Various

Complications in Sue
World Premiere
Libretto by Michael R. Jackson
Music by Andy Akiho, Alistair Coleman, Nathalie Joachim, Missy Mazzoli, Nico Muhly, Rene Orth, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Kamala Sankaram, Dan Schlosberg, and Errollyn Wallen
Performed in English with English supertitles
One librettist, one actor, four singers, and ten composers join forces to make opera in a brand-new way. In his first opera libretto, Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning playwright Michael R. Jackson (A Strange Loop) traces the life of a woman named Sue whose personality is split in two. Sue’s life, from the mundane to the extraordinary, unfolds before us, with each decade scored by a different musical luminary. Opera Philadelphia favorites Missy Mazzoli (Breaking the Waves, The Listeners), Rene Orth (10 Days in a Madhouse), and Nico Muhly (Dark Sisters) return alongside a panoply of company debuts from notable composers, like GRAMMY® nominee Nathalie Joachim. The production stars MacArthur Genius and cabaret icon Justin Vivian Bond, with Zack Winokur directing, and conductor Caren Levine making her Opera Philadelphia debut.
Subscriptions are on sale now. Pick Your Price tickets go on sale to subscribers, donors $100+, and Opera Pass holders on May 1, and to the general public on May 15.
MapAcademy of Music
Dates are February 2026.
Wed, Feb 4 | 7:00 p.m. |
Thu, Feb 5 | 7:00 p.m. |
Fri, Feb 6 | 8:00 p.m. |
Sun, Feb 8 | 2:00 p.m. |
Runtime is approximately 100 minutes with no intermission
Artwork: Cybernetic Syntax in Limbo, courtesy of Uchercie and General Assembly. Photo by Jack and Jess Hall.
Cast & Creative Team







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Librettist
Michael R. Jackson
Michael R. Jackson is a playwright, composer, and lyricist, best known for his musical A Strange Loop, which won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and 2022 Tony Award for Best Musical.