Andre 1000

Creatine Price

Damien D’Luxe

Dick Von Dyke

Dom Wooten Embretson

Justin Anthony Spenner

Jordan Weatherston Pitts

Kamaree Williams

Queenie von Curves

Rustina Phoenix-Nuttz

Tracey Engleman

Victoria DeVille

Victoria Vargas

Artistic Producer, Emi Nijiya

Executive Producer, Kelly M Turpin

Madame of Ceremonies, Nadine DuBois

Collaborative Pianist, Jared Miller

Stage Manager, Xavier 

Hospitality Mistress, Queenie von Curves

Stage Designer, Emily Jaques 

Lighting Designer, Claudia Errickson

Costume Designer, Samantha Haddow 

Spotlight Operators, Sparkles du Jour and Katie McLean

Andre 1000 has been a staple drag king throughout the twin cities since 2003. He began his performance career with the drag troupe The 24 Karat Kings. He holds the title of Mr. Drag King Minnesota 2010. He currently is a cast member of Dragged Out at Black Hart St Paul and he is also a Co Show Producer of Hot Pink at the Saloon Minneapolis. He is sexy, he is smooth, his smolder is undeniable, and he has a smile that melts you!

Making his return to Minneapolis/St. Paul by way of Malmo Sweden, Tenor, Dominique Wooten Embretson (DWETenor.com) is excited to sing with AOT again!!! Dom has sung with many theaters and opera companies in the states including Loft Recitals, Minnesota Opera, Theater Latte Da, and Artistry. This summer he will be making his Malmo Opera debut as “Sandra Bullocks” in Everybody's Talking About Jamie (https://www.malmoopera.se/jamie). Dom is currently the owner and coach of Brave Fitness Malmo operating Brave Studio and Brave Outdoors (bravefitnessmalmo.com).

Kamaree Williams is a Minneapolis-based drag entertainer who started performing in 2013. Identifying as a transgender woman and using she/her pronouns, Kamaree has held multiple bar and state titles throughout her career but her greatest accomplishment so far in drag is winning the national title of All-American Goddess 2022. When she is not performing she loves spending time with her partner, fur babies, and raising her son.

"The Twin Cities' Dirty Little Secret", Mistress Victoria Deville began her drag journey at the Gay 90s in the fall of 2002 in the weekly amateur contest. The Bold, Bald Badass's drag show credits include Show Director and Creator of "Suck It: Gag on the Drag'' at The Townhouse Bar and "#DragRevolution" at LUSH from 2015-2020 as well as competing in Entertainer of the Year and Miss Gay USofA. Victoria has a deep love for the art of burlesque and feels fortunate to have worked in that world since 2009 including being the voice of Black Hearts Burlesque since 2011, multiple years hosting the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, and emceeing The Atomic Bombshells in Provincetown, MA.

Born in San Diego, California, Jared Miller discovered his passion for Collaboration while participating in his high school choirs. He graduated from St. Olaf College with a B.A. in Music and an Asian Studies concentration studying with Dr. Ananda-Owens and finished a Master’s Degree in Collaborative Piano and Coaching at the University of Minnesota with Dr. Lovelace. As a freelance pianist and coach in the Twin Cities, Jared has worked with BorderCrosSing, Heritage Choir, Schubert Club, Mississippi Valley Orchestra, Minnesota Opera, Mill City Opera, Skylark Opera Theatre, AOT, and Journey North Opera Company. He is also a teaching artist at MN Opera, as well as a core faculty member for the Ordway’s new musical theater training fellowship program, GreenRoom. One of Jared’s musical passions is in studying and performing the music of Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula.

As a 16-year veteran in the industry, Minneapolis-based performer Damien D’Luxe has put in work to pave the way for drag kings locally and nationally. He is a trans/non-binary, half-Japanese drag king that traveled throughout the state and nationwide to put his craft on stage. He is best known for his cosplay, impersonations, and makeup transformations. He does a lot of work both locally and through social media to provide inspiration and tutorials for others and to help drag kings be recognized and appreciated in our community. Since the pandemic, Damien has retired from performing to focus on his main career, tattooing. Outside of drag Damien (also known as Emi) runs and owns a tattoo shop in South Minneapolis called Jackalope Tattoo. The shop is for all non-binary/trans and female-identifying artists and provides a safe space, especially for women, POC, and the LGBTQIA+ community. Emi/Damien works hard in all aspects of life to give back to their community and promote positive change in any way possible.

Praised as a "Standout" with "boisterous comic energy" by the Star Tribune, Baritone Justin (he/him) is known throughout the Twin Cities for his artistic honesty and engaging versatility. At home with Schubert, as he is with Stockhausen, Justin's appearances run the gamut from recital and oratorio staples with regional organizations to world premieres of experimental music. Recent stage credits include Schaunard (La Boheme) with Theater Latte Da, Father (The Golden Ass/World Premiere) with 113 Composers Collective, Joey (The Most Happy Fella), and Guglielmo (Cosi fan tutte) with Skylark Opera Theatre. In addition to performing, Justin keeps an active private studio, develops Opera Immersion classes, and works as a grant editor/consultant for various Twin Cities arts non-profits and individual artists.

