Chaos & Candy: COSMIC YULE
The Box; New York, NY
Photo by Keith Widyolar
More about Chaos & Candy here.
Chaos & Candy: UNHOLY NIGHT
front L-R: Patrick Johnson, Jonathon Fairhead, Angela Di Carlo
back L-R: Josh Elrod, Rachel Dugas, Ivy Risser
Abrons Arts Center; New York, NY
Photo by Kristy Leibowitz
More about Chaos & Candy here.
DUELING HARPS
Abrons Arts Center; New York, NY
Conceived and directed by Ann Magnuson and Adam Dugas
Puppets by Robin Walsh
Chaos & Candy: UNHOLY NIGHT
Poster
Photo by Casey Spooner, Graphics by Michael Bevilacqua, layout by Spilios Gianakopoulos
More about Chaos & Candy here.
ALEXIS DEL LAGO “Yesterday and Today”
Gardenia; West Hollywood, CA
Directed by Adam Dugas
Adam co-wrote and directed this one-woman show surveying the life of the artist and underground star Alexis Del Lago. From her early years growing up in Puerto Rico to the artistic demimonde of New York in the 60s, 70s and 80s, Del Lago punctuated her biographical tale with favorite songs from her repertoire.
DUELING HARPS
Steve Allen Theaer; Los Angeles, CA
REDCAT; Los Angeles, CA
Abrons Arts Center; New York, NY
Conceived and directed by Ann Magnuson and Adam Dugas
Flier for Dueling Harps by Austin Young.
DUELING HARPS
Abrons Arts Center
Photo by Kristy Leibowitz
Video highlights.
The Trepanning Opera was a show about medicine and health care in America. First presented at the Deitch Projects Wooster Street space in front of a gallery-spanning artwork by Jim Isermann, it was remounted at the Raleigh Hotel during Art Basel Miami Beach.
Opening with the sarcastic cheer of Noel Coward’s “Bad Times Just Around the Corner,” the show marched through a series of vignettes and songs touching on plastic surgery, insurance, veterans, drugs, mental health and medicine in general before a grand finale in which the entire ensemble dropped dead.
Written and performed during the peak of George W. Bush’s warmongering, the show included the Revolutionary War ballad “Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier,” exquisitely sung by Karen Elson, and “Remember My Forgotten Man,” a moving call to consider the citizens called to battle from the Busby Berkeley film Gold Diggers of 1933.
Adam contributed the original songs “Heal Thyself,” an acerbic hot take on the American health insurance system as sung by a conservative doctor, and “Spleen,” an adaptation of a Pushkin poem.
More about The Citizens Band here.
The Citizens Band: THE TREPANNING OPERA
Deitch Projects
Directed by Adam Dugas and Sarah Sophie Flicker
L-R: Craig Wedren, Adam Dugas, Rachelle Garniez, Paul Cantelon, Jorjee Douglass
Artwork by Jim Isermann
Photo by Mathu Andersen
More about The Citizens Band here.
Act 1 of Chaos & Candy: Full Fathom Fiesta was “Terror Cruise,” a one-act book musical about an angry woman, Priscilla Danforth, who hates Christmas so much that she blows up a South American-bound cruise ship on Christmas Eve.
L-R: Gia Mele, Angela Di Carlo, James Kaliardos, Stephanie Dixon, Rachel Dugas
Photo by Kristy Leibowitz
More about Chaos & Candy here.
Act 2 of Chaos & Candy: FULL FATHOM FIESTA was called Sunken Dreams and was set under the sea, where Poseidon led a Vaudeville style revue.
More about Chaos & Candy here.
The Citizens Band: NO NEW THING UNDER THE SUN
Hiro Ballroom
Presented by Deitch Projects and Paper Magazine
Directed by Adam Dugas and Sarah Sophie Flicker
“Hailing from a fantastic neverland that lies between a carnival sideshow and Weimar Berlin, the all-star cabaret presents a biblical epic filled with heavenly music and earthly delights.”
L-R: Karen Elson, Ronin, Sarah Sophie Flicker, Adm Dugas, Aaron Conte
More about the Citizens Band here.
LADY LADY LADY
The Zipper Factory
Presented by Deitch Projects
Starring Yana Chupenko, Angela Di Carlo and Lizzy Yoder
Directed by Adam Dugas
Photo by Mark Bellncula
LADY LADY LADY
Presented by Deitch Projects
Zipper Factory
Directed by Adam Dugas
L-R: Fabio Tavares, Lizzy Yoder, dancers
Photo by Kristy Leibowitz
VERNAL HOODOO: An Easter Pageant
The Box; New York, NY
Set piece by Desi Santiago
Photo by Tim Hailand
Illustrated advertisement for the debut performance of Dueling Harps at the Steve Allen Theater at Center for Inquiry West.
The Citizens Band: THE TREPANNING OPERA
The Raleigh Hotel
Art Basel Miami Beach
Presented by Deitch Projects, MAC Cosmetics and Press Here Publicity
Directed by Adam Dugas and Sarah Sophie Flicker
Photo by Mathu Andersen
More about The Citizens Band here.
The Citizens Band: JE T’AIME, SCUMBAG
Deitch Projects
The first evening-length show presented at Deitch’s Wooster Street gallery in Manhattan, staged on a set designed by David LaChapelle as part of his exhibit “Artists and Prostitutes.”
Schoolhouse Roxx Presents
THE PATRIOTS: ”America Starts with Me or The Pursuit of Happiness”
Performance Space 122
Conceived and directed by Adam Dugas
THE MIKE SHOW
The Mike Show was a trash-rock vaudeville cabaret starring the one-named singer “Mike” - like Cher or Elvis, he didn’t need a last name. Mike’s sidekick was Pandora (Jill Miller) a performance artist and interpretive dancer from “Germany, Europe.” Appearances at the Silverlake Lounge were prelude to a full-length evening at Luna Park in West Hollywood.
Mike also had a career as co-host of the show Dinner and a DJ, a web series in the days of RealPlayer (i.e. way before its time). With co-host Holly Lovecat, Mike spun music and performed his signature medleys while a guest chef cooked and until the guest DJ took over.
Mike also opened for Peaches during the Electroclash Festival at Webster Hall in 2001.