What to wear
Opera
In 2006 the downtown theater renegade Richard Foreman, who penned over 50 plays and nine operas across five decades, teamed up with renowned experimental composer Michael Gordon for a new collaboration. What came was a bitingly funny post-rock opera skewering the superficial pressures of society. In Foreman and Gordon’s pageant of seductiveness gone wrong, beauty gives way to something more transcendent—and our contemporary world of fast fashion and influencer culture renders their acerbic critiques still cutting and relevant as ever.
About The Event
In 2006 the downtown theater renegade Richard Foreman, who penned over 50 plays and nine operas across five decades, teamed up with renowned experimental composer Michael Gordon for a new collaboration. What came was a bitingly funny post-rock opera skewering the superficial pressures of society.
Now, in its New York debut as part of Next Wave 2025 and Prototype Festival, What to wear is remounted for the first time in 20 years, returned to its original Richard Foreman staging by Big Dance Theater co-founders Annie-B Parson and Paul Lazar. Audiences have a unique opportunity to see an original Richard Foreman production brought carefully back to life. In Foreman and Gordon’s pageant of seductiveness gone wrong, beauty gives way to something more transcendent—and our contemporary world of fast fashion and influencer culture renders their acerbic critiques still cutting and relevant as ever. A collaboration between BAM, Beth Morrison Projects, Prototype, and Bang on a Can, this historic re-staging honors Foreman's trailblazing legacy, and confirms Gordon’s ceaseless musical vitality.
About The Organizer
For over four decades, Next Wave has stood as a declaration of what BAM believes in: presenting revolutionary works by groundbreaking artists to curious audiences. Showcasing local, national, and global creators whose work spans—and fuses—dance, music, performance art, theater, visual art, and more, Next Wave offers a panoramic view of contemporary innovation—and illuminates the shared ideals and inspirations that bring artists and audiences together.
This year’s Next Wave features iconic artists whose work BAM has celebrated many times over, along with newer talents whose work will define the decades to come. More than a festival, more than a series of events, Next Wave is a state of mind—and a community completed by you, the audience.
Please Note
Event Location
What We Recommend Nearby