The Birth of Karaoke Performance Art

For some people, the word “karaoke” means an evening of fun musical entertainment shared with friends. For others, it evokes fear incarnate: the desperate worry that someone is going to make you get up and sing. Whichever camp you fall into, you will need an adventurous spirit (or a stiff drink) to go to Dead Behind These Eyes. No, you will not be made to sing, but you will experience bizarre, confrontational, and surprisingly sexy pop culture performance art. In the intimate confines of one of Sing Sing Karaoke’s private rooms, this piece is as site specific as you get. A microphone wielding performer looks you in the eye and declares, “Why don’t we play a little game. Let’s pretend that we’re human beings and that we’re actually alive.“ Cue a sing-along of Katy Perry’s Firework. Dead Behind These Eyes is a true post-modern mash-up, weaving fragments of text from John Osborne’s 1964 play Look Back in Anger with pop music, devised movement, audience interaction, and reflections on social media. Balancing so many elements is initially disorienting. Despite a claustrophobic, somewhat messy start, the piece quickly builds a visceral, exhilarating environment.