PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A unique ice skating show makes its world premiere right here in Philly.
The show is about more than entertaining the crowd, as it has a timely message for the audience to take to heart.
“A drag show about climate change, on ice,” said John Jarboe, founder and artistic director of the Bearded Ladies Cabaret.
“It's not your average ice show. It’s not even your average drag show.”
Jarboe said the show “Beards on Ice” uses camp to address some serious issues.
“Featuring the last polar bear on Earth, a melting glacier, fossil fuels,” he said. “It’s very, very silly.”
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Jarboe says the show features music from Celine Dion, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga. It features a live band and will see performers team up with members of Opera Philadelphia.
Ironically, the warm February weather became an antagonist for their show.
“We almost thought we were going to have to cancel our opening night,” said Jarboe.
Thursday’s show was canceled, as the Bearded Ladies Cabaret website said, “due in part to climate change.”
“It’s been so hot in the middle of February that the ice is melting and becoming slush, and then it becomes very dangerous,” Jarboe said. “It’s like skating on oatmeal.”
But when weather permits, the show will go on with pay-what-you-please performances happening over the next few days at the Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest.
Jarboe said the show is meant to bring joy and awareness, and get people excited about taking a stand.
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“My two goals are for people to feel joyful together as a group, and secondly to sign up for some cool climate justice actions,” he said.
“We’re working with these amazing climate justice groups, and they’re going to show up at a table at every show. Afterwards, you can sign up because these amazing groups are bringing people together to do work that will hopefully shift the temperature dial down.”
Beards on Ice runs Feb. 18, and then again from Feb. 23-25.