Lyric Opera 2022-2023, Issue 7, Factotum

Grammy-nominated baritone Will Liverman, a Ryan Opera Center alumnus, is rapidly rising to national prominence and recently triumphed at the Metropolitan Opera. Now he joins dynamic producer/multi-instrumentalist DJ King Rico in creating a new work loosely inspired by Rossini’s The Barber of Seville that has grown into a joyful, original piece all its own, commissioned by Lyric. Updating the action to a Black barbershop on Chicago’s South Side, this gifted duo has created an irresistibly upbeat work that celebrates the strength of community. The Factotum blends diverse musical styles with boundless imagination to create a soul opera, moving from gospel and funk to rap, hip-hop, classic barbershop quartet, and R&B. Those styles connect brilliantly with classical singing in a very human comedy that rede nes everything that opera can be. Photo: James Matthew Daniel DJ King Rico and Will Liverman at work on The Factotum.