Proximity makes its world premiere Friday, March 24

View Proximity images here

CHICAGO (3/23/2023) – Searing in its intimacy, revolutionary in its structure, and groundbreaking in its technical wizardry, Proximity comes to life at Lyric Opera of Chicago, March 24 – April 8, 2023. Proximity is the second Chicago-set world premiere in Lyric's season, following the sold-out success of The Factotum.

Curated since its inception in 2019 by Lyric Special Projects Advisor Renée Fleming along with Lyric’s General Director Anthony Freud and director Yuval Sharon, Proximity brings together some of the leading creative thinkers in American culture, all in their Lyric debuts:

Daniel Bernard Roumain, the acclaimed Haitian-American composer, and Anna Deavere Smith, the legendary playwright and actress, have written The Walkers, an opera that gives voice to families grappling with gun violence in Chicago.
Caroline Shaw, a Pulitzer and Grammy-winning composer, has teamed with writer Jocelyn Clarke for Four Portraits, an opera about the impact of technology on society.
Pulitzer and Grammy-winning composer John Luther Adams has written Night, a short opera on the fragility of the natural world, set to a text by the late poet John Haines.

Proximity offers a compelling snapshot of 21st-century life and continues to push boundaries for what is possible in and for opera. It brings a new kind of musical and theatrical experience to Lyric, to the city of Chicago, and to the world. Experience the world premiere of Proximity — only at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

View Proximity images here

A high-resolution video trailer will be available soon on Lyric's YouTube channel.

Read the Proximity digital program book.

Performance dates for Proximity are March 24, 26 (matinee), 29, April 5 (matinee), and 8. All performances take place at the Lyric Opera House, 20 North Wacker Drive, Chicago.

Proximity is sung in English, with projected English titles.

Running time is 2 hours and 15 minutes, including one intermission.

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

Lyric’s world premiere of Proximity is generously made possible by an Anonymous Donor, OPERA America, and support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Additional support is provided by Lyric Opera of Chicago's Production Circle.

Lyric Opera's Season is presented 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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