Mellon Collie reimagined: Billy Corgan and Lyric Opera of Chicago fuse alternative rock with operatic grandeur

 

CHICAGO (11/24/2025) —  Lyric Opera of Chicago launched its most audacious and genre-defying experiment yet with the world premiere on Friday night of A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness, an orchestral and operatic interpretation of The Smashing Pumpkins’ landmark 1995 double album.

Three decades after Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness rewired a generation’s emotional circuitry with its 28 tracks of alternative-rock ambition, the epochal album reached its operatic destiny in this groundbreaking collaboration. Billy Corgan partnered with his hometown opera company to amplify the album with orchestral firepower, creating new arrangements with conductor and orchestrator James Lowe, who led the 57-piece Lyric Opera Orchestra through newly commissioned orchestrations that blur the boundaries between opera, rock, and performance art.

Four world-class opera artists joined Corgan and Lowe on stage to bring operatic scale and virtuosity to Corgan’s Diamond-certified album: soprano Sydney Mancasola, Hyde Park native mezzo-soprano Zoie Reams, tenor Dominick Valdés Chenes, and Highland Park resident baritone Edward Parks. The 40-voice Lyric Opera Chorus, prepared by Chorus Director Michael Black, brought muscular power to the music’s dramatic voltage.

The ambitious staging is directed by Katie Spelman and features the work of costume designer House of Gilles by Gilles Mendel and Chloé Mendel Corgan, show art designer Jeff Ritchie, lighting designer Chris Maravich, sound designer & audio mix engineer Pete Wiejaczka, and projection designer Greg Emetaz.

Thirty years after first capturing the zeitgeist and defining a generation, Mellon Collie proves it was operatic all along.

Performances continue through Sunday, November 30 at Lyric Opera of Chicago. For more information, a look behind the scenes, and tickets (strictly limited availability), go to lyricopera.org/melloncollie.

 

 

Read the digital program book of A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness before the performance.

Remaining performance dates for A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness are November 25, 26, 28, 29, and 30 at 7:30 p.m. All performances take place at the Lyric Opera House, 20 North Wacker Drive, Chicago.

A total running time of 2 hours, including one intermission.

American Sign Language interpretation and SoundShirts will be available at the Tuesday, November 25 performance. Braille and large-print programs, high-powered opera glasses, assistive listening devices, and booster seats are available from the Steiner Parquet (main floor) coat checks at all performances. For more information on these and other accessibility assets, visit lyricopera.org/accessibility.

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