Lyric Opera 2022-2023, Issue 7, Factotum

23 | Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra ORCHESTRA Violin I Jessica McJunkins, concertmaster Caitlin Edwards Alexandria Hill Violin II James Sanders, principal Karla Galva Viola Seth Pae, principal Wilfred Farquharson Cello Lindsey Sharpe, principal Bass/Electric Bass Chuck Webb, principal Saxophone James Perkins, Jr., alto Kenneth Leftridge, tenor Jacob Slocum, baritone Trumpet Chris Davis, principal Trombone Terrell Boykin, principal Drum Set Samuel Jewell Piano/Keys Donald Lee III Guitar/Electric Guitar Felton Offard CDJ/Laptop DJ King Rico Librarian Annika Donnen Orchestra Contractor Christine Janicki SUPERNUMERARIES Charles M. Anderson Natasha Buksh Ashley J. Dearborn Fresh Lake Dawn Tracy Michael DePriest Reed Christopher Vaughn To help celebrate the world premiere of The Factotum , Lyric Opera of Chicago commissioned a set of three murals from artist Barrett Keithley, a Chicago native. The paintings—on walls on the city’s South and West sides–are intended to express the creative spirit behind the work and its deep roots within the Chicago community. The face depicted on the program cover is a distillation of this soul opera’s overarching themes—Black joy, among them. “The abstraction of the face popped into my head when I started to learn more about the production,” Keithley says. “I wanted to portray a person who was looking up, looking hopeful despite all odds. The big Afro hair represents having abundance and having confidence in your natural state. When we let ourselves flow, that’s when we figure out how to get over whatever is challenging us.” Keithley refers here to the struggles within the story, but executing the murals themselves presented obstacles as well. Installed on the side of a barbershop and school in the Austin neighborhood, the entire piece excerpted here measures roughly 40 feet by 70 feet—a daunting scale. Still, Chicago’s midwinter conditions were the real complication to bringing this elaborate work to fruition. “I’m using spray paint and outdoor acrylic paint, and the weather was pushing me back in some regards,” Keithley notes. “Sometimes my supplies would get frozen. It was daunting. But I appreciated the challenge. I thought, ‘I can do this.’” The mural installations commissioned by Lyric can be viewed at the following Chicago locations: 5131 W. Madison Street 443 E. 79th Street 321 N. Cicero Avenue On the cover Todd Rosenbeg The full,untitled mural by Barrett Keithley, located at 5131 W.Madison Street, measures approximately 40’x 70’.