What would the world be like without art? What if you were forbidden to make it, or even drugged into oblivion so you could forget the possibility it even existed? Yulix: The Opera, a new musical taking place at The Hive in Bushwick, asks just that. Directed by Jeffrey Marras and Yula Beeri, Yulix: The Opera operates in a world where art and creation is prohibited. In this fictionalized space, citizens are monitored to ensure no original thought or whim of imagination.
It is here we meet Yulix (Yula Beeri), an unlucky angel who falls into the hands of Vic (Jeffrey Marras), the greedy owner and dictator of the Theater Claim. Vic dotes over his newly-favorite prized possession, and turns Yulix into the star of his evening show.
A prostitution house of sorts, Theater Claim houses Vic’s sexy and comatose angels who are pushers for the potent drug, Claimbien. “The little pill that kills the thrill and makes you chill” is a government controlled substance fed to the masses to keep artistic expression and happiness at bay. Imagine Brooklyn on one big Xanax trip, a blank canvas without graffiti. Pretty boring, huh?
As the storyline deepens, the audience follows Yulix’s quest for a world filled with light and magic. Yulix discovers friends and fellow band mates who are willing to help her break out of Vic’s evil house of cards. Original lyrics and dance performance guide the narrative and character relationships through notions of love, loss, jealously and betrayal. This alternative take on Lois Lowry’s, The Giver questions the possibility of losing our creative rite of passage, and exemplifies why artistic creation, in any form, is important.
Yulix: The Opera is collaboration at its best, with professional musicians and dancers joining talents to produce a high-energy, evocative show in an intimate space. Performances are Friday, February 15 at 9:00PM; Saturday, February 16 and Sunday, February 17 at 8:00PM. The Hive, 20 Cook Street, Brooklyn. RSVP name, number of seats, and date of show you wish to attend to [email protected]. $20 suggested donation.