Lyric Opera 2019-2020 Issue 4 Dead Man Walking

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 37 Earth to Kenzie Kenzie is a fifth-grader with homework, asthma, and a big imagination. When she and her mother have to move into a family shelter, Kenzie finds refuge in the world of video games alongside her avatar, Edwin. Through their imaginary space adventures, Kenzie dares to go farther than ever before. Can she find the confidence to make friends and succeed in the classroom? And can she find her way home? This is the heart of Earth to Kenzie , a captivating new opera by composer Frances Pollock and librettist Jessica Murphy Moo. Co-commissioned by Lyric and Seattle Opera, Earth to Kenzie will be presented by Lyric Unlimited—Learning & Creative Engagement for school groups in venues throughout the Chicagoland area October 15 through November 15. There will also be family performances at the Vittum Theater on November 9 and 10. Featuring a cast of four singers with piano accompaniment, this work is meant to introduce audiences ages 7-12 to storytelling through song, introducing them to the magic of opera. In creating Earth to Kenzie , “we needed to be sensitive to students who were dealing with homelessness,” says Jessica, “and they needed to be the audience we were going to focus on.” She wanted the students to see themselves onstage and feel supported. “I also started thinking a lot about humor. This is a tough subject, but we needed to have some lightness and sparkle to balance things out. I’ve seen first-hand how humor really draws an audience together.” Frances is very aware that “every audience I compose for, regardless of age, gravitates towards their own musical language.” In this opera, “I had to include music that could live in a video-game world. I’m trying to capture a world that sounds adventurous and always full of energy because that’s what the characters in video games do – they go on adventures.” At the same time, Frances wants to give young audiences “what we love about opera. You have this music that sounds like video games, but also these really touching moments between Kenzie and her mom that sound like Onegin .” Jessica considers this opera “a slice of life – there’s no standard happily-ever-after ending. They’re still in the shelter at the end of the opera, but Kenzie does realize that her mom is her home and she doesn’t have to deal with this alone.” The production is a co-commission with Seattle Opera. Lyric Unlimited’s educational partner for Earth to Kenzie is Codeverse, the world’s first fully interactive coding studio and development platform for kids ages 6-13. Frances Pollock (composer) Jessica Murphy Moo (librettist)