Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – As La Divina, opera star Anthony Roth Constanzo leads an inspired revival of Charles Ludlam’s GALAS

• By drediman
• September 14, 2025
• No Comments

This past weekend, the inspired revival of Charles Ludlam’s Galas opened at The Amph on Little Island, concluding a successful summer of theatrical offerings — which have given audiences breathtaking views of the Hudson River and, beyond, New Jersey as their backdrop — on the unique man-made island located just off of the Meatpacking District in Manhattan. As the founder of the seminal Ridiculous Theatrical Company, Ludlam (perhaps best known for penning the two-hander The Mystery of Irma Vep) has all but become synonymous with ridiculous comedies that have turned camp, drag, and an over-the-top queer antics into a distinctive and elevated theatrical art form. In his 1983 play Galas, the playwright turned his attention to none other than soprano Maria Callas — in the play known as Maria Galas — the opera divas among opera divas (and, of course, a bonafide gay icon).

In short, the play charts Galas’s rise to fame, her tempestuous opera career at the top, the controversial love affair with Greek businessman Aristotle Onassis, and her eventual ascension to legendary status with an obsessive following. All the trappings of your typical Ludlam comedy are in place here, complete with tongue-in-cheek gags and the occasional breakout lip-syncing numbers. Despite the zaniness of it all, the play actually tracks the trajectory of Callas’s life quite accurately. Thankfully, the incisive direction by Eric Ting (who did an excellent job of harnessing the sprawling, voluptuous fever dream Give Me Carmelita Tropicana!) has its eyes firmly on the work’s narrative arc — thanks in part to the forward momentum provided by Raja Feather Kelly’s choreography and movement — smartly relegating the action to visionary scenic designer Mimi Lien‘s narrow runway set that cuts through The Amph’s stage, thereby focusing the theatrical storytelling and the relentless hilarity.

As for the performances, they’re fabulous across the board, led by the ubiquitous countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo — in glamorous drag throughout (kudos to Hahnji Jang’s numerous flatteringly fitted period perfect costumes) — as “La Divina”, the name that Callas’s adoring fans referred to her as. For the revival, the game-changing decision was made to have the opera star actually sing, beautifully and with disarming directness, some of Callas’s most well known arias, injecting the production with an element of authentic musical artistry alongside the outright ridiculousness of Ludlam’s play. Beyond mastering her passion and storminess, Costanzo also plays the title character with empathy — even softness and vulnerability — to give the cartoonish piece welcome depth. Rounding out the cast are downtown giants Carmelita Tropicana and Erin Markey, as well as theater veterans Mary Testa and Caleb Eberhardt, all of whom channel Ludlam’s aesthetic with impressive rigor, intelligence, and just the right touch of humanity.

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GALAS
Off-Broadway, Play
The Amph at Little Island
1 hour, 40 minutes (without an intermission)
Through September 28