Braden Chapman's Mary, Like a Virgin Opens March 23

Mary, Like a Virgin, "a 90-minute tell-all confession by the Virgin Mary herself," will open March 23rd at Dillon's Lounge (254 West 54th  Street b/t Broadway and 8th Ave.).

"After 2000 years of praise, idolization and expectation the girlfriend of God and the mother of Christ is ready to tell her side of the story," according to press notes. "Through song and story, both legend and perceived reality, Mary shares the sometimes hazy details of her relationship with God, her adventures with Joseph, the deliverance of Christ, the aftermath of his death, her struggle with eating disorders, and a life in show business. 

"Usually blunt, always funny and sometimes inappropriate, Mary is a tour de force now forced to tour. Her music surpasses genre and decade as her repertoire includes pop, rock, musical theatre and rap. Described as following in the footsteps of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Kiki & Herb this new production of Mary, Like a Virgin is sure to question the strictest of beliefs and ask audiences just how well they know the people they pray to."

Mary, Like a Virgin is the result of a two-year journey by playwright/performer Braden Chapman, playing Mary in drag "with utmost honesty." The show has been developed through workshop productions in lounges and cabarets throughout Manhattan and Fire Island, notably at the Soho Playhouse in June of 2005. This production celebrates collaboration by two popular New York drag performers in the roles of director and playwright/performer. Daniel T. Booth, also known as his alter ego 'Sweetie' (To Wong Foo…) directs Chapman, otherwise 'Mimi Imfurst,' who writes and performs. Mary is joined on stage by her pianist Earl Weissman, played by Michael Pettry.

Chapman calls the show "an examination into religious texts and stories by a person who believes that questioning leads to spiritual fulfillment." An emerging drag artist in New York City he first became interested in Mary because of her statuesque presence that dominates most faiths, including those of non-Christian belief. "I wondered how she really felt, seeing as she lived in a world where men dominated the recorded history in relation to subject and authorship," said Chapman. "My primary interest is to use drag as a theatrical tool and I found inspiration in the works of Charles Busch, Harvey Fierstein, Charles Ludlam, John Cameron Mitchell and Justin Bond while developing this piece merging theatre, drag, cabaret and music performance."

Mary, Like a Virgin is produced by Eric H. Schwartz, TJ Micallef and Sanctuary Productions.

The show will be performed Thursday evenings at 9:00pm. Tickets are available through the show's website, www.virginmarylive.com or by calling TheaterMania at 212-352-3101.

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