New York’s Counter Codex is set to present “Ritual: Schwarze Messe Kabarett” on Dec. 13 and 14, 2024 at the cell theatre.

The performance will feature countertenor Jordan Rutter-Covatto, actor Max Richards, and performance artist Peter Clough and aims to explore gay liberation movements throughout history. They will be joined by Mila Henry at the piano, Jules Biber on cello, and Brian Shaw on saxophone and clarinet. John de Los Santos directs the production.

Audiences will hear music by Jewish composers such as Ullmann, Schulhoff, Beyglman, Schönberg, and Weill, all of whose lives and legacies were disrupted by the Third Reich. There will also be cabaret songs by Holländer and Spoliansky as well as sacred pieces by Mendelssohn, Meyerbeer, and J.S. Bach. The music will be accompanied by monologues from oral histories by local members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

The performance on Dec. 13 kicks off at 8 p.m. with two performances the following day at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.