Lincoln in the Bardo

George Saunders’s Booker Prize–winning novel reaches the stage as an operatic world premiere with music by Missy Mazzoli and a libretto by Royce Vavrek. Set in the bardo—a transitional plane between lives—the narrative centers on Abraham Lincoln's grief-stricken visits to his 11-year-old son Willie, whose spirit refuses to move on. Director Lileana Blain-Cruz shapes an otherworldly environment for the production, which incorporates puppetry, pyrotechnics, and a live horse. Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads an ensemble cast featuring baritone Peter Mattei as Lincoln alongside Christine Goerke, Blythe, and Anthony Roth Costanzo.