About the Show

A campy comedy of diva excess, blending satire, opera, and heart in a dazzling new revival.

Charles Ludlam’s outrageous comedy Galas returns in a new production directed by Eric Ting. The play centers on the larger-than-life opera singer Maria Magdalena Galas (rhyming with Callas), a character who parodies diva culture with Ludlam’s signature mix of absurdity and camp.

In this staging, countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo takes on the role of Galas, bringing both comedic flair and vocal brilliance. Known for his shimmering voice and theatrical versatility, Costanzo embodies the excess of the character while revealing the vulnerability beneath the bravado.

This revival pairs Ludlam’s satirical wit with Costanzo’s artistry, exploring not only the ridiculousness of celebrity but also the pain and passion that drive great performers.

Critic Reviews (7)

"This Galas is, essentially, a vocally gifted paper doll, dressed up in one outrageously elegant ensemble after another."
Read more

"3/5 Stars. An intergenerational cast of queer artists goes beyond camp in an unlikely revival of Galas, Charles Ludlam’s 1983 biography of fictional opera legend Maria Magdalena Galas, a thinly veiled but richly coiffed stand-in for Maria Callas."
Read more

"It’s the best Maria Callas drag act you’ll ever see or hear."
Read more

The play with music that tells the story of soprano Maria Callas is surprisingly straightforward if not entirely straight…a fun and affordable night out under the stars.
Read more

" 'Galas' is a great tragedy that packs several devastating comic punches."
Read more

Eric Ting’s production skillfully melds the big emotions of opera with the broad comedy of Ludlamian queer theater in a way that still resonates.
Read more

"Despite the inspired lunacy of the acting and plot, Galas is surprisingly faithful to Maria Callas’s life and career."
Read more