'Blue Velvet' actress will return to Wilmington to perform one-woman show for Cucalorus

The last time Isabella Rossellini was in Wilmington, she starred in what's generally considered to be the best movie ever made here: David Lynch's 1986 masterpiece "Blue Velvet."

When Rossellini returns to the Port City this fall, things could get equally weird and wonderful.

On Nov. 19, Rossellini will perform her new one-woman show "Darwin's Smile" at Thalian Hall downtown as part of the 28th Cucalorus Film Festival, which runs Nov. 16-20 and recently announced its full lineup and schedule. Tickets for "Darwin's Smile" go on sale Oct. 10, and festival passes are on sale now.

“This is a very special moment for Cucalorus," festival director Dan Brawley said in a news release. "We have such deep respect for the visionary work of Ms. Rossellini. And of course, many are familiar with our fascination with David Lynch’s indie classic 'Blue Velvet.' Bringing these things together is really a dream come true for many of us.”

The performance is part of Cucalorus' long-running "Bus to Lumberton" series of event, tours and performances inspired by or related to "Blue Velvet."

Rossellini, 70, who's the daughter of the Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman and the Italian filmmaker Roberto Rossellini, started out as a model and has a long list of acting credits to her name. But she's probably best-known for her spine-tingling performance in "Blue Velvet," in which she plays a lounge singer named Dorothy Vallens who embarks on an affair with a college student (Kyle MacLachlan) that she tries to hide from her sadistic boyfriend, played by Dennis Hopper.

"Blue Velvet" was shot entirely in Wilmington, and it's like a time capsule of the city's gritty, mid-1980s vibe. Vallens' apartment in the film was in the Carolina Apartments at Fifth and Market streets, and in one shocking scene, Rossellini's character walks naked and abused through the streets of the Brookwood neighborhood.

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In more recent years, Rossellini has become known as something of a woman of science (she has a master’s degree in Animal Behavior and Conservation) and has begun blending it with art. Several short films she's directed, including "Green Porno," "Seduce Me" and "Mammas," have been hailed as comedic yet scientifically insightful looks at animal behavior and how that behavior relates to humans.

A similar thing is going on with "Darwin's Smile," her one-woman show, which aims to exist at the nexus of science and art and posits that we are perhaps most closely related to animals in the way we express emotions.

"During the Covid lockdown I had ample time to reflect about my passions for theater and science," Rossellini said in a news release. "It seemed that these two interests of mine were both distinct and separate: one satisfied my heart, while the other satisfied my brain. When I understood that they could be integrated, my heart and my brain finally became reconciled and harmonious."

"Darwin's Smile"was written by Rossellini and Gregorio Franchetti, and will be directed by Muriel Mayette-Holtz with costume and set design by Rudy Soulier and original music by Cyril Girouz.

WANT TO GO?

What: "Darwin's Smile," starring Isabella Rossellini, at the 28th annual Cucalorus Film Festival

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19

Where: Thalian Hall, 310 Chestnut St., Wilmington

Info: Tickets go on sale Oct. 10.

Details: For more information or to see the full Cucalorus schedule, go to Cucalorus.org.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Isabella Rossellini to do one-woman show in Wilmington for Cucalorus