The Factotum makes its world premiere February 3

ViewThe Factotum images here

CHICAGO (2/3/2023) – Lyric Opera of Chicago presents the first of two world premieres in its 2022/23 Season with the opening of The Factotum, February 3 - 12, 2023. The new soul opera’s sold-out world premiere at Chicago’s Harris Theater runs alongside sold-out performances of Hansel and Gretel at the Lyric Opera House for a spectacular weekend of opera.

The Factotum was conceived by Will Liverman and DJ King Rico as a modernized riff on Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, set in a Black barbershop on Chicago’s South Side. A joyful and original piece all its own, The Factotum redefines everything that opera can be through a genre-bending score that remixes classical singing with gospel, funk, rap, hip-hop, classic barbershop quartet, and R&B.

Co-book writer, director, and dramaturg Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj and conductor Kedrick Armstrong make their Lyric debuts in bringing this powerful tale of community and Black joy to life. The ensemble cast is led by Liverman, Cecilia Violetta López (also in her Lyric debut), and Norman Garrett.

The Factotum runs for five performances only, through February 12. Audiences are invited to experience a new kind of opera in the city that inspired its creation, and which it celebrates.

View The Factotum images here

Read The Factotum digital program book.

Performance dates for The Factotum are February 3, 5 (matinee), 8, 10, and 12 (matinee). All performances take place at Chicago’s Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park, 205 E. Randolph Street.

The Factotum is performed in English, with projected English titles.

Running time is 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission.

Concept, Music, and Lyrics by Will Liverman and DJ King Rico
Book by Will Liverman, DJ King Rico, and Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj
Dramaturgy by Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj

Commissioned by Lyric Opera of Chicago and Houston Grand Opera. Co-production of Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Portland Opera, and Washington National Opera.

Lyric’s world premiere of The Factotum is generously made possible by the Ford Foundation, The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center Board, Roberta L. & Robert J. Washlow, the John R. and Grace K. Stanek Charitable Fund, Gene & Jean Stark, OPERA America, the Bill & Orli Staley Foundation, Mary Stowell, the Eisen Family Foundation, an Anonymous Donor, and Laurel Appell Lipkin.

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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