Watch the full film on Opera Philadelphia from 12pm EST March 19th 2021

Opera Philadelphia’s latest digital offering, The Island We Made, combines ethereal electronic music, personal story-telling, arthouse filmmaking, and the transformative art of drag lip-sync to form an art-opera film. A deeply personal exploration of familial relationships told as a haunting lullaby, The Island We Made stems from the memories and individual relationships of its collaborators: composer Angélica Negrón, drag superstar Sasha Velour, and filmmaker Matthew Placek.

“The inspiration behind this piece is the shared personal stories between Matthew, Sasha, and me, about the limitations of relationships in general, but also particularly those connected to the women that shaped us,” said Negrón, who also plays electronics in the work. “The deep resonance that conversations that we’ve never had with loved ones can have on us and the ways these can find their voice in other vessels and sometimes even within us.”

Negrón’s textured music blends trembling synths, heavy pauses, pulsating drones, and ‘90s micro-samples from the soundtrack of her childhood and is performed by vocalist Eliza Bagg and harpist Bridget Kibbey. As the winner of season nine of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Velour has spoken publicly about the loss of her mother on television. Her vulnerability and personal storytelling has built a strong connection with fans around the world who also faced loss, grief, and healing.