It was some four years ago that we first had the good fortune to ‘discover’  Blythely Oratonio, who is  the outrageous alter ego of renowned mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe,  (see HERE)

It was our very good friend Rose Jarboe of the Beaded Ladies Cabaret in Philadelphia who at that time was producing Blithely Ever After , and they introduced us to this extraordinary performer.  The show was a mash-up of disco, rock, opera, and an equally impressive beard: a mouthwatering musical cocktail that includes Puccini, Freddie Mercury, and everything in between. It was one of those nights we will never ever forget.

Now this December, Blythely returns to the city where it all began for a performance of I Am My Own Daddy that celebrates that history—and honors the extraordinary artist who helped make it possible. Joining Blythely is Sapphira Cristál, runner-up and Miss Congeniality of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16 and a classically trained opera singer, composer, and drag queen known for her theatrical lip syncs and six-octave range.

“Blythely Oratonio is one of those characters who could only have been born in Philadelphia,” says Stephanie Blythe. “He was born out of friendship, mischief, opera, drag, and the absolute joy of performing with Martha. Coming back to Philadelphia as Blythely now, in the Hairport, feels like coming home—and like opening the door for Martha to join us again.”

“Daddy is coming home. I’m so excited to bring Blythely back into a Bearded Ladies’ space along with the legendary Sapphira Cristál. The Hairport is going to soar that night,” said director Rose Jarboe.

Blythe first conceived Blythely with the Bearded Ladies after encountering Dito van Reigersberg and the Martha Graham Cracker persona in Philadelphia. In an oral history with Opera America, Blythe recalled dreaming of performing with Martha and ultimately making that dream a reality; the two became an unforgettable pairing of operatic grandeur and downtown cabaret irreverence. 

The December 5 appearance comes just weeks after Blythe’s performances as Mrs. Baron in Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s Lincoln in the Bardo at the Metropolitan Opera. From one of the world’s grandest opera houses to one of Philadelphia’s most gloriously unconventional performance spaces, Blythe’s return as Blythely offers a fitting homecoming for an artist who has spent her career gleefully blurring the boundaries between opera, theater, drag, and cabaret.