“Lili/Darwin” – A Poetic Solo Show of Trans Identity- NYC

August 13, 2025 / lolitaland / Leave a comment

New York, NY — I had the opportunity to attend Lili/Darwin, a powerful solo performance, at The Tank. This show was written and performed by the talented Darwin Del Fabro. I first discovered Darwin from the queer slasher horror film They/Them, and was thrilled to be invited to this show. If you didn’t have the chance to see Lili/Darwin yet, it runs through August 23, 2025 so you still have time to check it out!

Lili/Darwin brilliantly merges two intimate journeys: that of Darwin Del Fabro, and of Lili Elbe—the transgender artist whose diaries from 1907-1930 inspired the narrative. If you know who Lili is prior to the show, you’ll love the pieces of history from her diaries sprinkled throughout the show. If you don’t know who Lili is, this is a great introduction! Darwin portrays Lili and herself with sensitivity and strength, moving seamlessly between eras, personas, and emotional landscapes.

Let’s talk about the staging: it was cool to see how the identities were differentiated in a visual manner— Lili Elbe appears on one side with a vintage chair, Darwin on the other with a stool. There were also moments where the lines were blurred. It was visually stunning and I loved the use of lighting and shadow underscore shifts in mood. My eyes were also drawn to the beautiful Dior heels as a symbol of femininity.

The show was brimming with emotional honesty and I felt myself tear up multiple times during the performance. At its core, Lili/Darwin is a testament to the power of authentic storytelling. It’s a deeply personal tribute to visibility, resilience, and the often-overlooked courage of trans narratives—spoken directly by a trans artist herself.

Details & Ticket Info

Where: The Tank, 312 W 36th St, New York, NY 10018
When: Performances are Thursday to Saturday evenings through August 23, 2025.
Tickets: Available here.

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Hilarious Comedy “The Z Team” on Theatre Row in NYC until November 23

November 12, 2024 / lolitaland / Leave a comment

I had the opportunity to attend the opening show for “The Z Team” on November 10th. “The Z Team” is a hilarious new off-broadway play, written by Jeff and Jacob Foy, a father and son playwright duo. They’ve always wanted to write a pure comedy together, and “The Z Team” is the result!

The play follows a failing advertising company’s creation of the Z Team, a team tasked with creating a commercial for a truly terrible product – the Bend and Blend (it’s a yoga mat with a blender stuck to it). The boss of the company, Jerry, assembles a team of the worst employees from each department to create the commercial. What ensues is a chaotic and hilarious journey filled with mishaps, misunderstandings, and unexpected camaraderie.

The show has a clever script, strong performances, and fun direction. I laughed out loud many times during the show, and the message of finding strength in unlikely places and the power of human connection resonated with me. I was also thrilled with the queer representation in this play. The ending was also super cute and fun (and with a sapphic surprise) — but I won’t say any more details since I’m keeping this spoiler free.

Don’t miss your chance to see this show!

“The Z Team”

Venue: Theatre Row (41o W 42nd St, New York, NY 10036)
Run Dates: limited engagement November 8 – November 23, 2024
Director: Jeff Whiting
Writer/Producer: Jeff Foy and Jacob Foy
Cast: Allie Trimm, Tyler Cruz, Ze’ev Barmor, Jakob Martinez-Cooper, Kaelee Albritton, Darby McDonough, Joe Mucciolo, Drew Starlin, Daniel Arana, Gabrielle Filloux

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Stranger Sings

March 10, 2023 / lolitaland / Leave a comment

Are you a Stranger Things fan? If so, you should definitely check out the Stranger Sings musical! This is a parody off-broadway musical. Recently, they announced the show has been extended through April 30, 2023. You can still grab tickets if you want to check it out!

The Stranger Sings musical is at Playhouse 46 at St. Luke’s (308 W. 46th Street) in NYC. Jonathan Hogue wrote the book, music, and lyrics for the show, and it’s a fun experience. The theatre is on the smaller side, so you don’t have to worry about not being able to see. The way the show is set up has the audience surrounding the stage on all four sides. It’s very immersive! If you’re looking for a serious show, this is not it. It’s very campy and funny. I also don’t think you need to be a Stranger Things fan to enjoy the show, although being a fan definitely helps since you’ll get the references. It might be confusing if you aren’t familiar with Stranger Things (plus there may be spoilers for you!). If you’re worried about being spoiled but have started Stranger Things, you should be good as long as you finished Season 1.

The most surprising thing about this musical is the puppet! The character Will is portrayed by a puppet, performed by Caroline Huerta, the same person who plays Joyce. This was really unique and memorable for me. Some of the other actors also played multiple characters: Kyle Mangold played both Steve and Jonathan, and Harley Seger played both Eleven and Nancy. I was impressed by how quickly Kyle and Harley were able to change wigs and costumes! They were definitely skilled at quick changes.

I don’t want to spoil the show, so I won’t be going into detail about plot and specifics. You’ll have to check it out for yourself!

Here are some of my favorite things about the musical without spoilers:

The music is lively and cute!
They break the fourth wall (which was one of my favorite moments — Winona Ryder deserves an Emmy!)
Also — justice for Barb Holland!!!