Heartbeat Opera’s 10th Annual Drag Show!

Cast and Creative Team coming soon…

A sneak peek of SLAYLEM:

ETHAN HEARD

Director/Co-Creator

Nico Krell is an Uruguayan-born director raised across three continents. He creates theatrical adventures: plays, musicals, operas, performance art, immersive shows, and, once, a gastrotheatrical adaptation of Medea. Nico has been a Lecturer in Theater at Princeton University and was the recipient of the Louis Sudler Prize, Princeton's highest honor in the creative arts. He has directed projects at Lincoln Center, the wild project, Heartbeat Opera, The University of Toronto, Mercury Store, TheaterLab, Princeton University, and Princeton Summer Theater; he has supported work at Soho Rep., Opera America, and Berkshire Theatre Group.

JACOB ASHWORTH

Co-Creator and Co-Music Director (Artistic Director, Heartbeat Opera)

See full bio on our staff page here.

Dan Schlosberg

Music Arranger & Co-Music Director (Music Director, Heartbeat Opera)

See full bio on our staff page here.

GARRETT BELL

Co-writer

Garrett Bell is a composer/lyricist/playwright working in New York City. His plays include REQUIEM, UNE COMEDIE FRANÇAISE, and the one woman show QUARANTINE. His musical material has been compiled into the irreverent song cycle HIPSTERS DRINKING COFFEE, and he provided book and lyrics for the musical THE BALLAD OF ELISA LAM. His writing has been featured by Z Publishing House and Rattle Poetry and he recently participated in the HBMG Foundation National Winter Playwriting Retreat. He and collaborator Jonathan W. Colby recently completed their musical adaptation of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, BY MOONLIGHT, and he is currently working on his next musical: THE LOST BOYS; a vignette style show that examines the generation of gay men who grew up without role models. Current participant of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, and proud member of the Dramatists Guild of America.

DAVID QUINN

Costume Designer

David Quinn is a fashion and costume designer working in a variety of mediums from theatre, dance, and film to burlesque and red carpets. Quinn’s theatre work has appeared in numerous traditional and non traditional venues across America and internationally. In 2017 his work on Jack was described as “jaw dropping” (Travelance) and “glorious“ (Time Out NY). In 2022 his costumes for Dick Rivington were hailed as “brilliantly inventive“ by the NY Times. Quinn has designed dance costumes in collaboration with NYC based choreographers and soloists including The Martha Graham Company, Merce Cunningham, and Stanley Love. Dance View Times said, ”Quinn is cutting and draping and colouring the most beautiful dance costumes to be found in New York.”

Quinn’s wide ranging group of collaborators has recently included artists such as the iconic drag queen The Lady Bunny. Music legend Debbie Harry - creating her mirrored shroud for Coachella. Many red carpet and press event looks for Bridget Everett (HBO - Somebody Somewhere). Also, several incredible pieces for performance artist Darrel Thorne. Quinn’s work has appeared in a variety of publications and has been immortalized in several books and films. Currently, you can see Quinn’s costumes for the show Hypnotique in its second year of performances at the McKittrick Hotel, NYC.

Instagram @quinndustry

BEN HARTLEY

Choreographer

Ben Hartley is a writer, director, choreographer, filmmaker & Broadway professional. He is the co-creator, book writer, & choreographer of A Second Chance, a new musical. He wrote, directed, & choreographed the multi-award-winning short films Free & Early Mourning,distributed by ShortsTV & Amazon Prime.

Ben recently choreographed Into the Woods & Carousel for The Royal Academy of Music, London. He directed & choreographed Let the Right One In for The Neighborhood Playhouse, NYC, alongside original musical revues, Pure Imagination, Stoop Songs, Another Hundred People & By the River. He served as Movement Director and/or Choreographer for twelve full-scale productions for "The Fame School" NYC. He choreographed Held Momentarily for NYMF, Gypsy in Houston, TX, Hairspray in Stamford, CT, & Ballet Central UK. Ben served as the Assistant Choreographer on the Broadway production of Enron.

