NO WIRE HANGERS: The Bearded Ladies and Dito van Reigersberg to Perform Mommie Dearest Pop-Opera

Don’t f*ck with me, fellas! This ain’t my first time at the rodeo!

I am willing to take bets that we’ll be hearing this line, plus many others, at the upcoming collaboration between The Bearded Ladies and Dito van Reigersberg. The dynamic duo will be camping it up for a two-performance-only special benefit aptly titled Mommie Queerest, where Bearded Ladies Artistic Director John Jarboe and van Reigersberg will fight to the finish (Bring me the axe!) to see who will star as Joan Crawford in their show within a show.

van Reigersberg and Jarboe.

Audience members are encouraged to come “dressed” for the occasion (there will be a runway fashion show.) But I wonder how you’d come dressed as Christina? Perhaps that’s a good question to ask van Reigersberg, whose alternate identity, the drag queen Martha Graham-Cracker, whose mug will be slathered with the iconic face cream we’ve all come to know and love from the film.

The Beards, the revolutionary cabaret company who infuse theater, gender, and identity into their works, describe the evening as follows:

Why are we drawn to both the abuser and the abused? What’s underneath our campy obsession? Why are shoulder pads out of fashion? All the while the Beards will tear down the bitch of a wall between us and the audience, making the crowd complicit in all the perils and pleasures of a Mommie Dearest obsession. There will be a cocktail orientation and reception beforehand, as well as a Rocky-Horror-esque kit of face cream, swim caps, and hangers to get even the newest fans in the spirit.

Unlike Christina, who claimed that she was “not one of [her mother’s] fans,” you’ll be sure to enjoy this evening at The Wilma Theater on both January 26th and February 2nd. Tickets for the event, which are $25 and include a cocktail reception, can be purchased here.