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Opera Challenges Beauty Standards with Absurd Visuals

1/17/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The sold-out opera What to Wear at the Brooklyn Academy of Music uses absurd visuals to critique beauty standards.
It was created by composer Michael Gordon and director Richard Foreman and centers on the character Madeline X.
The production blends music and visuals and features singers in a deliberately unmusical tone.
Although there is no traditional plot, the show offers a cultural commentary on contemporary beauty and social pressures.

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Story summary

The sold-out opera What to Wear at the Brooklyn Academy of Music uses absurd visuals to critique beauty standards.
It was created by composer Michael Gordon and director Richard Foreman and centers on the character Madeline X.
The production blends music and visuals and features singers in a deliberately unmusical tone.
Although there is no traditional plot, the show offers a cultural commentary on contemporary beauty and social pressures.