Internationally renowned performance artist Ivo Dimchev, known for his radically imaginative performances, brings his latest work, In Hell with Jesus / Top 40, to La MaMa this fall.

In Hell with Jesus / Top 40 is another experiment in which Dimchev’s interests in religion, sexuality, postmodernism, absurdism, and popular culture collide in a peculiar, contemporary, and entertaining way. Playing the host of a musical in the making, Dimchev offers a biting and humorous critique of the contemporary theater industry and society in an interactive performance. Whether it’s a casting audition, a late-night talk show, a weird festival in Copenhagen, or a healing concert at a private birthday party in a New York gay bar where suddenly everyone dies—does it really matter? For better or worse, during the show, some of us are going to hell with Jesus, while others will choose to get in bed with the Dalai Lama. While we’re still figuring out what’s going on, some members of the audience are already earning $20 for their unprofessional tap dance and for smashing a dildo on stage while shouting, “Respect art!” And yes, amidst this “holy mess of a musical,” we will still be graced with Dimchev’s most beautiful live songs.

“Rather than glossing over the unpleasant aspects of the [theater] industry, Dimchev unflinchingly exposes them, packaging the performance in a way that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.”—Michaela Preiner, Something Great