Meet The Vampire Pop Opera Created By A Mom Who Decided To Put Herself First
What would you do if you could pursue your creative passions with as much energy as you give to your family? For Carey Renee Sharpe, a former nurse and mom of two who also happens to be a violinist and singer, the answer was simple: write and star in her own original vampire musical. BLOOD/LOVE, a sultry pop opera, made its buzzy debut in New York this spring.
“After spending over a decade taking care of others, I was in desperate need of a creative outlet to fill my own cup. [It] sounded really crazy in the beginning,” Sharpe admits, “but I’ve learned that it’s truly never too late to start over again.”
Set in a fictional gothic nightclub, The Crimson, BLOOD/LOVE follows the world’s first vampire, Valerie (Sharpe) as she searches for meaning on a milestone birthday: her 1,000th. A chance encounter with a drop-dead gorgeous mortal who has his own deal with the devil gives Valerie a tantalizing but torturous choice: risk it all for love, or guarantee her survival in eternal loneliness? Turns out not even an immortal former queen of the underworld can have it all — but the audience certainly can, with a playful, immersive cabaret vibe, original music, and literal dancing in the aisles. Here’s why BLOOD/LOVE is the perfect excuse for your next much-needed mom’s night out.
It Feels Like A Party
With a stage designed to look and feel like the city’s hottest club, BLOOD/LOVE is made to be experienced, not just seen. The show is a decadent romp, with “vampires” roaming among guests from the moment you step inside the lobby, aka The Crimson cocktail lounge. It’s the kind of show that makes you want to dress up and play along, from the opening notes to the rollicking post-show after-party and DJ set (held after select 9PM performances — check the website for specific dates). And at a fast-paced 83 minutes, you’ll still have time for dinner and drinks without having to pay the sitter overtime.
The Undead Heroine Is Surprisingly Relatable
Valerie may be a thousand-year-old vampire, but she’s written and performed by a 42 year-old human woman, so there’s going to be some overlap in the universal feminine experience — undead or alive.
“I’ve heard the term ‘mid-life awakening’ instead of mid-life crisis, and I have certainly experienced that, both in my professional and personal life,” shares Sharpe, who was a pediatric critical care nurse before stepping away to pursue music full-time.
Per Sharpe: “Valerie has reinvented herself many times over, but she still longs for something more.” At its core, BLOOD/LOVE is a story about a woman looking at her (after)life and finding something missing, despite all of her accomplishments. When Sharpe talks about her journey as a first-time musical theater creator, it’s hard not to see parallel in Valerie’s arc: “It’s never too late to figure out what your dream is and run like hell to chase it!”
It’s Blood-Pumpingly Original
BLOOD/LOVE is Sharpe’s off-Broadway debut as a creator, writer, and performer. With her co-writer, Grammy-nominated musician and producer Dru DeCaro, Sharpe worked for five years developing the musical, melding her real life experiences with her favorite classic vampire lore to create something totally and completely original.
“Dru and I are both new to this world of musical theater writing, so our music sounds very different from a lot of the more traditional shows,” Sharpe says. While predominantly inspired by contemporary rock and pop — The Crimson is a club, after all — Valerie plays the violin live on stage, making clever use of Sharpe’s years of formal training.
BLOOD/LOVE runs through May 10. Get tickets at bloodlove.com and sink your teeth into it while you can.
