Philly Fringe 2024: Opera Philadelphia and FringeArts present Missy Mazzoli and Royce Varek’s The Listeners

Claire’s family becomes concerned when they find her howling at the moon outside their suburban home, singing to a coyote, “we’re not so different, me and you.” But they don’t understand—she can’t sleep, because of the “electric drill” going off in her brain. They don’t hear it, but others do. Just as Claire becomes more unhinged, letting loose fusillades of fucks at work, she finds peers and experiences the relief of an instant community of fellow sufferers. She is drawn in, like so many, to the orbit of a modern-day Messiah—a neighbor with ethereal, white locks and an accepting smile: Howard.

The perils of being seen

Over two acts, The Listeners explores our deep need to be seen, and the perils that arise when someone finds us at our weakest and gives us just that. “Use me … fill me,” pleads Howard’s self-proclaimed second, the “philosopher’s secretary” Angela. Effusive, but deeply insecure, she prides her loyalty most highly, subjugating herself in the process. There is an intoxicating paradox at the heart of Howard’s offer—the promise of individual freedom through communal envelopment. Every one of Howard’s disciples is seeking it, in their own way: escape.

Heavy though the subject at the story’s heart may be, it is told deftly, and with tight, transgressive humor. One scene opens with Claire and her husband in bed, movement under the sheets. “You close?” She sings.

Down-to-earth opera

For opera, The Listeners is refreshingly down-to-earth, while maintaining elements that make the genre so immersive—a large ensemble, gorgeous and dynamic set, a full orchestra and even sound design elements. The scenes, especially in the first act, transition briskly and seamlessly. The voices are impressive, too; the score, by composer Missy Mazzoli, demands at times that they be pushed to their brink.

In a story in which women are subject to powerful men, it is the female cast whose performances demand attention. While leads Nicole Heaston (Claire) and Rehanna Thelwell (Angela) are convincing and nuanced, Lindsay Reynolds (Claire’s daughter Ashley) nearly steals the first act with an explosive and mind-bogglingly facile aria in which she chides her mother for her selfishness. “Bitch and moan all you want,” she begins, then proceeds to tell her mother about her nipple piercing (among other personal news).

A temporary jolt?

The opera’s relative economy—and the constraints of an operatic libretto—necessarily leave certain questions unanswered or under-explored. How did Claire’s family fade so quickly from view? How did Howard cast such a spell on his followers, even accounting for their vulnerability? Who even is Howard?

In the operatic tradition of parables, many of these details don’t really matter. As classical music struggles to find younger audiences, The Listeners is clearly aimed at doing just that without losing older patrons—a strategy also reflected in the opera’s new “pick your price” ticketing scheme, in which all tickets start at $11.

As the curtain came down on opening night and the crowd roared its approval, a man near me exclaimed to his partner, “that was like seeing Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring on opening night!” I only half agree. Yes to the jolt from seeing fresh art. But crowds rioted after The Rite of Spring, so violent was its upheaval of their expectations. Meanwhile, after the show, we switch on our phones, check the news, and the same story glows back at us.

Know before you go: The Listeners contains explicit language and imagery, sexual content, mention of self-harm and suicide, and simulated gunshots. This show is recommended for ages 18+.

Limited tickets are available, including $10 rush tickets available in person at the Academy of Music box office two hours before each performance. Check OperaPhila.org.