The Listeners
Missy Mazzoli + Royce Vavrek
American Premiere
September 25-29, 2024
Co-presented with Opera Philadelphia
A thriller about social rejection, suburban loneliness, and the seductive power of cults and charismatic leaders in a divided nation.
Composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Varek follow up on their acclaimed 2016 world premiere Breaking the Waves. The Listeners examines the lengths to which we, as Americans, are willing to go to find a sense of place and purpose, and the ways in which charming leaders can exploit these needs to their own ends.
A middle-class mother (soprano Nicole Heaston) living in a southwestern U.S. suburb notices a “hum,” a high-frequency environmental noise that only a select few people, the “Listeners,” can hear. A community organization quickly forms to solve the mystery of the hum, but when the de facto leader (Kevin Burdette) suggests a spiritual significance, the meetings become increasingly cult-like. Is this community of “Listeners” on a collision course with destruction?
Music by Missy Mazzoli. Libretto by Royce Vavrek. Based on an original story by Jordan Tannahill. Co-commissioned and co-produced by Opera Philadelphia, Norwegian National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Performance Information
September 25–29, 2024
Wednesday, September 25 at 7pm
Friday, September 27 at 8pm
Sunday, September 29 at 2pm
Pricing
$11 or Pick Your Own Price
Limited Availability
Ticketing is run through Opera Philadelphia’s Box Office.
Venue
Academy of Music
240 S. Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Philadelphia, PA 19102
About the Artists
Missy Mazzoli & Royce Vavrek
A fast-rising composer on the contemporary music scene, Missy Mazzoli’s talent draws audiences equally into concert halls and rock clubs. Her unique music reflects a trend among composers of her generation who combine styles, writing music for the omnivorous audiences of the 21st century. She inhabits a gorgeous and mysterious sound-world that melds indie-rock sensibilities with formal training from Louis Andriessen, Martijn Padding, Richard Ayers, and others. Practically speaking, she amasses music in layers not normally found together but in ways that create matchless vertical harmonies. Learn more about Missy
Royce Vavrek is an Alberta-born, Brooklyn-based librettist and lyricist known as “an exemplary creator of operatic prose” (The New York Times) and “the indie Hoffmanstahl” (The New Yorker). Learn more about Royce
Creative Team
Missy Mazzoli Composer
Royce Vavrek Librettist
Lileana Blain-Cruz Director
Raja Feather Kelly Choreographer
Photos (c) Erik Berg
Supporters
Accessibility
Assisted listening devices, braille programs, large print programs, supertitles, and wheelchair accessible seating available at all performances.
Health & Safety
Masks are optional, vaccines are not required. More information about FringeArts COVID policies can be found here.
Philly Fringe 2024
This event is presented by FringeArts as part of the 2024 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. To browse programming curated by FringeArts, click here.
The 2024 Philadelphia Fringe Festival runs from September 5–29, and features more than 300 participating artists and companies in venues across the city. Join us all month long for audacious, adventurous, astonishing art.
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