Lyric Opera 2024-2025 Issue 5 - Blue

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 20 ACT I The Mother calls her Girlfriends together to her apartment in Harlem to tell them she is expecting a child. Their joy turns to concern when she tells them she is carrying a boy; they warn her that her son will not be welcomed in this country. When her hope and love — for the child she carries and for The Father, a policeman — will not be shaken, her Girlfriends relent, blessing her and the child. The Father’s police officer buddies, on the other hand, are immediately joyful — and a bit jealous — when they learn their fellow officer has fathered a son. Sixteen years later, The Son, a student artist and activist, frequently finds himself at odds with the law for his involvement with non- violent political protests. The Father confronts The Son, who pushes back, accusing his police officer Father of upholding an oppressive system. Despite The Son’s bitter words, The Father tells him he will always love him and hold him close. INTERMISSION ACT II After The Son is shot by a police officer at a protest, the heartbroken Father meets with The Reverend, who attempts to comfort him and encourages him to forgive. The Father, adopting the attitude of The Son, lashes out angrily. As the funeral for The Son approaches, The Girlfriends return to Harlem to support the grief-stricken Mother as she prepares to lay her son to rest. At the funeral, Father and Mother pray with the congregation, asking God to welcome their son to Heaven. The Father briefly becomes lost in a fog of emotion, guilt, regret, and memory, then finds his way back to the community gathered around him in church. Pritzker Traubert Foundation The Joyce Foundation Additional production support provided by Gene & Jean Stark An Anonymous Donor Drs.Walter & Anne-Marie Bruyninckx Lois & Steve Eisen Estate Of Mary Pat Gannon James R. Grimes Mary Stowell Scenery and costumes for this production of Blue are co-produced by Lyric Opera of Chicago, Glimmerglass Festival, and Washington National Opera . Projected titles design by Kelley Rourke originally for The Glimmerglass Festival. Lyric Opera of Chicago thanks its Official Airline,American Airlines. APPROXIMATE TIMINGS This production will be performed with one intermission. Act I 1 hour 5 minutes Intermission 25 minutes Act II 1 hour TOTAL 2 hours 30 minutes LYRIC’S 2024/25 SEASON IS PRESENTED BY Erika Gross in loving memory of Dietrich Gross Julie & Roger Baskes Synopsis TIME | Present day PLACE | The Harlem neighborhood in New York City PRODUCTION SPONSORS