***RECOMMENDED*** Do you hear what I hear?
Hopefully, you do not hear a constant dull hum or an aggressive drone during your every waking hour. Otherwise, you may need to seek the guidance of a self-help group collectively referred to as The Listeners. The narratives of many of the members of this nefarious group, in roles which are all sung by members of Lyric's chorus, combine and intertwine to create the highly disturbing yet hauntingly beautiful opera "The Listeners," composed by Missy Mazzoli in 2022 and receiving its Lyric premiere in a very bold yet distinctly adult production. 3 SPOTLIGHTS
Chicago native Nicole Heaston makes her Lyric debut as Claire, a high school teacher who appears to be slowly losing her grip on both her personal as well as her professional life. Heaston has sung this role not only at the work's world premiere in Norway but also at its North American premiere in Philadelphia. That prior experience in developing this role pays off handsomely for Lyric audiences, who will get to witness a blistering performance from this hometown talent.
Tranquil scenes of domestic bliss do not exist in "The Listeners." Instead, Claire must constantly bicker with her teen-aged daughter Ashley (Jasmine Habersham) and prevent further alienation from her patient and very understanding husband Paul (Zachary Nelson, in a finely controlled performance). Things at school aren't much better. Claire realizes that this constant hum is not going to disappear on its own accord and that it is causing her to lose control and she cannot keep her students in line. In the midst of chaos, Claire connects with a lonely student named Kyle (Jonas Hacker), who confesses to Claire that he also hears the hum and eventually finds information online regarding The Listeners. Kyle encourages Claire to attend their next meeting with him.
It is at this initial meeting where Claire meets Howard (Kyle Ketelsen), the enigmatic leader of The Listeners and a god-like figure to most of them. Ketelsen is cool, centered and downright eerie as Howard. Angela (Daniela Mack) is Howard's assistant, or, as she claims, his "Number 2." Mack's portayal of Angela starts out as bright and almost jovial but quickly shifts to much darker tones as we realize what responsibilities come with being Howard's Number 2.
As she drifts deeper and deeper into herself to avoid the constant hum, Claire increasingly isolates herself from many of the human beings who surround her. She has several nightly retreats to her yard where she encounters a lone coyote, personified at alternating performances by dancers Rachel Harris and Morgan Reed McDaniel. While the character of the coyote remains mute, Claire talks to it at length, sharing her most intimate fears and thoughts with the animal, who seems to understand her and the two form an extremely strong symbiotic relationship. Ironically, it is during these scenes with the coyote that we learn the most about Claire (directly from her) and her very human dilemma.
Lyric Opera's Music Director Enrique Mazzola, perhaps most well-known as a master of bel canto works as well as being an incredible interpreter of Verdi's early operas, conducts Mazzoli's expansive score admirably. It is nice to see that he can add another contemporary opera to his slate of titles that he has conducted thus far.
Come hear what all the buzz is about at "The Listeners."
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"The Listeners" continues until April 11, 2025
Lyric Opera of Chicago is located at 20 North Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL
Remaining performances are:
Tuesday, April 8 at 7:00 PM
Friday, April 11 at 7:00 PM
Tickets: Please visit www.lyricopera.org or call 312-827-5600
Run time is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission