Midwest Premiere
Blue
The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare
music by Jeanine Tesori
lyrics by Tazewell Thompson
directed by Tazewell Thompson
in collaboration with Lyric Opera of Chicago
About the Director
“The times are fraught. Lit by lightning and divisiveness. Love, family, friends and the church are there when we need them. And we need them now. We need a song to soothe our sorrows as we confront painful, personal truths. We need music in our lives and our children near to help us repair heartache; music to ultimately lift us and celebrate the bonds of sisterhood and brotherhood togetherness.” –Tazewell Thompson
Tazewell Thompson, librettist and director of Blue, is an Emmy-nominated director, playwright and author. His multiple award-winning play Constant Star has had more than a dozen national productions, and his play Mary T. & Lizzy K., commissioned by Arena Stage, was the recipient of the Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award and saw productions in Washington DC and Minnesota. He is the author of Jubilee: Fisk Jubilee Singers; Jam & Spice: The Music of Kurt Weill and an adaptation of A Christmas Carol.
He has had playwriting commissions from Lincoln Center Theatre, South Coast Repertory and People's Light & Theater Company. In addition to his directing work with companies around the world, Thompson has directed many operas at The Glimmerglass Festival, including recent productions of Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson's Lost in the Stars, Vivaldi's Cato in Utica and Handel's Xerxes.
Originally posted on BroadwayWorld.com