being five months pregnant with her first child.
"As a dancer, we approach our physicality differently," she noted about performing while pregnant. "For me there's nothing more natural than dancing."
The creator describes her vision as "contemporary, bold, and raw," merging her aesthetics with fashion and cinematography. Instead of traditional cabaret music, the show features tracks from trip hop artist Massive Attack, Berlin band Terranova, and opens with Daft Punk's Giorgio by Moroder—a tribute to disco producer Giorgio Moroder, who created Donna Summer's classic I Feel Love.
Weekend Entertainment Lineup
Beyond Donna the Show, Montreal offers several notable performances this weekend:
- Thievery Corporation performs Friday at Beanfield Theatre, bringing their distinctive blend of trip hop, hip hop, reggae, and electronica developed over three decades.
- WD-40 takes the stage Friday at Cabaret Lion d'Or, continuing their country-flavored punk-tinged alt-rock tradition that has built a faithful Quebec following since the 1990s.
- Ariane Roy presents her sophomore album Dogue Saturday at MTelus, showcasing a more electronic and intense direction than her debut work.
- & Juliet runs all weekend at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier of Place des Arts, offering a musical reinvention of Shakespeare's tragedy with songs from Swedish producer Max Martin.
Donna the Show performances are scheduled for 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM on Friday and Saturday at Théâtre Plaza on St-Hubert Street in Rosemont—La Petite Patrie. Tickets are available through theatreplaza.ca, while other events can be accessed via evenko.ca and cabaretliondor.com.