Rustina Phoenix Nuttz is known as the Salty but always sweet Auntie of the Midwest! Rustina has been performing for four years in many states including Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, and even in Canada! Whether it’s jamming to an R&B classic to performing soulful spoken word meant to educate and uplift the community, Rustina continues to entertain, educate and engage audiences with their performances. She is currently Miss Gay Iowa USofA Newcomer 2022. She recently competed at Miss Gay USofA Newcomer and received the highest talent score in preliminaries, placing 8th overall as well as winning Miss Congeniality and Best Solo Talent. Former Title includes Miss Drag Idol 2020 and Das Haus Monarch 2020.

Mezzo-soprano Victoria Vargas has sung over twenty-five roles for the Minnesota Opera and has performed with the Opera Theater of Saint Louis, Chautauqua Opera, Sarasota Opera, Ash Lawn Highland Festival, and others. Her concert credits include performing with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (NY), Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (MN), Chautauqua Symphony, the Western New York Chamber Orchestra, South Dakota Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, La Jolla Symphony, Billings Symphony, Bach Society of Minnesota and Minnesota Orchestra. She has placed seven times at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions at both the district and regional levels. She was a finalist at the Irene Dalis competition through Opera San Jose, placed at the Schubert Club Competition, and was a recent Music in Action grant recipient for the Wagner Society of the Midwest. This season she performed the role of Julia Child in Lee Hoiby’s Bon Appétit!, and premiered two new works; Salpicon de Res, an art song scene for Opera–Oriented Project Sponsorships (OOPS MN), and created the role of Nelly in the world premiere of Edward Tulane for Minnesota Opera. This spring she will produce a workshop of a new work by composer Jorge Sosa titled Generación Perdida at Opera America. Ms. Vargas is currently an Assistant Professor of Voice at the University of Minnesota. More can be found at victoriavargasmezzo.com.

Known for his penchant for penguin tail tuxes, outlandish humor, and penetrating smolder, Xavier has been performing drag throughout the Twin Cities and nationally since 2002, including fundraisers for various queer organizations and individuals. He is the hunky half of the duo Nadi X and the producer of Dragged Out, one of the longest-running drag kings show in the Midwest. Becoming quite the force even when not performing, Xavier has stage-managed many shows, burlesque festivals, and even assisted at the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas. Whether tickling your funny bone or tackling political themes, Xavier lives up to his tagline of being your Commander-in-Heat!

From the moment Dick first put on the ‘stache, he knew he was a fox in the hen house. Dick first spread his seeds of love in St. Louis and Kansas City before man-spreading his legs in Minnesota. An accomplished musician and emcee, Dick has competed at USofA MI, hosted several weekly shows, and dazzled audiences in over a dozen different cities across the country. Today you can catch Dick at Lush Lounge & Theatre, with Flip Phone Events, and otherwise waving all around the Cities, where he has fully grown into the Dick he is today.

Tenor Jordan Weatherston Pitts has been recognized for his "heroic", "passionate" and "bewitching" performances both on the operatic stage, as well as in concert. Mr. Pitts holds a Master of Music from Boston University and a Bachelor of Music Performance from SUNY Fredonia.

A recipient of the prestigious McKnight Artist Fellowship for Musicians, Ms. Engleman has performed operatic roles with the Minnesota Opera, Minnesota Concert Opera, Skylark Opera, Arbeit Opera, Music by the Lake, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. A particularly gifted performer of 20th-century and contemporary music, Ms. Engleman has performed chamber music with Zeitgeist, the Chicago Chamber Musicians, the Tanglewood Music Center, and the Boston Symphony and frequently premieres works by living composers. Her CD Lift Me into Heaven Slowly featuring song cycles by Libby Larsen was released by Innova Records in 2017. Concert engagements include solo performances with the Minnesota Orchestra, the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Bel Canto Chorus, the Valley Chamber Chorale, and the Rochester Symphony Orchestra, and as a frequent recitalist, she has performed at Orchestra Hall, Hope College, at the National Association of Teachers of Singing National Convention, Source Song Festival, and as part of the Schubert Club Courtroom Concert Series. Alumni of the Tanglewood Music Center and the Art Song Festival of Cleveland, Ms. Engleman’s awards include Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Competition, 1st Place winner in the Austin Lyric Opera Young Artist Competition, Finalist in the Sun Valley Opera Competition, recipient of the Minnesota NATS Artist Award, and winner of the Milwaukee Bel Canto Chorus Regional Artist Competition. Equally passionate about teaching voice, Ms. Engleman is an Associate Professor of Music at St. Olaf College where she teaches voice and vocal pedagogy.

Internationally acclaimed Mistress of Ceremonies and singer Nadine DuBois has traveled the world, crooning and caressing burlesque, drag, fashion, music, and theatre audiences. A fierce triple-threat and legendary (notorious) cabaret performer, she has charmed crowds from First Avenue in Minneapolis to The Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, the USA, and Australia and New Zealand. Also known as a prolific producer and artistic director, DuBois has created and starred in countless cabarets, theatrical productions, festivals, and Pride events. Over two decades of performing, she has only strengthened her dedication to uplifting audiences and performers - always aiming for transformative spaces and a loving community.

Known as the Rubenesque Royale of Burlesque, Queenie von Curves is the producer of Bare Book Club Minneapolis, director of Dr. Sketchy's Minneapolis, dance instructor/creator of Dance for EVERY Body, body impression painter under The Curvy Canvas, and cast member of Black Hearts Burlesque. A lifelong Queer artist through dance, theater performance, burlesque, costume design, and theater/event management, she’s so excited to be working with An Opera Theatre!