Skip to main content Skip to footer site map

Photos: First Look at the World Premiere of THE FACTOTUM at Lyric Opera of Chicago

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.

Lyric Opera of Chicago will present 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.

Photo credit: Gordon Oliver Jr.

Photos: First Look at the World Premiere of THE FACTOTUM at Lyric Opera of Chicago
The company

Photos: First Look at the World Premiere of THE FACTOTUM at Lyric Opera of Chicago
The company

Photos: First Look at the World Premiere of THE FACTOTUM at Lyric Opera of Chicago
Will Liverman

Photos: First Look at the World Premiere of THE FACTOTUM at Lyric Opera of Chicago
The company

Photos: First Look at the World Premiere of THE FACTOTUM at Lyric Opera of Chicago
Nissi Shalome, Will Liverman

Photos: First Look at the World Premiere of THE FACTOTUM at Lyric Opera of Chicago
DJ King Rico

Photos: First Look at the World Premiere of THE FACTOTUM at Lyric Opera of Chicago
Martin Luther Clark

Photos: First Look at the World Premiere of THE FACTOTUM at Lyric Opera of Chicago
Norman Garrett, Cecilia Violetta López

Photos: First Look at the World Premiere of THE FACTOTUM at Lyric Opera of Chicago
Will Liverman, Di'Aire Wilson

Photos: First Look at the World Premiere of THE FACTOTUM at Lyric Opera of Chicago
The company

Photos: First Look at the World Premiere of THE FACTOTUM at Lyric Opera of Chicago
Ron Dukes, Kris Bellvie, Norman Garrett

Photos: First Look at the World Premiere of THE FACTOTUM at Lyric Opera of Chicago
The company

Photos: First Look at the World Premiere of THE FACTOTUM at Lyric Opera of Chicago
The company

Photos: First Look at the World Premiere of THE FACTOTUM at Lyric Opera of Chicago
Cecilia Violetta López, Norman Garrett

Photos: First Look at the World Premiere of THE FACTOTUM at Lyric Opera of Chicago
The company



Cast and Creative Team Set for AIRNESS at Citadel Theatre Photo
Citadel Theatre will conclude its season with AIRNESS, a comedy set in the world of air guitar competitions, written by Chelsea Marcantel, a 2021 winner of the Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theatre.

NRDC Partners with Art at a Time Like This at EXPO CHICAGO to Highlight the Power of Women Photo
For the 10th anniversary of EXPO CHICAGO, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) has partnered with Art at a Time Like This (ATLT) to create HOW ON EARTH, a climate-focused exhibit from acclaimed artists Janet Biggs, Lily Kwong, Helina Metaferia and Jennifer Wen Ma.

Metropolis Performing Arts Centre Presents RAGTIME in May Photo
Metropolis Performing Arts Centre presents the acutely renowned musical inspired by a novel of the same name, Ragtime.

Lookingglass Theatre Company Announces Registration Is Now Open for 2023 Summer Camp Photo
The Department of Curiosity at Lookingglass Theatre Company invites high school students to participate in a one-of-a-kind experience this summer in the historic Water Tower Water Works on Michigan Avenue. 


More Hot Stories For You


Definition Theatre Presents The Chicago Premiere Of FAIRVIEWDefinition Theatre Presents The Chicago Premiere Of FAIRVIEW
March 31, 2023

Definition Theatre announces the Chicago premiere of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama Fairview by Jackie Sibblies Drury and directed by Artistic Director Tyrone Phillips. Fairview runs from April 28 - May 21, 2023 at The Revival.

Cast and Creative Team Set for AIRNESS at Citadel TheatreCast and Creative Team Set for AIRNESS at Citadel Theatre
March 31, 2023

Citadel Theatre will conclude its season with AIRNESS, a comedy set in the world of air guitar competitions, written by Chelsea Marcantel, a 2021 winner of the Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theatre.

NRDC Partners with Art at a Time Like This at EXPO CHICAGO to Highlight the Power of Women & Artists as Climate AdvocatesNRDC Partners with Art at a Time Like This at EXPO CHICAGO to Highlight the Power of Women & Artists as Climate Advocates
March 31, 2023

For the 10th anniversary of EXPO CHICAGO, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) has partnered with Art at a Time Like This (ATLT) to create HOW ON EARTH, a climate-focused exhibit from acclaimed artists Janet Biggs, Lily Kwong, Helina Metaferia and Jennifer Wen Ma.

Metropolis Performing Arts Centre Presents RAGTIME in MayMetropolis Performing Arts Centre Presents RAGTIME in May
March 31, 2023

Metropolis Performing Arts Centre presents the acutely renowned musical inspired by a novel of the same name, Ragtime.

Lookingglass Theatre Company Announces Registration Is Now Open for 2023 Summer CampLookingglass Theatre Company Announces Registration Is Now Open for 2023 Summer Camp
March 30, 2023

The Department of Curiosity at Lookingglass Theatre Company invites high school students to participate in a one-of-a-kind experience this summer in the historic Water Tower Water Works on Michigan Avenue.