Award-winning singer, performance artist and interfaith minister Rev. Roger Anthony Yolanda Mapes, who prefers to be called “Rev. Yolanda” will grace the stage at the ArtsCenter today in a gender-bending gospel celebration, entitled “Rev. Yolanda’s Old-Time Gospel Hour.”
The eclectic performance features Yolanda in drag, delivering a blend of traditional gospel, southern rock and original songs.
The show predicates on a message of love and oneness, said Rev. Rosemary Hyde, co-pastor at Unity Center of Peace, an interfaith church in Chapel Hill. The center has previously hosted Rev. Yolanda’s Old-Time Gospel Hour as part of their LGBT community outreach.
“I think that by using gospel music as his language, if you will, he’s speaking in a way that traditional, religious Christian people understand and enjoy,” Hyde said.
“And by being a loving presence, as Rev. Yolanda … he succeeded in helping people from those two different extremes to see each other as real people. We all kind of get outside of our predetermined little boxes about who that other person is and get into a space where we can sincerely say, ‘Hi,’ to each other.”
The consciousness precipitated by Yolanda’s performance inspired Hyde to seek out a larger venue. She reached out to Art Menius, executive director of the ArtsCenter, nearly nine months ago to host the show.
Menius said the unique nature of the performance and the inherent questions it prompts about gender identity and spirituality resonated with him.
“That Rev. Yolanda Roger Mapes is so devoutly committed, that he is a true believer, that this is a real gospel show that happens to be conducted by a believer in drag … That’s a beautiful combination of different aspects of our life. That’s what attracted me,” Menius said.
“I thought a program this unusual and remarkable definitely fits into our audience and brings a new audience in to see what we have to offer.”