He performed in Broadway & West End productions of The Little Mermaid, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Fiddler on the Roof, Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, Cinderella, & The Carman, Follies, Cats, & Fosse as well as regional productions of Hello Dolly, Pirates of Penzance, & The Most Happy Fella. He danced in the Met Opera Ballet, New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, and English National Ballet. 

Maiko Ando

Makeup Designer

Maiko Ando is a New York based makeup artist grew up in Japan and extensively working in theater, television, film and advertising industries. Her work has showcased in CBS, Paramount + and Smithsonian Channel.

Maiko continues to display her work in many mediums with aesthetics and creativity ranging from "no makeup" makeup and natural beauty looks to creative character effects makeup. Her creative makeup designs have also been featured in various Heartbeat Opera productions, music videos, actors' reels and independent films.  www.maikomakeup.com

CORINNE GOLOGURSKY

Props Supervisor

Corinne Gologursky is thrilled to be back with Heartbeat Opera for the magical Drag Extravaganza! They are a props artist with a passion for making the wildest dreams come to life on stage. Past Heartbeat productions include: Der Freischütz, Fidelio, Don Giovanni, Dragus Maximus, Hot Mama. Select Off-Broadway: Hamlet, As You Like It (Delacorte Theater); Suffs, cullud wattah (The Public Theater); Sandra (The Vineyard), The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe (The Shed). Regional: Once (Bucks County Playhouse); Singin’ in the Rain, Beauty and the Beast, Saturday Night Fever (Maine State Music Theatre). 

Alex Cordero

Projection Designer

The Sperm Whale is a pod of artists and programmers known for their live projections and video installations. Founded in 2006, the group has performed at hundreds of events around the globe. They straddle the fine art and nightlife worlds with a colorful pop sensibility.

Max Feldman

Sound Director

Max Feldman is a musician, composer, and improviser who lives in Brooklyn. Previous sound design work includes the score to RUR, a multimedia exhibition at the APE Ltd. Gallery in Northampton, Massachusetts. He has also released six albums of experimental electronic music and performs musical improv comedy at the Magnet Theater. Learn more at maxfeldman.net. 

Kevin Jinghong Zhu

Production Stage Manager

Kevin Jinghong Zhu (he/him) is a New York-based stage manager. He is thrilled to make his Heartbeat debut with its annual drag extravaganza! Selected Off-Broadway credits: Between Two Knees (PAC NYC); Salesman Zhisi (Yangtze Rep); A Delicate Balance (Transport Group & NAATCO); Romeo and Juliet (NAATCO); Public Obscenities (Soho Rep & NAATCO); Asilomar (MTC); Jesa, and Bags (Ma-Yi); She He Me, Criminal Queerness Festival (National Queer Theater). Selected Regional credits: National Music Theater Conference (the O’Neill); Scrooge! (Arizona Theatre Company); Between Two Knees (Seattle Rep & McCarter); Dial M for Murder, and Kim’s Convenience (Westport Country Playhouse); Soft Power workshop in NYC (Signature DC); Today is My Birthday, A Raisin in the Sun, and El Huracán (Yale Rep); Dream Hou$e (Long Wharf); To The Moon and Back (Chester Theatre Company). MFA: Yale School of Drama. bit.ly/kevinjzhu

Olivia Kurima

Assistant Stage Manager

Olivia Kurima (She/Her) is a queer, Japanese-American Stage Manager from Houston, Texas. A recent graduate from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, she is excited to be back in NYC and working on her first production with Heartbeat. Select Credits Include: Mystere (Cirque Du Soleil), Mammelephant (Superhero Clubhouse), As You Like It (UNCSA), Lo frate 'nnamorato (AJ Fletcher Opera).

Curious about the location, want tips on what to wear, or just want the tea on the event? Check out our FAQs!

Made possible with support from Judson Memorial Church, The Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York & Gitano Island.