New Musical XTRAVAGANZA To Bring True Story Of Vogue Trailblazer To The Stage

XTRAVAGANZA, a new musical in development, is moving forward with an invited workshop presentation in New York. The project features music and lyrics by Khiyon Hursey, a book by R. Eric Thomas, choreography by Kyle Abraham, and direction by Tony Award nominee Stevie Walker-Webb.

Bill Sherman serves as music supervisor, working alongside LA-based producers Matthew Campfield and Daniel Klein of Some Randoms and workshop music director and conductor Patrick B. Phillips.

Inspired by the life and career of José Xtravaganza, an influential figure in New York City’s ballroom scene whose artistry helped define and popularize voguing, the musical traces his experiences in the 1980s and 1990s. The piece incorporates original music, ballroom vocabulary, and a theatrical narrative centered on resilience, community, and the development of an art form that has shaped global culture.

The workshop company includes Jackson Kanawha Perry, Samora la Perdida, Angel Lozada, Amuri Nabeel, Luis Herrera, Amara Gisele Xtravaganza, Sis Thee Doll, Nesziah Dennis, Cedric Leiba Jr., Kya Azeen Thomas, Maximo Xtravaganza, Ernest Allen, Bryce Farris, Michael Samarie George, Darius “Zenith” Case, Justin Thomas Rivers, Dava Huesca, Isabella Xtravaganza, Caleb Bermejo, and Kevin JZ Prodigy. Several participants come directly from the ballroom community, including members of the House of Xtravaganza, the Iconic House of Miyake-Mugler, Haus of Telfar, International House of Unbothered Cartier, and the Iconic House of Juicy Couture.

The workshop is being presented in association with Baltimore Center Stage at Gibney Studios, 890 Broadway, a venue with ties both to New York dance history and to José Xtravaganza’s early ballet training.

XTRAVAGANZA is produced by Isabel Kallman, Laura Mayes, Craig Kallman, and Kurt Deutsch, with Bespoke Theatricals serving as general manager.