Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson’s Blue opens at Lyric on Saturday, November 16

View Blue images here

CHICAGO (11/15/2024) — An intimate look at family, faith, and community in times of grief and healing, Blue makes its Chicago premiere at Lyric Opera of Chicago from November 16 to December 1, 2024.

Blue examines the growth and development of a modern Black family, with faith as the grounding force that ties their surrounding community together even as it is torn apart by police violence. Tony Award-winning theater and opera composer Jeanine Tesori’s magnificently moving music is matched by librettist and director Tazewell Thompson’s probing, deeply sensitive text.

Kenneth Kellogg makes his much-anticipated Lyric debut as the Father, a role that was written expressly for him, with Lyric favorite Zoie Reams as the Mother, Ryan Opera Center Ensemble member Travon D. Walker as the Son, and Norman Garrett as the Reverend. Conductor Joseph Young makes his Lyric debut leading the Lyric Opera Orchestra.

Since its world premiere in 2019, Blue has quickly been hailed as a modern American classic, and it is the latest work that is part of Lyric’s ongoing commitment to creating and fostering the next generation of opera. We hope audiences can join us to discover this work’s enduring beauty and timeliness.

View Blue Images Here

A high-resolution video trailer will be available soon on Lyric's YouTube channel and in Lyric's online press room.

Read the Blue digital program book before the performance.

Performance dates for Blue are November 16, 20, 22, 26; and a matinee on December 1. All performances take place at the Lyric Opera House, 20 North Wacker Drive, Chicago.

ASL-interpretation and SoundShirts are available at the Wednesday, November 20 performance. Audio description and a guided touch tour of the set are available at the Sunday, December 1 matinee performance. For more information, visit lyricopera.org/accessibility.

Blue is performed in English, with projected English titles.

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

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

^{Lyric’s presentation of Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson’s Blue is generously made possible by the Pritzker Traubert Foundation and The Joyce Foundation, with additional support from Conagra Brands Foundation.}

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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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