La MaMa's Series of One presents a Mr. Rogers-inspired Musical Children's Program for Adults in 2018
By: Rebecca Russo Jan. 23, 2018
Philadelphia's Bearded Ladies Cabaret returns to New York City with their brand new show, You Can Never Go Down the Drain: A Musical Children's Program for Adults in 2018, presented by La MaMa. Mr. Rogers always said: no matter how bad things are "you can never go down the drain." Using and abusing iconic songs from his children's show, Philadelphia's Bearded Ladies Cabaret put this idea to the test. For this workshop performance, expect a goldfish funeral, gay romps into the land of make-believe, and some earnest questions about irony. You Can Never Go Down the Drain runs for just four performances between February 3-9 at La MaMa's First Floor Theater.
Well known for his children's program, Fred Rogers is less known as a prolific songwriter. Aside from "It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood," many of the songs he wrote for Mr. Roger's Neighborhood are memorable classics that provide a template for how to be a good person. You Can Never Go Down the Drain pays homage to both the musicianship and the message of Fred Rogers, while questioning the role of irony in 2018. "The Bearded Ladies are reclaiming some of the lessons Fred Rogers taught to us as children. Some lessons feel contemporary, some forgotten completely, and some are completely absurd. No matter how the show is, unlike when you were five, you can legally drink during this Fred Rogers program," says John Jarboe.
Written and performed by John Jarboe, You Can Never Go Down the Drain is music directed by Heath Allen who provides brand-new arrangements and accompanies Jarboe. The design is provided by Bearded Ladies resident costume designer Rebecca Kanach. Suli Holum, a co-founder of Pig Iron Theatre Company and co-Artistic Director of Stein | Holum Productions directs. The Bearded Ladies were last seen in New York in June 2017 when they brought their German Expressionist cabaretMarlene and the Machine to Joe's Pub and as part of Ars Nova's ANT Fest, where they previewed material for their upcoming performance installation Do You Want A Cookie? which will premiere in Philadelphia in Sept 2018 before touring a version to New York. You Can Never Go Down the Drain is their La MaMa debut.
Series of One is a platform for provocative, challenging solo performances presented at La MaMa during our 56th season, which is centered around storytelling and personal narratives. These courageous artists exemplify La MaMa's mission by continuing to create adventurous and engaging art which allows audiences to experience the dynamism of a single performer--no distractions.
The Bearded Ladies Cabaret is an interdisciplinary troupe of artists who reinvigorate and redefine the form of cabaret in the 21st century by fusing it with theater, opera, and dance. They play with nostalgia and humor to question the embedded social messages in popular culture and tackle the politics of gender, identity, and artistic invention with sparkle and wit. Their work has been seen all over Philadelphia including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Eastern State Penitentiary, Opera Philadelphia, the Wilma Theater, and FringeArts and they have brought their cabaret revolution to Miami, Seattle, Paris, Maryland and Delaware. In New York they have performed at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater and Ars Nova as part of ANT Fest.
La MaMa La MaMa is dedicated to the artist and all aspects of the theatre. The organization has a worldwide reputation for producing daring performance works that defy form and transcend barriers of ethnic and cultural identity. Founded in 1961 by award-winning theatre pioneer Ellen Stewart, La MaMa has presented more than 5,000 productions by 150,000 artists from more than 70 nations. A recipient of more than 30 Obie Awards and dozens of Drama Desk, Bessie, and Villager Awards, La MaMa has helped launch the careers of countless artists, many of whom have made important contributions to American and international arts milieus.
La MaMa's 56th season highlights artists of different generations, gender identities, and cultural backgrounds, who question social mores and confront stereotypes, corruption, bigotry, racism, and xenophobia in their work. Our stages embrace diversity in every form and present artists that persevere with bold self-expression despite social, economic, and political struggle and the 56th season reflects the urgency of reaffirming human interconnectedness.
You Can Never Go Down the Drain
February 3rd: 8pm
February 4th: 3pm
February 8th: 8pm
February 9th: 8pm
La MaMa at First Floor Theatre | 74A E 4th Street; 1st Floor
$20 Adult Tickets; $15 Student/Seniors (plus $1 Facility Fee)
Visit www.lamama.org or call (646) 430-5374 to buy tickets
Photo credit: Kate Raines
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