Lyric Opera 2025-2026 Issue 11 - safronia

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 20 AVERY R.YOUNG COMPOSER, LIBRETTIST, baar booker Previously at Lyric: Librettist & Narrator/ Twilight: Gods (2021). Chicago’s inaugural Poet Laureate and American Poet Laureate Fellow, interdisciplinary artist avery r. young is also a co-director of Floating Museum. Also a Walder’s Foundation Platform awardee, his art practice spans film, curation, written and performance works featured in national and international exhibitions, theater, festivals, and anthologies. He scored Lise Haller Baggeson’s Hatorgrade Retrograde: The Musical and Red Clay Dance’s Rest.Restore.Nourish.Move.Heal , and produced two albums, booker t soltreyne: a race rekkid and tubman . The latter is the soundtrack to his volume of poetry titled, neckbone: visual verses (Northwestern University). MEAGHAN M c NEAL safronia booker Lyric debut The Chicago-born singer, songwriter, and producer is known for her soulful, expansive range across jazz, R&B, and contemporary styles. She has appeared on NBC’s The Voice (Team Jennifer Hudson) and The Kelly Clarkson Show , and is a recurring guest artist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, including its Notes for Peace concerts. A 2020 3Arts Chicago Awardee, McNeal is also the founder of Pink Elephant Creatives, an arts enterprise dedicated to expanding opportunity for artists. In 2022, she also performed with members of the CSO, conductor Andrew Grams, and children’s rocker Justin Roberts in the ensemble’s school and family concerts. MAIESHA M c QUEEN magnolia booker Lyric debut The award-winning vocalist and actor’s work spans contemporary theater, soul, classical crossover, and new music. She has appeared on Broadway and extensively across major regional theatres throughout the United States. Her performances have earned regional awards and recognitions, particularly for her portrayals of Mahalia Jackson and Celie in The Color Purple . She recently made her solo concert debut at The Green Room 42 in New York City, a performance that was featured and praised in BroadwayWorld . A dedicated contributor to the development of new work, McQueen is frequently engaged in workshops, creative laboratories, and composer-driven collaborations. She is a graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts and holds a master’s degree in teaching from Fordham University. LORENZO RUSH, JR. king willie tate Lyric debut Rush has received Joseph Jefferson Awards for his performances in Ain’t Misbehavin, Five Guys Named Moe , and Sophisticated Ladies . His numerous regional credits include appearances at Marriott Theatre, Paramount Theater, Porchlight Music Theater, Drury Lane Theater, Skylight Music Theater, Goodman Theater, and Court Theater. Television and film credits include Chicago Fire, Fargo, Sirens , and Chicago PD . In Memphis, he received a Black Theater Alliance Award. JEFF PARKER bossman Previously at Lyric: Arne Duncan/ Proximity (2022/23). Parker has appeared at nearly every major Chicago theatre, including Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare, Writers, Court, Northlight, Victory Gardens, Drury Lane, Marriott, Porchlight, and many others. His regional work includes productions with Manhattan Theatre Club (NYC), Huntington Theatre Company (Boston), American Conservatory Theater and Magic Theatre (San Francisco), Asolo Repertory Theatre (Sarasota), Clarence Brown Theatre (Knoxville), Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, and the Kennedy Center. He received a Joseph Jefferson Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Guido in Nine at Porchlight Music Theatre, and was a member of the Jeff Award–winning ensemble of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s The Brother/Sister Plays , directed by Tina Landau at Steppenwolf. ZACHARY JAMES cholly Lyric debut James’ highlights this season include Amenhotep in Philip Glass’ Akhnaten with Gran Teatre del Liceu, a role that he also performs with LA Opera and the Stichting Omroep Muziek in the Netherlands; Philip Glass’ Symphony No. 15, Lincoln , at Tanglewood with the Boston Symphony Orchestra; and a Pride in Progress concert with GENVAS in Fort Lauderdale. Highlights on the operatic stage include the Immigration Officer in Flight with Dallas Opera; the titular Sweeney Todd with Opera Omaha; The Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance with Cincinnati Opera; Lucius/Witch in the world premiere of Paola Prestini’s Edward Tulane with Minnesota Opera; Sciarrone in Tosca with LA Opera; Lincoln in Philip Glass’ The Perfect American at the Teatro Real (a role he reprised with English National Opera and Opera Queensland); and Terry in the world premiere of Breaking The Waves with Opera Philadelphia.