Alanis Morissette is doing more than performing three decades of hits — she’s bringing them to life through an immersive theatrical experience.
The seven-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter launched her limited-run residency, Butterfly With a Machete, at YouTube Theater on Thursday — the first residency at the venue, marking the show as historic. Morissette has brought the production to Los Angeles following its sold-out debut in Las Vegas.
Known for putting the most complicated corners of the human experience into song, Morissette is taking that vulnerability a step further transforming her life and personal struggles into a musical autobiography of sorts.
The production is a lesson in trauma, empathy, self discovery and motherhood.
Credit: Steve Thrasher
Credit: Steve Thrasher
Credit: Steve ThrasherPart concert, part confessional and part stage play, Butterfly With a Machete takes audiences through Morissette’s journey from childhood in Ottawa, Canada, to international stardom.
Rather than simply moving from one song to the next, Morissette weaves storytelling and performance together through her monologues, filmed short stories portraying her as a young girl and skits acted out by the cast and crew of the show. Morissette revisits the defining moments that shaped her — at one point, even calling out famed actor Ben Affleck!
“I even had a guy ask me why I didn’t lead with my sexuality… Thanks Ben Affleck,” the singer-songwriter expressed as a visual of the actor’s head blew up on screen.
Morissette’s music serves as the production’s emotional backbone. Fans can expect career-defining hits like “You Oughta Know” and “Ironic,” alongside deep cuts and reimagined renditions of songs she hasn’t performed live in years. Through the music, the artist gets vulnerable, detailing the statutory rape and sexual exploitation by multiple men that she faced while conquering the music industry.
Credit: Steve ThrasherThe production is inexplicably unique, blurring the lines between a traditional concert and theatrical production.
Despite heavy topics, Morissette also highlights the good she’s experienced in her lifetime. The singer’s husband and three children even make a guest appearance, as Morissette details the honest highs and lows of motherhood.
The Los Angeles residency continues Nov. 10 and 11 at YouTube Theater. The production also coincides with the release of Morissette’s first holiday album, Good Weather for Immaculate Conception, featuring original songs and collaborations with Brandi Carlile, Martin Short, Steve Martin and others.
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