Avarey's devotion to her musical idol could put most dedicated "Swifties" to shame.
Consider how she describes the first time she heard a recording of the artist. "It was like a musical revelation! It was like an ease, like an opening, like — oh! — the possibility of freedom!" she shrieks gleefully.
The object of her worship is not Taylor Swift — but one Elvis Aaron Presley.
Avarey is the sole character in Juggerknot Theatre Company's one-woman immersive show Conjuring the King.
Actors Susie K. Taylor and June Raven Romero will alternate in the role of Avarey, president of the fictional Miami Elvis Fan Club.
The show is in the same vein as Juggerknot's Miami Motel Stories, which made use of old hotels as performance spaces.
Here's how it works: once you buy a ticket, you're invited with 14 other ticket holders — "fans" — to an exclusive meeting of the club. The location is undisclosed until you receive your "invitation" via email.
Once there, Avarey is there to guide you through what the producers call "a unique journey through the heart of Elvis mania."
READ MORE: 'A hub of hope': What Miami means to Florida Grand Opera's new interim director
But Juggerknot Theatre founder and artistic director Tanya Bravo says the piece goes far deeper than a typical Elvis tribute show.
"We really dive into the themes of what it means to be a fan," she says.
While the show was still in rehearsal, Bravo says Juggerknot had a bit of a "life imitates art" experience. A number of Elvis fans emailed the producers, asking why they had not registered their "club" with Graceland, the business entity that handles Elvis's estate.
Bravo explained to them it was merely a show.
"That was really funny and interesting," she says. "And now we're going to do a podcast with some of these fans."
IF YOU GO
Conjuring the King
Juggerknot Theatre Company
WHEN
Friday, March 1 – Sunday, Apr. 28
Wednesday – Sunday (2 shows per evening)
Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday:
7:00pm & 9:20pm
Fridays & Saturdays:
7:30pm & 9:45pm
WHERE
Secret location in Little River section of Miami
For tickets and more information, visit:
Juggerknottheatre
