THE LISBON TRAVIATA to Kick Off Pride Month with Brief Cameo Productions Reading

Brief Cameo Productions will kick off Pride Month with a celebration of the work and legacy of LGBTQ+ trailblazer, playwright Terrence McNally. For one night only - June 2, 2026 at 7pm - the company will present a reading of McNally's The Lisbon Traviata, featuring a cast of BCP favorites. General admission tickets are $30, and are on sale now.

The Lisbon Traviata centers on a revealing conversation between Stephen (Jacob Iglitzin, BCP's Master Class and The Drowsy Chaperone), a depressed literary editor and opera fanatic, and Mendy (Bryan Quinn, Sunday in the Park with George, and The Drowsy Chaperone), a flamboyant opera queen. The two dish late into the night, distracting Stephen from his failing relationship with hilarious riffs on opera records, Maria Callas, and more. But when Stephen returns home to confront his boyfriend Mike (Nathan Szymanski, Ragtime and Side Show) and his boyfriend's new - and considerably younger - lover Paul (Galen Donovan, The Drowsy Chaperone and Side Show), a tragedy begins to unfold on the scale of the grand opera he loves so much. The reading is directed by BCP Associate Producer Alan Piotrowicz, with stage directions read by Sydney Yargeau (Side Show).

For Szymanski and Donovan, this benefit performance is a chance to give back to a company that has seen them move from working backstage to presenting leading roles in productions. "I'm lucky enough to have been a production assistant for BCP's production of Ragtime," said Szymanski, "and a performer for their production of Side Show. During both experiences with the company, I've been able to collaborate with professionals and build connections that otherwise would have never come to fruition." Donovan, who also started his association with Brief Cameo as a Production Assistant on The Drowsy Chaperone, concurred. "Going from production to onstage with BCP was a wonderful experience. Seeing the way they work leading up to a show in the production meetings gave me a lot of insight as I was preparing myself to be onstage with them during Side Show, especially with such a unique process putting such a polished show together in one week's time.

On both sides of the table, BCP is an amazing company to work with and for."

The Lisbon Traviata reading serves as a fundraiser for the company, with money raised going towards their upcoming January production, the title of which will be announced at the company's Octoberfest Fundraiser on October 6th. Both events will take place at The Centerbrook Meeting House, 51 Main Street, Centerbrook, CT.

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