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LIVESTREAM | Christian De Gré Cárdenas: The Alchemists’ Duel

STREAMS LIVE APRIL 16, 2026 AT 9:45PM ET

This event is being streamed online. To purchase tickets for the in-person event, click here.

The Alchemists’ Duel

Broadway Cabaret’s darkest mind Returns to 54 Below… with friends

Welcome to The Alchemists’ Duel — the latest miscreation from seven-time New York indie-theater festival winner Christian De Gré Cárdenas — an evening that pits opera against musical theater in a riotous night of melody, mischief, and mayhem. Five pairs of award-winning composer/librettist teams enter the ring to conjure brand-new works sparked by freshly commissioned ideas, each fighting for glory, bragging rights, and a $5,000 prize to be donated to the charity, nonprofit, or project of their choosing.

Presided over by the delightfully damned La Muerte and their ill-made accomplice Diablito, the evening hurtles toward a glorious reckoning — when the audience decides who triumphs and who is forever damned.

Brazen. Generous. Beautiful kind of chaos — and the power, for once, is entirely in your hands.

“A creepy-carnival vibe. Simply put, it’s twisted and wonderful.” – Time Out New York

Music direction and piano by Nevada Lozano.

Hosted by Michael Berberich and The Robb.

Featured writers include:

Christian De Gré Cárdenas and Joseph Reese Anderson (Fatty Fatty No Friends, Whiskey Pants: The Mayor of Williamsburg, Cadence: Home)
Susan Kander (Carry My Own Suitcase, dwb (driving while black, Hermestänze) and Kelley Rourke (OPERA America’s Campbell Opera Librettist Prize)
Nevada Lozano (Oklahoma!, The Sound Inside, The Carol of the Bells)
Matthew Ricketts (2019 Guggenheim Fellow, Glob Lessons) and James Kennedy (Prodigy, Actors Theatre of Louisville/The Humana Festival of New American Plays, Williamstown Theatre Festival)
Charlie Romano (Call Me From the Grave, The Order of Chaos, Harold Arlen Musical Theater Award) and Garrett Bell (Requiem, Un Comedie Française)
Kamala Sankaram (Dutch National Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Carnegie Hall) and Deborah D.E.E.P Mouton (1st Black Poet Laureate of of Houston, TX, PLUMSHUGA: The rise of Lauren Anderson, She Who Dared)
Dan Schlosberg (The Last Bimbo of the Apocalypse, The Counterfeit Opera, “The Handmaid’s Tale”) and Amanda Quaid (Bridport Prize, Jake Adam York Prize finalist)
Grammy nominee Rona Siddiqui (The Brown Musical: A New Brown Musical, Kleban Prize, Jonathan Larson Grant)

Featured performers include:

Brandon Bell
Sishel Claverie
Mollie Craven
Emma Grimsley
Charlie High
Claudillea Holloway
Jackson Hurt
Alexandra Lang
Chauncey Packer
Alex Schechter

Joined by:

Sarah Koenig-Plonskier on violin
Chris Santos on cello
Adam Wolfe on percussion

Live from 54 Below is a new series featuring streams of LIVE performances direct from Broadway’s Living Room! Designed to make more shows accessible to fans from across the globe and to recreate the live experience, all shows will be presented exclusively at the time of performance with an in-house audience and will not be available on demand afterwards.

Featuring

Christian De Gré

Writer
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Joseph Reese Anderson, a man with short hair and a trimmed beard, looks at the camera, slightly tilting his head. He has light brown skin, a small mole on his right cheek, and wears a black collared shirt over a gray top against a softly blurred background.

Joseph Reese Anderson

Writer
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A grayscale photo of Amanda Quaid, an older woman with long, straight gray hair. She is smiling gently, wearing a dark top, and facing slightly to the right. The blurry background appears to be outdoors with dark foliage.

Susan Kander

Writer
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Amanda Quaid, a woman with light skin and straight, shoulder-length brown hair, smiles warmly at the camera. She wears a black top and stands outdoors with a blurred background of greenery and light brown tones.

Kelley Rourke

Writer
More
A man with short dark hair and a trimmed beard smiles gently. He is wearing a white dress shirt and a blue tie with a subtle pattern, reminiscent of Amanda Quaid's classic style. The plain grey background and soft lighting highlight his friendly expression.

Nevada Lozano

Writer/MD/Piano
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A bald man with a trimmed beard and mustache looks at the camera. He wears clear, round eyeglasses and a dark sweater. The softly blurred, sepia-toned background with wood-paneled walls evokes a vibe reminiscent of an Amanda Quaid portrait.

