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Seattle Opera

Charlie Parker’s Yardbird

February 22–March 7, 2020
McCaw Hall

Sunny Martini

Finding himself in a deserted limbo, the ghost of tormented jazz great and bebop innovator Charlie “Yardbird” Parker struggles to complete one last masterpiece. In a series of flashbacks, the legendary saxophonist remembers the heyday of famous New York City jazz club Birdland and revisits the demons, inspirations and women who have fueled and hindered his creative genius.

The dreamlike score for 7 voices and 24-piece classical orchestra showcases the unexpected pairing of a flexible operatic tenor with the fluid, improvisational spirit of bebop: a match made in music heaven.