Set in the famed NYC jazz club, Birdland, this opera is a free-form expedition into the mind, heart, and personal purgatory of the bebop great.
In the empty twilight between life and death, saxophonist Charlie Parker composes his final masterpiece, revisiting the inspirations, demons, and women who fueled his creative genius. Acclaimed as “a swift-paced chamber opera with a pulsing, jazz-infused score” (The New York Times), the opera stars Lawrence Brownlee as the legendary saxophonist—a role crafted around the effortless, improvisational style that makes him one of music’s most sought after tenors. Soprano Angela Brown mesmerizes as his mother, Addie Parker, and baritone Will Liverman portrays jazz icon Dizzy Gillespie.
Composed By Daniel Schnyder; Libretto By Bridgette A. Wimberly; Performed By Lawrence Brownlee, Tenor; Angela Brown, Soprano; Will Liverman, Baritone;Conducted By Corrado Rovaris; Directed By Ron Daniels; Set Design By Riccardo Hernandez; Costume Design By Emily Rebholtz; Lighting Design By Scott Zielinksi and Photos by Dominic M. Mercier.
Details & Tickets
Location: Apollo Mainstage Tickets*: $30-$125 In person at the Apollo Theater Box Office By phone call Ticketmaster (800) 745-3000 Online at Ticketmaster.com For Groups Call (212) 531-5355
* Additional $3.50 facility fee, online and phone service fees apply
Doors open approximately 60 minutes prior to each performance. It is strongly recommended that you arrive no later than 30 minutes before your show as Charlie Parker's Yardbird has a strict No Late Seating Policy. Use of cell phones during the performance is prohibited.
Leadership support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Ford Foundation, The Howard Gilman Foundation, and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Additional support from Ed Bradley Family Foundation, OPERA America: The Opera Fund, The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Pat and Al Zollar, and many other generous donors.