Calvin Anderson News

It feels in many ways poetic that both the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and the 200th anniversary of Walt Whitman's birth fall on the same year. That's precisely where The Bearded Ladies Cabaret comes in. The Philadelphia-based experimental cabaret troupe is part of La MaMa's STONEWALL 50 celebrations, joining a group of LGBTQ+ artists from around the globe. The Beards' contribution is the New York premiere of their CONTRADICT THIS! A BIRTHDAY FUNERAL FOR HEROES, which---spoiler alert---starts as a birthday party for 'much-lauded homo poet' Walt Whitman and descends into a trial, taking on Whitman's problematic political views, our imperfect heroes, and cancel culture as a whole.

Cake, coffin, gavel, choir, composers, live musical trolling! On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the much lauded poet Walt Whitman's birth, a group of Philly queers and misfits known as The Bearded Ladies Cabaret gathers to put this ancestor and his legacy on trial. Should Whitman be canceled? Can he be? Come with friends, complaints, heroes and villains alike. All are welcome. Presented by La MaMa, the New York premiere performances will take place in the Ellen Stewart Theater (June 20 - 29).

Contradict This! A Birthday Funeral for Heroes will take place as part of Stonewall 50 at La MaMa, a month-long celebration of World Pride with exciting voices from around the globe and down the block, featuring multiple generations of queer performers as they pose questions, honor legacies and ignite the present.

OSCAR at The Crown, a new immersive nightclub musical celebrated its official opening night last night.

OSCAR at The Crown, a new immersive nightclub musical, will celebrate its official opening night tonight, Thursday, May 30, 2019 at 3 Dollar Bill (260 Meserole Street, Brooklyn, NY). From the minds of performance collective, The Neon Coven, OSCAR at The Crown was created by Mark Mauriello, features music and choreography by Andrew Barret Cox, and direction by Shira Milikowsky. The immersive musical returns for an open-ended run after a sold out and critically acclaimed run January February.

Cake, coffin, gavel, choir, composers, live musical trolling! On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the much lauded homo-poet Walt Whitman's birth, a group of Philly queers and misfits known as The Bearded Ladies Cabaret gathers to put this ancestor and his legacy on trial. Should Whitman be canceled? Can he be? Come with friends, complaints, heroes and villains alike. All are welcome. Presented by La MaMa, the New York premiere performances will take place in the Ellen Stewart Theater (June 20 - 29).

Cake, coffin, gavel, choir, composers, live musical trolling! On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the much lauded homo poet Walt Whitman's birth, a group of Philly queers and misfits known as The Bearded Ladies Cabaret gathers to put this ancestor and his legacy on trial.

Parity Productions, the New York based theater company dedicated to producing new work and filling at least 50% of the creative positions (playwrights, directors, and designers) with women and/or trans and gender nonconforming (TCNG) artists, has announced the full cast and crew for their world premiere production of Charlie's Waiting by Melisa Annis, Parity's 2017 Commission Winner, as well as an extension of the run. Charlie's Waiting will now play March 28 through April 20 at Theaterlab (357 W 36th St, New York, NY 10018) hosted by TLab Shares. The cast is led by Tony nominee Xanthe Elbrick (Broadway: Coram Boy, Candida), and features Stephanie Heitman (A Snowfall in Berlin), and Amy Scanlon (Balladeers Play to the Moon) and is directed by Parity Productions Artistic Director, Ludovica Villar Hauser. 

Schimmel Center at Pace University continues its 2018-19 Dance Series with the return of Battery Dance on Thursday, February 28, 2019 at 7:30pm. The evening's repertoire is characterized by choreography and music inspired by worldwide sources, reflecting American society and its multiplicity of cultures, with contributing artists including Silk Road Ensemble member Kevork Mourad, Grammy Award winner Kinan Azmeh, and Battery Dance Founder and Artistic Director Jonathan Hollander. In addition, choreographer Tadej Brdnik will present the world premiere of his new work, The Red Line.

Point Park University's Conservatory Theatre Company presents 42nd Street, the timeless and beloved, Tony Award-winning Broadway musical that promises to keep you singing and dancing along with the cast.

A National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere of Mermaid Hour: ReMixed opens at Mixed Blood on April 6th, 2018. This new chamber musical explores the gender continuum through the prism of a prepubescent transgender biracial girl. Written by David Valdes Greenwood, the show tells the story of how working class parents Pilar and Bird face the cracks in their marriage, their opposing parenting styles, and their fears as they negotiate their daughter's gender transition. Meanwhile, she navigates puberty, her first crush, and the possibility that YouTube holds all the answers. Original score written by Eric Mayson.

Award-winning and critically-acclaimed Astoria Performing Arts Center presents Veil'd - a world premiere play that tells the story of Dima, a 16-year-old girl with a rare skin condition.

Fadi Khoury's FJK DANCE returns to New York Live Arts with two premieres and repertory in two different programs, Thursday, Sept. 14 and Friday, Sept. 15 at 7:30pm. The company's fourth annual season presents a contemporary fusion of culture and dance: ballet to ballroom, Middle Eastern to jazz, an international blend featuring new and exciting collaborations, live music, projection design, and new choreography.

Fadi Khoury's FJK DANCE returns to New York Live Arts with two premieres and repertory in two different programs, Thursday, Sept. 14 and Friday, Sept. 15 at 7:30pm. The company's fourth annual season presents a contemporary fusion of culture and dance: ballet to ballroom, Middle Eastern to jazz, an international blend featuring new and exciting collaborations, live music, projection design, and new choreography.

Fadi Khoury's FJK DANCE returns to New York Live Arts with two premieres and repertory in two different programs, Thursday, Sept. 14 and Friday, Sept. 15 at 7:30pm.

Fadi Khoury's FJK DANCE returns to New York Live Arts with two premieres and repertory in two different programs, Thursday, Sept. 14 and Friday, Sept. 15 at 7:30pm.

On the heels of their two-month, 31-city tour of China, Fadi J. Khoury's FJK Dance will return to NYC on Tuesday, June 13 in "A Fusion of Culture and Dance, A Message of Peace" at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, 7pm (68th street between Lexington and Park Avenues).

On the heels of their two-month, 31-city tour of China, Fadi J. Khoury's FJK Dance will return to NYC on Tuesday, June 13 in "A Fusion of Culture and Dance, A Message of Peace" at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, 7pm (68th street between Lexington and Park Avenues).

Point Park University's Conservatory Theatre Company presents Sweet Charity, a classic American musical based on the Federico Fellini film, The Nights of Cabiria, about finding genuine love in a world of deceit. With big, brassy numbers and Fosse-esque choreography, Sweet Charity is a pivotal show that has defined jazz musicals. 

Fadi Khoury's FJK DANCE will bring 10 company dancers to China, kicking off the company's first extended international tour to the Far East, February 28 to April 30. The eight-week multi-city tour will present three FJK DANCE repertory works, Take Two, Echoes and Dum Tak, in 31 Chinese cities including Wuhan, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wenzhou, introducing FJK's unique blend of ballroom, ballet, jazz and Middle Eastern dance to new international audiences. The company's multicultural approach to the medium will be presented in more than 30 theaters throughout the run.