It’s been said that the soul of opera is its music, so in the case of The Factotum—Will Liverman and DJ King Rico’s original piece that is a loose take on Gioachino Rossini’s The Barber of Seville—hip-hop is at its beautiful core.
The MTV generation, or hip-hop fans of a certain age, can recall the 2001 television drama Carmen: A Hip Hopera, starring Beyoncé Knowles in her acting debut and directed by Robert Townsend. This major television event was set in modern times, yet based on the 1875 opera Carmen by Georges Bizet, Ludovic Halévy, and Henri Meilhac. It was the second major Black adaptation of the opera, as Carmen Jones debuted on Broadway in 1943. (Its film adaptation was nominated for an Academy Award in 1954.)
The Factotum
Through 2/12: Wed 7 PM, Fri 7 PM (sold out), Sun 2 PM (sold out), Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph, lyricopera.org, $35-$125
Commissioned by the Lyric Opera and performed at the Harris Theater, The Factotum (concept, music, and lyrics by Liverman and Rico; book by Liverman, Rico, and Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj) is not simply hip-hop in place of traditional operatic styles. Gospel, R&B, pop, soul, funk, jazz, and barbershop quartet music are all represented in this two-and-a-half-hour journey through a Black barbershop set on the south side of Chicago. It’s a “soul opera” and as a whole, it is fun, thought-provoking, and undeniably Black.
For the uninitiated, a “factotum” is an employee who has many responsibilities: a handyman, a jack of all trades, a connector. In the Black community, a barber or hair stylist can become more than just a person hooking up your hair. These folks can be confidants, spiritual advisors, besties, and more. The relationships formed in these spaces are at the heart of The Factotum. It’s all about community.
Baritone Will Liverman, a Ryan Opera Center vet, has become a rising star in his own right. His performance in Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones (which he performed at the Lyric in March) just won a Grammy for best opera performance. DJ King Rico is a bit of a factotum himself—a writer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. The duo met as teenagers and connected through the love of singing opera for fun. Fast forward many years later, and the two have created something wonderful with an exceptional cast—a story based around a Black barbershop and all the good, bad, and ugly events that occur in and around it.
The Factotum reminds us that Black folks footwork in church, we care about the communities so many folks dismiss, and we are funny as hell. The movement is just as dynamic as the singing; in an early scene, there is a dance interpretation of the great “Jordan vs. LeBron” debate that is downright hilarious. However, it’s not all fun and games as there is a power struggle between the two main characters—brothers who are at moral odds—and a whole portion of act two where police brutality against unarmed Black people is brought into view. The latter runs a little long. However, it raises the question that if instances of police brutality weren’t highlighted by Black people, who else would step up and expose these tragedies for what they are?
Throughout both acts, we are shown how dynamic Black music is. Through classically trained voices and tight production, there are nods to R&B greats like Whitney Houston and Beyoncé. There are also blink-and-you-miss-it turns of phrase and mentions of hip-hop culture: a Fashion Nova reference, one of the characters sporting a Chance the Rapper “3” hat, a few beats of Lil’ Kim’s “Crush on You” interpolated into the music, and many more. Furthermore, a traditional hip-hop DJ is propped up as part of the orchestra—as important as any other musician in the ensemble. When characters take to rapping instead of singing, it is infused with melody and the rapping goes supersonic. This is intersectionality and creativity at a very high level.
Opera has a complex history and has historically been a form of entertainment reserved for (or at least perceived as reserved for) nobility or rich folks. Liverman and Rico strip the pretentiousness away and give us a story that is relatable and, more importantly, accessible. There’s something very refreshing about hearing “HOLD UP, WAIT A MINUTE . . . ” in an operatic vibrato. Even on stage, even in an opera, The Factotum reveals hip-hop and Black culture are right at home.