“With a wry sense of the absurd and understated way of knocking your socks off, Hopkins combines an intelligent and compelling dramatic presence with old-timey bluesy pop for a riveting performance. The effect is always dazzling.”— digitalcity.com


Cynthia Hopkins held capacity crowds spellbound when the Walker presented her funny, inventive, and musically enthralling Accidental Nostalgia in 2005. The piece was so fresh and downright fun that the Walker immediately commissioned its theatrical prequel. Must Don’t Whip ’Um explores the outrageous life of an obscure, fictional pop star from the ’70s, who is under surveillance by the CIA as she performs her “farewell concert” and subsequently joins a Sufi brotherhood. . . .

“With a wry sense of the absurd and understated way of knocking your socks off, Hopkins combines an intelligent and compelling dramatic presence with old-timey bluesy pop for a riveting performance. The effect is always dazzling.”— digitalcity.com


Cynthia Hopkins held capacity crowds spellbound when the Walker presented her funny, inventive, and musically enthralling Accidental Nostalgia in 2005. The piece was so fresh and downright fun that the Walker immediately commissioned its theatrical prequel. Must Don’t Whip ’Um explores the outrageous life of an obscure, fictional pop star from the ’70s, who is under surveillance by the CIA as she performs her “farewell concert” and subsequently joins a Sufi brotherhood. Joined by her band Gloria Deluxe and video artists/designers Jeff Sugg and Jim Findlay, Hopkins offers an infectious blend of alt-country, cabaret, Southern soul, and multimedia theater unlike anything else.

Out There and Then Some
Drink with the artists every Thursday at a postshow gathering.
Talk with the artists every Friday at a postshow discussion.
Learn from the artists every Saturday morning at an Inside Out There workshop.

Co-commissioned by the Walker Art Center with support from the William and Nadine McGuire Commissioning Fund. Additional support is provided by the Moore Family Fund for the Arts of the Minneapolis Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes a great nation deserves great art.