Franky Bradley's
1320 Chancellor St.
Philadelphia, PA 19107
East Passyunk Opera Project kicks off the Philly Pride Arts Festival with Fear & Self-Loathing in Philadelphia, a Pride cabaret that examines how queer communities respond to fear, hatred, and erasure, not by shrinking, but by transmuting those forces into protest, radical joy, love, and perseverance.
Too often, that hatred is born from unresolved self-loathing and fear of difference or is projected upon us. This cabaret traces how our community meets that violence, the forces that seek to silence queer people, and the responses that keep us alive. It explores the ways queer communities transform pain into connection, humor, and joy. The program moves through protest and anguish toward celebration and catharsis.
Fear & Self-Loathing in Philadelphia is hosted by Balena Canto. Starring soprano Ashley Marie Robillard, mezzo-soprano Lauren Cook, tenor Jonathan Pierce Rhodes, pianist Reese Revak, and DJ and beatmaker Omar Saleem. whose work has been heard on stages including The Philadelphia Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Sydney Opera House, Alice Tully Hall, Wigmore Hall, and venues throughout Europe.
Location
Franky Bradley's
1320 Chancelor Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Showtime for the Live Performance
Saturday, June 6, 2026
7:00 PM
General Admission- $28
General admission tickets are Standing Room Only.
VIP Ticket- $54
A VIP ticket includes reserved seating near the stage.
*This show includes some adult themes and language. For this reason, this show is most appropriate for ages 14+. Parental discretion is advised.
Program Coming Soon
Artist Biographies
Balena Canto / Matthew Maisano, baritone
Known for their “sonorous baritone” (Broad Street Review) and “commanding stage presence," (Miami Herald) Philadelphia native Matthew Maisano (they/them) enjoys performing a diverse vocal repertoire ranging from classical and opera to musical theatre, American standards, pop, and beyond. Matthew is thrilled to join Portland Opera this 2024-2025 season as one of five resident artists! You can see them as the Baritone Soloist in Elvis Costello’s The Juliet Letters, Horace Derwent in Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell’s The Shining, and Pistola in Verdi’s Falstaff. They will also appear as a soloist in various concerts, recitals, and a fully staged opera scenes program!
This past summer, Matthew returned to Hogfish (Portland, ME) to sing the roles of Director & Gendarme in a new queer adaptation of Poulenc/Apollinaire's Les mamelles de Tirésias. This inventive new production is self-described as a, "part musical, part opera, part immersive, feminist, surrealist, gender expansive romp." Matthew first appeared with Hogfish in 2022 for their inaugural season singing Woodland Spirit/Thomas (cover) in Gluck’s little known treasure, L'arbre Enchanté.
Matthew is a co-founder of Prismatic Arts Ensemble, a new Philadelphia-based performing arts collective dedicated to shifting the way audiences encounter classical music—through bold programming, immersive theatre, and fearless storytelling! They are committed to featuring the works of underrepresented artists- Black, Indigenous, and other Artists of Color; womxn; artists in the LGBTQIA+ community- as well as to cultivating a creative environment where artists and audience members alike can be fully present as their authentic selves. This August, Prismatic premiered their first full scale production, Romeo💜Juliet: An Immersive Opera Experience! Inspired by Philly’s vibrant queer history and culture, this exciting adaptation of Gounod's opera & Shakespeare's play transforms the two feuding families into rival night club owners. In this updated version, Matthew originated the role of “Drag Queen Host/Narrator” guiding the audience through the action and infusing the piece with abundant humor.
Matthew has a vibrant and active 5+ year career as drag artist, Balena Canto (Philadelphia's seductive song-wielding siren with a voice snatched for the gods)! Balena performs extensively throughout Greater Philadelphia, the tri-state area, and beyond! Nothing makes her more happy than combining her two greatest loves—drag and opera!
Lauren Cook, mezzo-soprano
During the 24/25 season, Cook returned to the Academy of Music to perform LeeAnn and cover Theresa Alvarez in the U.S. Premiere of Missy Mazzoli’s The Listeners with Opera Philadelphia. Following, Cook jumped in to debut L’enfant in L’enfant et les sortilèges as a Guest Artist with Dickinson College. Closing out 2024, Cook performed as the Alto Soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Tulsa Symphony.
Starting 2025, Cook performed as the Alto Soloist in Carol Barnett's The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass with the Brooklyn Bluegrass Collective, then made a company debut with Opera Columbus, performing Cherubino in her 4th production of Le nozze di Figaro.
Other notable stage credits include Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Komponist (Ariadne auf Naxos), Poppea (L’incoronazione di Poppea), Mélisande (Impressions de Pelléas), Hannah After (As One), Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Scalia-Ginsburg), Wellgunde (Das Rheingold), and Tisbe (La Cenerentola), among others.
Cook has also performed as a soloist with the Phoenix Symphony and Albany Symphony Orchestra, as well as in selected concerts in Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center and Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. Cook was also a featured soloist in Boston Symphony Hall in a gala hosted by Alan Cumming.
Ashley Marie Robillard, soprano
Heralded by Parterre Box for her “fresh-brook lyric soprano”, Ashley Marie Robillard is a dynamic artist making waves as a passionate interpreter and committed storyteller in the world of opera, art song, concert, chamber music, and cabaret.
