| Complications in Sue | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Andy Akiho, Alistair Coleman, Nathalie Joachim, Missy Mazzoli, Nico Muhly, Rene Orth, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Kamala Sankaram, Dan Schlosberg, and Errollyn Wallen | |
| Librettist | Michael R. Jackson |
| Language | English |
| Based on | An idea by Justin Vivian Bond |
| Premiere | February 4, 2026 Academy of Music, Philadelphia |
Complications in Sue is an English-language opera with libretto by Michael R. Jackson. Based on an idea by Justin Vivian Bond, it is composed of ten scenes, each by a different composer: Andy Akiho, Alistair Coleman, Nathalie Joachim, Missy Mazzoli, Nico Muhly, Rene Orth, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Kamala Sankaram, Dan Schlosberg, and Errollyn Wallen.[1] The opera was commissioned by Opera Philadelphia and premiered in 2026 at the Academy of Music, Philadelphia, with Bond in the title role of Sue.
Background and performance history
[edit]Justin Vivian Bond had the idea for Complications in Sue in response to a suggestion by actor Tilda Swinton that they do a project together.[2] In the project, both Bond and Swinton would play the title character, a woman named Sue.[2] Rather than materializing, the project became "a running joke," until Anthony Roth Costanzo, a friend of Bond's and general director of Opera Philadelphia commissioned the project in 2024 for the company's 50th anniversary season, 2025-26, bringing on Michael R. Jackson as librettist.[2]
Because of a short deadline of only six to eight months, Costanzo and Jackson decided to bring on multiple composers.[2] Jackson structured the work into 10 scenes, each covering a decade of Sue's life, and each about eight minutes long.[2] Each was set to music by a different composer, and, inspired by the surrealist exquisite corpse technique, each composer was given the libretto only for their scene and only a summary of the rest of the libretto, without knowledge of what the other composers were doing.[2][1]
The opera had a workshop presentation in January 2026 in New York with Works & Process.[1]
The opera premiered at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia on February 4, 2026, directed by Raja Feather Kelly and Zack Winokur. In addition to Bond in the largely silent role of Sue, it featured soprano Kiera Duffy and tenor Nicky Spence. JW Anderson designed costumes for Bond.[1]
Reception
[edit]The Philadelphia Inquirer classical music critic David Patrick Stearns wrote, in a positive review, that "tunes weren't a priority as the composers characterized the theatrical events that Jackson gave them." He describes the singers as giving "it their all in deeply unconventional musico-dramatic assignments."[3] The Wall Street Journal said that it is, "fresh, contemporary and thoroughly engaging."[4]
The online magazine Bachtrack described the premiere as a "sleek physical" production, writing that "Jackson's dramaturgy blossomed in a heightened sense of realism tinged with tongue-in-cheek absurdism. The music often met the mood splendidly."[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Stearns, David Patrick (February 1, 2026). "Opera Philadelphia's 'strange little roller coaster ride' is rolling into town". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f Vincentelli, Elisabeth (February 4, 2026). "10 Composers, 2 Directors, 1 Opera: Complications in Sue". The New York Times. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
- ^ Stearns, David Patrick (February 5, 2026). "You can't put Opera Philadelphia's Complications in Sue in a box. That's what makes it epic". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
- ^ Waleson, Heidi (February 11, 2026). "'Complications in Sue' Review: One Woman, 10 Composers". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on February 12, 2026. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ^ Kelsall, Cameron (February 5, 2026). "Opera by committee: Opera Philadelphia premieres Complications in Sue". Bachtrack. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
