Photo Credit: Oliver Miguel
In a world where visibility often defines success, Darwin Del Fabro is taking it one step further: she’s claiming authorship. Actor, singer, dancer, producer, and writer, Del Fabro is no stranger to transformation—but her latest chapter is her most defining yet.
On March 22, she made a triumphant return to the stage at New York’s legendary 54 Below, marking her first performance in two years. During that time away, Del Fabro underwent a full gender transition, including a series of gender-affirming surgeries that allowed her to step fully into her identity. “I needed to step away from the spotlight to fully become myself,” she says. “It was the most important decision of my life—and now, I’m finally ready to come back as the woman I am.”
That night, Del Fabro performed selections from all four of her albums, including songs from her latest release—performed live for the very first time. “Each album represents a different version of me,” she shares. “To sing them now, with my voice, my body, and my truth aligned—it’s liberating.”
But the most powerful shift in Del Fabro’s career isn’t just about performance—it’s about creation. Her upcoming theatrical work, LILI/DARWIN, is a bold, monologue-based play intertwining her own journey with that of Lili Elbe, one of the first known recipients of gender-affirming surgery. Raw, poetic, and deeply personal, the play explores identity, loss, and rebirth—and is set to premiere this August at The Tank in New York, under the direction of Meghan Finn. “It’s not just a play—it’s a reckoning,” she says. “A space where my truth meets history, live and unfiltered.”
Del Fabro is also expanding into film with a psychological thriller set during Rio de Janeiro’s Carnaval. “I’ve always been drawn to horror,” she explains. “It’s where fear, beauty, and transformation collide. Carnaval, with its masks and mythologies, felt like the perfect setting.”
Photo Credit: Oliver Miguel
As a producer, she’s working to adapt one of her favorite Brazilian theatre pieces for international audiences—continuing her mission to amplify voices and stories from her homeland. “Brazilian art deserves a global stage,” she says. “Producing means shaping the world I want to see.”
Beyond stage and screen, Del Fabro is also co-founding a dream venture: Bittersweet, a cozy coffee shop and bar opening this summer in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Created with her best friend, Daniel Frehner, Bittersweet will be a warm, poetic refuge—part café, part cultural hub. “It’s a space for creativity, community, and connection,” she says. “And yes—on some nights, you’ll even find me performing.”
Darwin Del Fabro isn’t just making a comeback—she’s making her mark. With her voice, her body, and her words, she’s shaping her own narrative—and inviting the world to listen. In a time where stories matter more than ever, hers is one of courage, creativity, and unapologetic ownership.