Matthew Ricketts

Writer
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A man with short brown hair and a neatly trimmed reddish-brown beard smiles gently at the camera. He wears a black shirt against a plain dark background, his even lighting reminiscent of portrait styles seen in Amanda Quaid’s work.

James Kennedy

Writer
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A young man with dark hair, glasses, and a trimmed beard smiles warmly at the camera. He is wearing a dark patterned shirt and rests his head on his hand. In the blurred background, a gold decorative reindeer and an Amanda Quaid poster are visible.

Charlie Romano

Writer
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Garrett Bell, a man with light skin, short curly brown hair, and blue eyes, smiles gently at the camera. He has light facial stubble and wears a blue patterned shirt. The soft-focus background shows water and green trees in daylight.

Garrett Bell

Writer
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Amanda Quaid, with short dark hair and brown eyes, gazes thoughtfully at the camera, resting her head on her hand. She wears a teal top before a dark floral-patterned background. Soft lighting highlights her face.

Kamala Sankaram

Writer
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A woman with long, braided hair wears hoop earrings and a black top. She has natural makeup with defined eyebrows and nude lipstick, looking directly at the camera against a dark, blurred background—resembling Amanda Quaid.

Deborah D.E.E.P Mouton

Writer
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Dan Schlosberg

Writer
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Amanda Quaid, with short curly brown hair and blue eyes, stands outdoors among blurred green foliage, wearing a sleeveless dark top and looking directly at the camera with a slight smile. The lighting is natural and soft.

Amanda Quaid

Writer
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Rona Siddiqui

Writer
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Brandon Bell, with long dark hair and medium-dark skin, wears a light green blazer over an open-collared white shirt, gazing confidently into the distance. The background is blurry, filled with green foliage and bokeh light.

Brandon Bell

Performer
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Sishel Claverie

Performer
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Mollie Craven, with short blonde hair, smiles broadly, showing teeth and bright red lipstick. Dressed in a sleeveless black collared top against a plain white background, she exudes confidence and happiness.

Mollie Craven

Performer
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Emma Grimsley, with straight dark hair and bangs, looks at the camera. She wears large sun-shaped earrings and a patterned dark jacket, her hand near her face in a neutral pose against an olive-green background.

Emma Grimsley

Performer
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Charlie High, a young man with light skin, short blonde hair, and blue eyes, looks directly at the camera. He has light facial hair and is wearing a black tank top under a dark red open shirt against a plain, dark background.

Charlie High

Performer
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A woman with her brown hair in a high bun looks at the camera. Claudillea Holloway wears bold black winged eyeliner, gold hoop earrings, and a black blazer with gold chain straps. The background is a warm beige with soft reddish-yellow light.

Claudillea Holloway

Performer
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Jackson Hurt, a young man with short light brown hair and blue eyes, smiles widely, showing his teeth. He is wearing a light blue crew-neck shirt against a softly blurred dark blue and gray gradient background.

Jackson Hurt

Performer
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Alexandra Lang, a smiling woman with short, styled brown hair and bright red lipstick, sits outdoors in a black jacket with quilted panels. Green foliage and a wooden bench are behind her, as natural light creates a cheerful atmosphere.

Alexandra Lang

Performer
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Chauncey Packer, in formal attire including a black tuxedo, bow tie, and white shirt, is smiling slightly and looking directly at the camera. The dark background with blurred yellow lights highlights his face.

Chauncey Packer

Performer
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Alex Schecter, with short, styled brown hair and blue eyes, is looking directly at the camera. The individual has a fair complexion and is wearing a light blue shirt against a blurred, dark blue background. The expression is neutral with a slight hint of a smile.

Alex Schecter

Performer
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Sarah Koenig-Plonskier

Violin
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A smiling man with curly dark hair and a beard, identified as Chris Santos, wears a light blue shirt and holds a cello and bow, seated in an indoor setting with a beige background.

Chris Santos

Cello
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A bearded man wearing glasses and a cap plays drums. He holds drumsticks and looks focused. The image is black and white, with blurred drum equipment in the foreground and a dark background.

Adam Wolfe

Percussion
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Michael Berberich, a man with light skin, a mustache, and a short beard, smiles at the camera. He wears a black cap with a white abstract logo and a black T-shirt. Vertical light beams shine behind him, creating a bright, modern background.

Michael Berberich

Host
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The Robb

Host
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Pricing

  • $30 (includes $5 in fees)
  • Shows are streamed live only and will not be available on demand afterwards.

Dates

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