Announcing four new performers added to 2025 season

We are excited to announce the addition of four live performances by some of today’s most innovative and celebrated artists coming to Frenchtown this fall.

In addition to leader of a new age of Americana Lily Talmers (Sept. 13), musical virtuoso and former Carolina Chocolate Drop member Leyla McCalla (Oct. 25), and the vibrant, Mexican-American-inspired dance troupe Ballet Nepantla (Nov. 8), we are delighted to share pathbreaking opera singer Davóne Tines, major vocal talent Joseph Keckler, Tony Award winning star of stage and screen John Cameron Mitchell, and legendary Philadelphia drag queen Martha Graham Cracker cap off our 2025 performing arts season.

ArtYard is offering early-bird tickets for these performances, which are now on sale.

Davóne Tines is developing new work

Pathbreaking vocalist Davóne Tines returns with his band, THE TRUTH, to develop Can I Help You?, a new work that invites listeners into a world of self-reflection and catharsis. They present an intimate work-in-progress performance on Saturday, Nov. 18 that combines subtle strains of classical, experimental R&B, jazz, and string music, framed by simple guided meditations, providing a space for a direct, personal, and immediate connection.

From The Met to ArtYard, Joseph Keckler’s new work weaves story and song

Following its premiere at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, A Good Night in the Trauma Garden comes to ArtYard on Saturday, Nov. 22. Joseph Keckler‘s new performance piece weaves together original new songs — lush ballads, ominous grooves — with a vivid narrative portrait of a wild and unforgettable friend, meditating on what it means to be a classic.

A Good Night in the Trauma Garden was commissioned by The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Live Arts and co-commissioned by ArtYard and Coffey Street Studios. This performance is the culmination of a weeklong residency at ArtYard.

John Cameron Mitchell brings his singular voice to ArtYard for one night only

Known as one of alt-culture’s boldest and most daring creators, John Cameron Mitchell invites you to an evening of hilarious, poignant songs and stories from his unparalleled career spanning off-Broadway, Broadway, and beyond on Saturday, Dec. 6. With his trademark blend of humor, vulnerability, and rock n roll energy, he’ll reflect on the art that has shaped his life, from Hedwig’s cult legacy to his work in film and television.

John Cameron Mitchell is a Tony Award-winning star of stage and screen — he directed, starred in and wrote, with Stephen Trask, the film Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001), for which he won Best Director at the Sundance Festival and was nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Actor. His recent Broadway production of Hedwig garnered him Tony Awards for his performance and for Best Revival. Recent TV roles include Hulu’s Shrill, HBO’s Girls and Vinyl, CBS’s The Good Fight, and Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle.

Martha Graham Cracker shares holiday-inappropriate music, tall tales, and more

Legendary Philadelphia-based drag queen Martha Graham Cracker and her band make their Frenchtown debut on Sunday, Dec. 14 with this very special performance during the holiday season.

This in-your-face rock-and-roll drag cabaret is like no drag show you’ve ever seen. Lots of audience interaction, plus plenty of unexpected, unscripted moments come together with amazing music to create an unforgettable evening of entertainment that sits at the intersection of live music, theater, drag, and comedy.

Martha’s repertoire includes Nina Simone to Led Zeppelin to Prince to Lana Del Rey, and a bit of everything in between, and she has performed for sold-out audiences across the United States, as well as in Europe and Mexico.