Lyric Opera 2021-2022 Issue 7 Fire Shut Up My Bones

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 6 Welcome to the Chicago premiere of Fire Shut Up in My Bones . When this important newwork—based on the memoir by The New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow—debuted at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in 2019, many of us were there to see it come alive. We are proud to bring this moving, poignant, powerful, and deeply affecting new American opera from jazz luminary and composer Terence Blanchard and celebrated director, screenwriter, and librettist Kasi Lemmons to Chicago audiences. Lyric has a renewed commitment to new and contemporary works that will be seen over many seasons to come. New work gives us the opportunity to share important untold stories that reflect our shared humanity, to engage some of the most exciting and diverse creative minds of our time, and to affirm the future of opera itself by rooting it in our relevant, contemporary world. In upcoming seasons, Lyric will present: • The world premiere of The Factotum , byWill Liverman—Ryan Opera Center alumnus and star of Fire Shut Up in My Bones —and dynamic DJ/producer King Rico. The Factotum , inspired by The Barber of Seville , is a completely original work set in a Black barbershop on Chicago’s South Side. An irresistibly upbeat marriage of gospel, funk, rap, hip-hop, R&B and more, it redefines everything opera can be. • Proximity , a trio of works commissioned by Lyric, directed by Yuval Sharon, and curated by our Special Projects Advisor Renée Fleming from three sets of composer/librettist teams. This gripping newwork zooms in and out on issues that face us today as individuals, as communities, and as global citizens, in a single, thought-provoking performance experience. • Omar , co-composed by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels with a libretto by Giddens. Based on the life and the remarkable 1831 autobiography of Omar ibn Said, an enslaved Muslim-African man, Omar will weave distinctive West African traditions with classic opera instrumentation in this powerful story of unimaginable adversity and faith. • Two operas by the celebrated team of composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek: the North American premiere of The Listeners , based on the Jordan Tannahill novel about how far individuals will go to find a sense of place and purpose; and Proving Up , a powerfully supernatural story of Nebraska homesteaders in the 1870s, in a production by James Darrah that was originally to be presented in Lyric’s 2021/22 Season. As we look forward to these newworks with great anticipation, we remember that every time-honored masterpiece that we love today was originally brand new to audiences. How exciting it is to be a part of the creation of works that will live on and tell the stories of our times, our struggles, and our triumphs for opera audiences to experience for generations to come. Thank you for being with us on this journey. Opera Forever! Lyric Forever! From the Chair and the General Director SYLVIA NEIL Chair ANTHONY FREUD OBE President, General Director & CEO The Women’s Board Endowed Chair Photo: Todd Rosenberg Photo: Todd Rosenberg