She has performed at prestigious venues such as the War Memorial Opera House, Jordan Hall, Verizon Hall, and the National Portrait Gallery, collaborating with esteemed organizations including Opera Philadelphia, Washington Concert Opera, Opera Lafayette, Opera San Jose, Opera Grand Rapids, Early Music Now, and the Amarillo Symphony. Her repertoire spans a breathtaking range— from the Seikilos Epitaph to the traditional operatic canon to contemporary premieres—earning her a reputation as a passionate interpreter and captivating storyteller. An alumna of the Merola Opera Program, Wolf Trap Opera, and Opera Philadelphia’s Emerging Artist Program, Ashley is equally at home in traditional opera houses and on smaller, more experimental stages.
Chamber music and recital work are central to Ashley’s artistry. She has collaborated with ensembles like Dolce Suono Ensemble and Seraph Brass, toured with Curtis on Tour, and appeared in celebrated series such as Music From Angel Fire, Classical Movements, the La Jolla Athenaeum, and Music for Montauk. Her staged rendition of Italienisches Liederbuch with Mikael Eliasen and Dennis Chmelensky toured to critical acclaim, and her extended work includes collaborations with composers and instrumentalists to bring innovative new works to life.
Ashley’s talents also shine in smaller, smokier cabaret stages, where she has worked with The Bearded Ladies, Martha Graham Cracker, and Stephanie Blythe’s drag persona Blythely Oratonio. Known for her playful yet powerful stage presence, she brings her own flair to an eclectic repertoire, from Gershwin to Kurt Weill to Green Day.
Jonathan Pierce Rhodes, tenor
With his mellifluous "honey-voice," Tenor Jonathan Pierce Rhodes has emerged as an exciting young presence in the world of opera, drawing attention and admiration from audiences and critics alike.
In the current season, Mr. Rhodes continues his residency in Washington National Opera's Cafritz Young Artist Program. He will grace the stage as Pong in Puccini’s Turandot, a role he previously covered with Houston Grand Opera, in a brand-new production directed by Francesca Zambello. Additional roles at Washington National Opera this season include role debuts as The Hippo in The Lion, The Unicorn and Me and A Priest in Songbird. Previous roles at Washington National Opera include Police Buddy 2 in Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson’s Blue and Frank in The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson, a character he first brought to life at The Glimmerglass Festival in 2019.
With a particularly strong presence in the field of contemporary opera, this season will also see Mr. Rhodes make his house and role debut with New Orleans Opera as The Son in their new production of Blue. Additionally, he will portray Timothy Laughlin in the West Coast premiere of Gregory Spears and Greg Pierce’s Fellow Travelers with Opera Parallèle this summer. Next season, Mr. Rhodes returns to Blue covering The Son and portraying Policeman 2 in his highly anticipated Lyric Opera of Chicago debut and joins the Oratorio Society of New York as the soloist in the world premiere of Moravec’s All Shall Rise.
Mr. Rhodes has been honored to spend the past three summers as a young artist at The Glimmerglass Festival. In the last season, he covered the title role in Leonard Bernstein's Candide and portrayed Cacambo, receiving praise as a "big-voiced standout" by the Wall Street Journal. Previous years have seen him as the Man in Armor and Priest #1 in The Magic Flute and Cherubiel in the world premiere of Holy Ground at the festival.
Last year, the Houston District of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition recognized Mr. Rhodes as an encouragement award winner. In 2019, he received the 1st place Neva Pilgrim Award in the Civic Morning Musicals Competition and had the distinction of being named a recipient of Eastman’s William Warfield Scholarship Award.
Reese Revak, pianist
Reese Revak received their bachelor’s degree in music composition and pursued graduate studies in collaborative piano and vocal coaching at Temple University, and they joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 2012.
Reese has been active in the Philadelphia region as a vocal coach and collaborative pianist since 2006.
Reese has worked with Opera Philadelphia, the Castleton Summer Music Festival, the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus, the International Institute of Vocal Arts in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and International Opera Theater in Citta della Pieve, Italy. Recent productions include Carmen, Otello, and The Wake World, among numerous recital and choral engagements.
Reese enjoys learning foreign languages and is conversant in Spanish, Italian, and French, with a working knowledge of German and Russian. In their spare time, they also enjoy writing music and poetry, and spending time in the Wissahickon Valley Park in Northwest Philadelphia.
Omar Saleem, DJ and Beatmaker
Omar Saleem, a seasoned beat maker and drummer, graduated from Gamp High School with a passion for music that has defined his life. With over 25 years of experience, Omar has become a luminary in the music scene, specializing in hip-hop, boom-bap, R&B, and house genres. His musical journey has taken him to stages around the world, including captivating performances in Puerto Rico, Berlin, Cologne, and numerous venues across the United States.
A maestro in crafting beats, Omar's skillful production has left an indelible mark on the industry. From the rhythmic beats that echo his drumming expertise to the seamless fusion of genres in his compositions, his music resonates with a diverse audience. Beyond the spotlight, Omar's dedication to his craft has been the driving force behind his enduring success.
Whether in the studio or on stage, Omar Saleem continues to be a dynamic force in the world of music, blending tradition with innovation to create a sonic landscape that captivates the hearts of music enthusiasts globally. His journey is a testament to the timeless power of rhythm and melody, leaving an everlasting imprint on the ever-evolving tapestry of musical expression.