Heartbeat Opera Premieres HOT MAMA, A Mixed Media Halloween Drag Show About Saving Mother Earth

Heartbeat Opera announces its 6th Annual Halloween Drag Extravaganza: HOT MAMA Singing Gays Saving Gaia.

Rendering of the Monster of Climate Collapse by Miodrag Guberinic From Director Ethan Heard: "Heartbeat's drag extravaganzas have always been celebrations of queerness-in and through opera. Every Halloween, we relish the opportunity to dress up in fabulous finery and explode the gender binary, and this year we're thrilled to partner with The LGBT Community Center where we'll present a special open rehearsal on October 24. While our past drag shows have been organized around a composer (Purcell, Handel, Mozart) or playful theme (Shakespeare, Greco-Roman mythology), HOT MAMA confronts the most urgent crisis of our time: climate collapse. For us, opera is not an escape from the world, but a way to live in it more fully. HOT MAMA is our joyful-and terrified-attempt to deal with our transforming planet, honor Mother Earth, revel in her beauty, combat despair with humor, and envision a brighter future.

HEARTBEAT OPERA's beloved, annual tradition of mixing opera, drag, and the art of pastiche returns to Roulette. The daring young indie opera company presents its sixth Halloween Drag Extravaganza, an original production that celebrates Mother Earth in all her beauty and biodiversity, entitled HOT MAMA: Singing Gays Saving Gaia. Three performances take place at Roulette in Brooklyn: Wednesday, October 30 at 8:00 p.m. and Thursday, October 31 at 7:00 p.m. followed by a late show at 9:30 p.m.

HOT MAMA explores our most urgent crisis through powerful performances and stunning costumes, staging the confrontation between Mother Nature and the Monster of Climate Collapse.

Ethan Heard, who founded the Yale School of Drag (which continues today) while a student at the Yale School of Drama, directs a cache of rising stars including John Taylor Ward (John Eliot Gardiner's international Monteverdi tour), Patrick Kilbride (Boston Early Music Festival, Monteverdi's Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria), Ariana Wehr (Kahua in the world premiere of Better Gods at Washington National Opera), drag queen Taurean Everett, and dancers Clinton Edward and Brendan Henderson.

Designer-extraordinare Miodrag Guberinic, who created last year's jaw-dropping Medusa look for Heartbeat, envisions costumes for the production-flaunting flora, fabulous fauna, and the terrifying Monster of Climate Collapse. Guberinic is the latest recipient of the prestigious Irene Sharaff Young Master Award; his costume artisan work can be seen in the current Broadway productions of Moulin Rouge, Frozen, and Mean Girls. He has created masks, headpieces, and specialty costumes for TV shows SNL, Gotham, Mrs. Maisel and The Tick, as well as looks for Madonna and Katy Perry. His work can be seen at miodragguberinic.com and miodesignstudio.com.

The show's choreographer is Eamon Foley (Broadway's Everyday Rapture). Lighting is by Masha Tsimring (upcoming production of The Diary of John Rabe composed by Tang Jianping at Staatsoper Berlin). Projection Design is by Nicholas Hussong (Skeleton Crew at Atlantic Theater Company).

The band consists of Jacob Ashworth (violin), Daniel Schlosberg (piano/harpsichord), Michaël Attias (saxophone), Hannah Levinson (viola), and cellist TBA.

Tickets from $30 at heartbeatopera.org/hot-mama

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