Billy Corgan teamed up with the Lyric Opera of Chicago for Mellon Collie's Night and Endless Sadnessseries of opera concerts, which premiered Friday at the Civic Opera House in Chicago. At their debut they performed a number of favorites from Breaking Pumpkins'third studio album, Mellon Collie and the Endless Sadnesswhich celebrates its 30th anniversary.
On opening night on Friday, the set list included the album's biggest hits, “Tonight, Tonight,” “1979” and “Bullet With Butterfly Wings.” Supported by the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Lyric Opera Chorus, Corgan also performed, sang and played guitar during select songs. Soprano Sydney Mancasola, mezzo-soprano Zoe Reams, tenor Dominic Chenes and baritone Edward Parks join Corgan as lead vocalists. The events are hosted by James Lowe, who worked with Corgan to create new arrangements and orchestrations for the performance.
In videos taken by fans from last night's performance, Corgan is seen leading “Tonight, Tonight,” supported by the operatic harmonies of Mancasola, Reams, Chanes and Parks, with a lyric opera orchestra and choir behind him.
The clip from their performance of “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” features a fast-paced intro to the oft-quoted line from the single, “For all my rage, I'm still just a rat in a cage.”
“I’m thrilled to be collaborating with Lyric head John Mangum, my musical partner James Lowe and all of Lyric’s artists in reimagining this special and historic album, and to discover how Lyric’s full operatic treatment helps me perceive my own compositions in new ways,” Corgan said in a previous statement before the performance. “Both opera and rock tell stories of heightened emotion, and I'm delighted that both fans of my music and fans of traditional opera will hear a truly inspired work; because the balance here is to honor both traditions with dignity.”
Mellon Collie's Night and Endless Sadness The series of opera concerts continues tonight, November 22, and will also take place on November 25-26 and 28-30.
