Creative Cauldron Presents Torches, Tears & Tiaras

Get ready for a “tantalizing trip through the trials and tribulations of the tricky road that is the female psyche,” according to actress Mary Payne Omohundro. Tonight, she will take the stage at ArtSpace Falls Church in the cabaret performance Torches, Tears & Tiaras as part of Creative Cauldron’s FOURTHWall Cabaret Series.

“It is our (a woman's) prerogative to sip a glass of Chardonnay and change our minds while wearing sweatpants, an old T-Shirt and a tiara,” Omohundro said.

“Women fall in love with men for some strange reasons and stay with them for even crazier reasons. Or perhaps we are just trying to figure out the reason why we love or loved that certain man and still need to figure out what to do about it. Perhaps we are simply trying to figure out why he left and hoping he will come back. We will sit around with our friends in our sweats, acting like princesses and sipping wine, laughing, crying and just trying to figure it all out.”

Omohundro will perform songs such as “The Man that Got Away,” “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” and “On the Steps of the Palace” and will be accompanied by pianist Alfredo Pulupa. Most of the songs are Broadway-style from the 1940s through the 1990s.

“You may notice an art song in the mix, but they are all quite consistent with the theme,” she said. “I grew up singing a lot of the music that Judy Garland sang, so there are some oldies but goodies in the mix along with some that are a bit more contemporary and much of it quite recognizable.”

Omohundro has been singing since high school. She has also performed in many professional group cabarets including at Round House Theatre and Signature Theatre, but this is her first solo performance.

“When the opportunity came up with Creative Cauldron, I jumped at it,” she said. “My sister, Linda Rose Payne, was very instrumental in helping me put this show together. She is also a singer, and perhaps in the future, we will do one together.”

This is Omohundro’s third Creative Cauldron performance. She played Muddy in the Helen Hayes recommended performance last fall after an 8-year hiatus in musical theatre. She just performed in The Best of Broadway Cabaret on July 7, which was the first FOURTHWall Cabaret Series performance of the season.

The actress said she is looking forward to singing some of her favorite songs and sharing them in such a perfect venue.

“Come on out, bring your friends and family and sit back and listen - sing along if you want to,” she said. “It will be a fun and relaxed evening of good music, good friends and good wine.”

Saturday, July 14, 8 p.m.; $18-$20
410 South Maple Ave.; (571) 239-5288