Dixon Place's HYPERBOLIC! (THE LAST SPECTACLE) Begins in July

Dixon Place's new commission of Monstah Black's HYPERBOLIC! (The Last Spectacle), a genre-crossing, provocative work is the centerpiece of the 2016 HOT! Festival, the 25th annual celebration of LGBTQ culture. The production will open on Friday, July 8th at 7:30 pm and will six performances only: July 8th, July 9th, July 15th, 16th, 22nd and 23rd at 7:30 pm at Dixon Place (161 Chrystie Street) during the world's longest running LGBTQ performance festival. Tickets for HYPERBOLIC! (The Last Spectacle) are $19 in advance, $22 at the door, $15 students / seniors / ID NYC and can be purchased by visiting www.dixonplace.org or by calling (866)-811-4111.

Choreographer, performer, educator, club superstar and 2015 Tommy Award winner Monstah Black - praised as "amazing, really" by the New York Times - returns to the Dixon Place stage with his newest creation, a musical noir that combines theatre, dance, fashion and music. Set in a dreamy post-apocalyptic semi-reality, HYPERBOLIC! (The Last Spectacle) imagines the very last party on earth. The story follows the adventures of a transgender explorer who in his travels confronts materialism, religion, substance abuse, narcissism, and sexual identity. The evening promises to be filled with glam gore, sensual debauchery, sinister characters and good old laughter.

Monstah Black is the creative force behind HYPERBOLIC! (The Last Spectacle). He has composed and mixed the show's original score, which combines elements of funk, rock, blues, gospel, ska, soul, and disco. He designed the costumes which are inspired by fashion from the 1950's, 60's, 70's and 90's club culture. Choreography, representative of Monstah's eclectic style, draws inspiration from such styles as postmodern release technique, 1990s voguing, physical theater, and Afro SloMotion.

Monstah Black will also perform in the piece, joined by: Joey Cuellar, Alicia Dellimore, Shiloh Hodges, Johnnie "Cruise" Mercer, and Benedict Nguyen.

Choreographer, dancer, musician and club hero Monstah Black has been presenting his unique blend of dance and performance art since 1999 in nightclubs, art galleries, theater spaces, and warehouses of New York City, around the U.S., and internationally. Known for his cultural grab-bag approach, he enjoys mixing influences from many sources and traditions. In choreography, he infuses modern dance with shades of disco, funk, burlesque, adding a dash of martial arts and the expressive acrobatics of Japanese Butoh. His presentations frequently feature spectacular costumes that are not just fashion, but also political statements (like his use of raw cotton in an ongoing project about the Black heritage or his gender-bending costumes for this production. Monstah has received numerous awards, including the 2015 Tom Murrin Performance Award, and his work has been awarded grants and fellowships from such leading arts institutions as BRIC Media Arts, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, American Music Center Live Music for Dance Program, and NYSCA. His dance film project Cotton is currently being fiscally sponsored by New York Foundation for the Arts. monstahblack.tumblr.com

This Dixon Place commission is made possible with public funds from NY State Council on the Arts with the support of Gov Andrew Cuomo & the NY State Legislature, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, & private funds from The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, The Peg Santvoord Foundation, The Jerome Foundation & Mertz Gilmore Foundation.

The Dixon Place Lounge is open before and after the show. Proceeds from the bar directly support Dixon Place's artists and mission.

Dixon Place is located at 161A Chrystie Street (between Rivington and Delancey), in Manhattan's Lower East Side (By subway: B/D to Grand, F to 2nd Ave, J/Z to Bowery, 6 to Spring St, M to Essex St).

Photo by Peter Yesley