Hailey McAvoy's Wholly Unwinding
National Sawdust80 North 6th Street, New York 11249
Hailey McAvoy presents Wholly Unwinding as part of makemake, a festival rooted in disability-led design and imagination. McAvoy’s compositional debut is a chamber opera drawn from her life with cerebral palsy and her path toward healing and self-acceptance, described as “part musical, part folk concert, part old-time roof-raising spiritual.”
A versatile opera, concert and song performer, McAvoy has appeared with the Metropolitan Opera’s Opera Evolved series and in works including Paola Prestini’s Sensorium Ex, Lee Hoiby’s Bon Appetit and Svadba with Hogfish Regenerative Arts. BroadwayWorld called her a “gorgeous-voiced mezzo-soprano.”
National Sawdust offers a unique evening where music and innovation meet in a thoughtfully designed space that once housed a sawdust factory. The main hall, seating up to 185 guests with flexible arrangements, features a cutting-edge Meyer spatial sound system that immerses you in every note. The room’s raw brick walls and crystalline architectural elements create a striking contrast, enhancing the focus on the performance. A full bar is available, inviting you to enjoy a drink while fully engaging with the diverse range of genres presented by both emerging and established artists. Shows are ticketed, and purchasing ahead is recommended to secure your spot in this intimate yet spacious venue. The experience is centered on listening and discovery, making for an evening that feels both special and thoughtfully curated.