Fire Shut Up in My Bones opens Thursday, March 24

March 24–April 8

View Fire Shut Up in My Bones images here

CHICAGO (3/24/2022) – Lyric Opera of Chicago is proud to present the company premiere of Terence Blanchard and Kasi Lemmons’s new opera Fire Shut Up in My Bones, the latest in Lyric’s continuing long-term focus on developing and presenting new work on its mainstage.

Fire Shut Up in My Bones brings together an extraordinary collection of talent, including the composer Terence Blanchard, one of the most influential figures in American jazz, whose score is a fusion of opera, jazz, gospel, and other musical traditions, and Kasi Lemmons, a celebrated screenwriter and film director, whose bracing and poetic libretto skillfully adapts The New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow’s memoir for the stage. The production is conducted by Daniela Candillari and co-directed by James Robinson and Camille A. Brown, with Brown also providing the opera's electrifying choreography.

The topflight cast includes many of America’s most brilliant singing actors, including Will Liverman, an alumnus of Lyric’s Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, in the central role of Charles; Latonia Moore in her Lyric debut as Charles’s mother, Billie; Brittany Renee in her Lyric debut in the roles of Destiny, Loneliness, and Charles’s girlfriend Greta; Chauncey Packer as Spinner, Billie’s womanizing husband, in his Lyric debut; and Chris Kenney, also an alumnus of Lyric’s Ryan Opera Center, who returns as Chester, Charles’s abusive cousin.

When Fire Shut Up in My Bones had its New York premiere at the Metropolitan Opera last year, it earned thunderous acclaim for its creative team and cast and instantly became the must-have ticket for the fall. Chicago audiences will soon discover why.

View Fire Shut Up in My Bones images here

A high-resolution video trailer is now available on Lyric's YouTube channel.

Watch a short film featuring a lively conversation between composer Terence Blanchard and star Will Liverman.

Read the Fire Shut Up in My Bones digital program book

Performance dates for Fire Shut Up in My Bones are March 24, 27, 29, April 2, 6, and 8; All performances take place at the Lyric Opera House, 20 North Wacker Drive, Chicago.

Fire Shut Up in My Bones is performed in English with projected English titles. Running time is 3 hours and 5 minutes, including one 30-minute intermission.

For tickets and information, call 312.827.5600 or go to lyricopera.org/fire.

Lyric Opera's 2021|22 Season is presented by

Lyric’s new co-production of Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones is generously made possible by

About Lyric

Lyric Opera of Chicago is where the world sings — and where Chicago comes alive.

Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO John Mangum and Music Director Enrique Mazzola, Lyric stands at the intersection of artistic excellence and civic purpose, harnessing the full power of opera — voice, orchestra, stagecraft, and story — to illuminate the questions, emotions, and experiences that define us as human beings. Nearly 75 seasons of world-class performances have made Lyric one of the greatest opera companies in the world. What drives us now is what has always driven us: the belief that this art form, at its best, can move people in ways nothing else can.

Lyric is also Chicago’s partner — in its neighborhoods, its schools, and its communities — through education, engagement, and a relentless commitment to making opera accessible, relevant, and irresistible to everyone. At the heart of that commitment is The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, which trains the artists who will carry this art form into its future. Every night when the curtain rises, Lyric reminds this city — and the world — why live performance still matters.

Lyric Opera of Chicago doesn’t just present opera, it redefines what opera can be. It’s where Chicago comes to be moved, inspired, and connected.

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