Baroque meets drag in this unforgettable cabaret show! Pacific MusicWorks reprises its acclaimed production of An Evening with the Countess, featuring the spectacular bass-baritone John Taylor Ward as the eponymous titular character. Taylor says this about the production:

“What do Shakespeare, [Samuel] Pepys, Purcell, Handel, [André] Campra, [Nicola] Matteis, [Nicholas] Lanier, drag, opera, cabaret, cocktails, and brunch have in common?

The Countess is a character that has been with me even before I consciously knew or named her. She is an amalgamation of drag, classical music culture, and baroque performance practice. She has the enormous hair and impossible waist (If I do say so myself) of a high baroque aristocrat, the sensibilities of a grand twentieth-century diva, and the messiness of an after-hours open-mic. And, with camp and decadence, she winkingly plays on both registers of the parallel between opera and drag."

Also joining the production is dancer Tshedzom Tingkhye, who adds another layer to this fascinating production. Accompanied by a brilliant Baroque ensemble led by Pacific MusicWorks founding director (and Boston Early Music Festival co-artistic director) Stephen Stubbs, this show will give you a new perspective on the intimate grandeur of the 16th and 17th centuries.

John Taylor Ward, baritone | Cynthia Keiko Black, baroque violin | David Morris, viola da gamba | Stephen Stubbs, lute, baroque guitar, director | Maxine Eilander, harp | Henry Lebedinsky, harpsichord | Tshedzom Tingkye, dance | Anna Mansbridge, choreographer