Lyric Opera 2018-2019 Issue 7 La Boheme #2

L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O 14 | January 10 - 31, 2019 KYLE FLUBACKER KYLE FLUBACKER Lyric backstage tours can transform young people’s idea of what it takes to produce live opera. individuals who are dealing with some really difficult situations, many times the voices of individuals suffering are not heard,” said Nyzaka. To connect with Lyric and be recognized as an organization doing important work in the community “felt like the right partnership, and a wonderful opportunity for us to be recognized on a larger stage,” she said. Their final performance focused on how music can bring healing to those who need it most. Chicago Voices, which also included citywide participatory events and performances, an all-star, multi-genre gala concert, and expert panels and master classes, was a rousing success. As Lyric Unlimited’s most ambitious project to date, more than 80,000 Chicagoans partici- pated in the program. “The Chicago Voices initiative allowed us to really spread our wings and engage with communities around the city utilizing the building blocks of opera: telling stories through words and music,” said Cayenne Harris, vice president of Lyric Unlimited. The learning imparted from Chicago Voices and Community Created Performances was also used as a guiding force for Lyric Unlimited’s next big undertaking: EmpowerYouth! Igniting Creativity through the Arts. Collaboratively planned by Lyric Unlimited and the Chicago Urban League, the first-time partnership immersed 31 African- American high-school students in the creation of an original opera. In existence for more than 100 years, the Chicago Urban League is a civil-rights organization that supports and advocates for economic, educational and social progress for African-Americans in the city. The idea for EmpowerYouth! was sparked, in part, by the growing requests from the young people the League served for more arts integration in their daily lives. The partnership proved to be an ideal fit. “A key objective of Lyric Unlimited from its earliest origins has been collabo- ration,” said Harris. “Collaboration with other organizations can open many doors; it can offer access to populations that wouldn't otherwise be in Lyric's orbit.” Announced in September 2017, the students participating in EmpowerYouth! met weekly at the League’s headquarters to receive training in storytelling, music, drama, and dance. With the assistance of director Jess McLeod, composer Damien Sneed, music supervisor Kedrick Armstrong, and playwright Ike Holter, the students used elements from their own lives to help create their final piece. Entitled Empower, the 40-minute production chronicled a group of students who band together to change their south-side neighborhood, all while fighting against an overzealous reporter obsessed with corruption and presenting their community in a negative light. Presented on May 31, 2018, the program marked the first time a community group performed publicly on the Lyric stage. “With the resources of a great opera company deployed to support the creation and performance of original works, that impact extends not only to direct participants, but to the facilitators and creatives supporting the process, audiences who attended the performances, and the extended communities whose stories were reflected in what happened on stage,” said Harris. A key objective of Lyric Unlimited involves exposing young people to the art form of opera and making it relevant in their lives. Lyric Unlimited’s Opera Residencies programs work within schools across the city, sending teaching artists into classrooms. They assist students with the writing, creation, and performance of an original opera. Using music, theater, and movement, they work collaboratively with participating schools to develop a custom residency plan that engages the students in creative storytelling. Elise LaBarge, in her seventh year as a Lyric teaching artist, believes that since “opera includes virtually every art form, each student can find something they like about it.” On the high school level, the program is designed to support and enrich the music learning objectives of choir teachers by providing regular, year-round assistance in the classroom. Carla Jones, a third-grade teacher at Cook Elementary, hosts a Lyric teaching artist for 12 consecutive weeks throughout the year. “At KYLE FLUBACKER Participants in the Chicago Academy Elementary School’s Opera Residency program preparing for the final performance of the opera they created. . " " Since opera includes virtually every art form, each student can find something they like about it.