The Drumf and the Rhinegold: An Operatic Apocalypse

For one night only, Pioneer Works will host “The Drumf and the Rhinegold: An Operatic Apocalypse,” a hilarious and biting political satire composed by Matti Kovler and directed by Doug Fitch featuring a band of prominent New York musicians. Appropriately planned for November 7th — the eve of the 2016 US Presidential Election — the evening’s program presents a 15-minute parody of Wagner’s 15-hour “Ring Cycle.” “The Drumf and the Rhinegold” tells the story of the Rhinemaidens’ return to the human realm for one last fight against an evil overlord.

Having stolen the magical Rhinegold, which grants world domination to its owner, the sinister Drumf is now poised to become leader of the free world. The gold’s guardians, Rhinemaidens Ivana, Marla, and Melania, race against time to reclaim their gold from his grubby clutches. Told entirely from the perspectives of Ivana, Marla, and Melania, the story doesn’t allow Drumf a word in edgewise.

Renowned director and polymath visual artist Doug Fitch, known for his staging of “Le Grand Macabre” with the New York Phil, directs the performance along with designer Peter Savieri (The Muppets). “Drumf” originated at the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, in collaboration with Tasha Gordon Solomon, and was further developed during a residency at Pioneer Works. The New York Times has called composer Matti Kovler “a potentially estimable operatic composer in the making.”