photos by makenna jacobs
Article by: Matthew Green | Photos by: Noel Vasquez | YouTube Theater
On a large screen, a burning candle appears and faeries call out and beckon the audience to come into the void. After the faeries call, there’s a fade to black, then from out of the darkness, Melanie appears as the creature, Cry Baby, back from the dead with her entourage of faerie dancers to pronounce her rebirth with the opening track “DEATH”, a powerful introduction filled with flashing lights and hundreds of candles melting on screen as the creature and faeries sang and danced for an electric crowd.
Noel Vasquez / YouTube Theater
Afterwards the powerful “VOID”, a song detailing the rejection of societal expectations and personal insecurities, blasts the audience with a thundering bass line and hypnotic choreography, while on screen, burrowing through a tunnel filled with alien-like tentacles and growths, escaping through this void as we spiral into a magical wonderland filled with beautiful scenery and creatures. Throughout the Portals experience, we are transported from one magical place to the next, each with vastly different scenery and stories to tell.
Noel Vasquez / YouTube Theater
While the visuals were great, Melanie’s performance was magnificent. Her voice is powerful, and emotive, truly embodying the spiritual, faerie force that is Cry Baby. Combining her voice with the dancing is mythical and captivating. A great example of this is the song “EVIL” which packs a fiery punch of strength and vulnerability. She and the rest of the faeries dancing act as an extension of all the magical visual elements throughout the show; During “SPIDER WEB” the group of faeries combine to create a spider form as they dance against a giant spider web hanging from above.
Noel Vasquez / YouTube Theater
The crowd danced and sang loud to every song word for word. At one point, everyone pulled out their phone’s light to create what looked like a wave of fireflies or spores dancing in the air; the energy the audience emitted was palpable. The crowd became a part of the magic, transporting us into the world of Cry Baby to sing and dance the faerie songs together.
Noel Vasquez / YouTube Theater
Melanie Martinez, as Cry Baby, put on a whirlwind of an experience with her faerie vocals and boundless energy; through dazzling visuals, fun and whimsical choreography, the world of Cry Baby created and embodied by Melanie Martinez's thrilling performance was a magical night to be remembered by all for many years.
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