Chicago Fringe Opera

PERFORM CLASSICAL VOCAL AND CHAMBER MUSIC THROUGH VARIOUS STAGED AND PRODUCED PERFORMANCES, AND PROVIDE EDUCATION ON THE ARTFORM. PERFORMANCES INCLUDE TWO MAINSTAGE OPERATIC PRODUCTIONS, 1-2 RECITALS, AND OTHER PERFORMANCES AND COMMUNITY BUILDING EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. IN OUR FY21 (TAX YEAR 2020), WE WERE LIMITED ON PRODUCTION OPTIONS DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS. IN LIEU OF MAINSTAGE PERFORMANCES WE EMBARKED ON A DIGITAL PRODUCTION VENTURE OF NEW WORKS WHICH LASTED THROUGHOUT OUR SEASON. WE WERE ALSO CONTRACTED FOR A VERY SMALL FEE TO RELEASE A VIDEO OF AN ORIGINAL WORK ON PUBLIC TELEVISION, AND WE HAD ONE OUTDOOR ENGAGEMENT PERFORMANCE.

TWO REMAIN (MARCH 2022): CONTINUING OUR BIOGRAPHICAL SEASON IS AMERICAN COMPOSER JAKE HEGGIE AND HIS 'YEAR IN CHICAGO' WITH THE CHICAGO PREMIERE OF HIS LATEST OPERA (CREATED WITH LIBRETTIST GENE SCHEER) BASED ON THE SEPARATE JOURNALS OF TWO HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS: KRYSTYNA ZYWULSKA AND GAD BECK. THE TWO STORIES ARE JOINED BY THE SHARED TRAUMA OF WAR, LOSS, AND FORCEFULLY HIDING ONE'S IDENTITY TO ENDURE UNIMAGINABLE HORRORS. THIS PRODUCTION, ALSO DELAYED BY THE PANDEMIC, REPRESENTS A TRIUMPH IN THE ARTISTIC EXECUTION THAT CFO IS CAPABLE OF DELIVERING. THE PRODUCTION RAN FOR 4 LIVE PERFORMANCES - TWO OF WHICH WERE SOLD OUT - WITH ONE PERFORMANCE FILMED FOR DIGITAL RELEASE AFTER CLOSING. THIS PRODUCTION WAS SPONSORED BY AN ANONYMOUS DONOR AND A $2,000 GRANT FROM THE CLIFF DWELLERS ARTS FOUNDATION.

THE WIDOW'S WILL (OCTOBER 2021): AS PART OF OUR ONGOING PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DECAMERON OPERA COALITION, THIS CAMERA OPERA IS PART OF A COLLECTION OF ORIGINAL FILM TRIBUTES TO UNSUNG AMERICAN HEROES. CFO'S WORK CELEBRATES THE LIFE AND WORK OF THE MOTHER OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, ACTIVIST HAZEL M. JOHNSON. "THE WIDOW'S WILL" HIGHLIGHTS JOHNSON'S STRUGGLE AGAINST THE CITY OF CHICAGO TO BRING ATTENTION TO THE TOXIC POLLUTION OF THE ALTGELD GARDENS COMMUNITY. THE FILM CONSIDERS HER LEGACY TODAY, AS WELL THE EFFECTS OF POLITICS AND RACISM ON HER WORK, ENDING WITH A CALL TO ACTION FOR AUDIENCES TO CONTINUE HER ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM. THIS FILM IS PRODUCED IN GRATEFUL COLLABORATION WITH THE PEOPLE FOR COMMUNITY RECOVERY, THE NON-PROFIT ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATION FOUNDED BY JOHNSON.

ROSINA REMIXED! (JUNE 2022): RETURNING TO THE PIVOT ARTS FESTIVAL WHERE IT PERFORMED TO SOLD-OUT CROWDS IN 2019, THE ROSINA PROJECT FAMILY PRESENTS ROSINA: REMIXED! THE TEAM BEHIND THE HIP-HOPERA INSPIRED BY THE BARBER OF SEVILLE CELEBRATES COMING BACK TOGETHER WITH HIT TRACKS AND DANCE NUMBERS FROM THE ORIGINAL PRODUCTION, PLUS NEWLY CREATED SOLO MATERIAL FROM THE TEAM'S COLLECTION OF ARTISTS. CREATED IN COLLABORATION WITH BRAVESOUL MOVEMENT, PRESENTED AS PART OF THE 2022 PIVOT ARTS FESTIVAL. CFO RECEIVED A $10,000 GRANT TO FUND THE PROJECT.