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Recording of Opera Philadelphia’s world premiere production stars MacArthur Genius and cabaret icon Justin Vivian Bond, with a libretto by Michael R. Jackson (A Strange Loop) and music by ten composers

BCM&D Records announces the release of Complications in Sue, the world premiere recording of the opera by Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning playwright Michael R. Jackson (A Strange Loop) with music by ten composers. Complications in Sue will be released by BCM+D Records on Friday, August 21, 2026. The recording was captured live at the Academy of Music during Opera Philadelphia’s world premiere performances in February 2026, which The New York Times cited in its “Best Classical Music and Opera of 2026.”

The opera unfolds in ten vignettes, each set in a different decade in the life of the main character, named Sue, performed by MacArthur Genius and cabaret icon Justin Vivian Bond. Each scene runs up to eight minutes in length and is scored by a different composer. Jackson’s libretto is based on an idea by Bond, who created the title role. It marks the operatic debut for the writer of A Strange Loop, winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Best Musical at the 75th Tony Awards.

The ten composers are Andy Akiho, Alistair Coleman, Nathalie Joachim, Missy Mazzoli, Nico Muhly, Rene Orth, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Kamala Sankaram, Dan Schlosberg, and Errollyn Wallen. Their scores range from the mundane to the extraordinary, following Sue from birth to death. Together they bring a new scale of sound to a single life told in music.

Conductor Caren Levine leads the performance. Four opera singers portray the characters in Sue’s life through the decades. Soprano Kiera Duffy, mezzo-soprano Imara Miles, tenor Nicky Spence, and bass-baritone Nicholas Newton each take on multiple roles, from Mrs. Claus and a newscaster to the algorithms that shadow Sue’s later years. All four sing the role of Death in a production co-directed by Zack Winokur and Raja Feather Kelly.

“People often accuse me of being a witch. Clearly, my powers of tranifestation were in full force when the creative team for Complications in Sue came together,” said Justin Vivian Bond. “An idea that I whimsically threw out as a joke landed me working with the most talented group of collaborators imaginable. Every single person who worked on this little miracle of an opera blew my mind. If I’m a witch, I must be a powerful one!”

"Complications In Sue is and will always be one of my proudest artistic achievements,” said Michael R. Jackson. “My collaborators Zack Winokur, Raja Feather Kelly, Caren Levine, Anthony Roth Costanzo, and everyone at Opera Philadelphia are proof that in utterly sterile, conservative, and unimaginative times, artists still have the desire and guts to go against the status quo and be a little punk rock. I could not be more thrilled that we now have a record of the stunning artistry of such a gifted company of musicians, singers, composers and of course the incomparable Justin Vivian Bond to share with audiences who weren't able to see the run. I hope that this release is only the beginning of the world's exposure to Sue's complications.”

“My heart was beating so fast as I sat with the audience on the night of the world premiere,” said Anthony Roth Costanzo, General Director and President of Opera Philadelphia. “I was so worried this insane project would be a flop, but as I heard the glorious music wash over us and Michael's brilliant ideas sung into story, as the people around me began to laugh, roar, cheer, and — most importantly — snap into a rapt silence, I realized that we had made something really special.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with Opera Philadelphia to produce and release recordings of the phenomenally innovative work that they’re creating,” said Robert Stroker, Founder and Executive Producer of BCM&D Records and the Joslyn G. Ewart Dean and Vice Provost for the Arts at Temple University. "Collaborating on projects like this, in addition to other student-focused initiatives, benefits both of our organizations and allows us to reach a much larger audience.”

Album details:

ALBUM DROP: Friday, August 21
Media links: Streaming link, Cover art, Production photos, Download music, Link to CD booklet

Label: BCM+D Records
Complications in Sue is available for streaming and download on all digital platforms.
Physical CDs available for purchase $25 on Bandcamp.

Recorded live at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 5 and 6, 2026.

Cast:
Justin Vivian Bond, Sue
Kiera Duffy, soprano
Imara Miles, mezzo-soprano
Nicky Spence, tenor
Nicholas Newton, bass-baritone
Caren Levine, conductor
Opera Philadelphia Orchestra

Creative team:
Libretto by Michael R. Jackson, based on an idea by Justin Vivian Bond
Music by Andy Akiho, Alistair Coleman, Nathalie Joachim, Missy Mazzoli, Nico Muhly, Rene Orth, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Kamala Sankaram, Dan Schlosberg, and Errollyn Wallen
Co-directed by Zack Winokur and Raja Feather Kelly

Recording produced by Robert Stroker, David Pasbrig and Anthony Roth Costanzo
Recording, mixing and mastering by David Pasbrig
Graphic design by Haeg Design

World premiere production commissioned by Opera Philadelphia 
Anthony Roth Costanzo, General Director and President 
 
About Michael R. Jackson

Michael R. Jackson’s musical A Strange Loop started as a personal monologue he wrote shortly after graduating from NYU. It debuted in 2019, won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and premiered on Broadway in 2022. The show won Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical at the 75th Tony Awards. Complications in Sue is his operatic debut.

About Justin Vivian Bond

Mx Justin Vivian Bond (Viv) is an artist and performer working in the cabaret tradition, weaving history, cultural critique, and an ethic of care into performances animated by wit, whimsy, and calls to action. Bond’s decades-long journey across the landscape of gender has informed their artistic practice and played a significant role in ongoing conversations around gender identity and LGBTQ+ rights. In Only an Octave Apart (2022), Bond collaborated with Anthony Roth Costanzo on an evening-length performance combining opera, avant-garde performance, and campy stage review. They have appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and London’s West End, on screen and television, and in concert halls worldwide, including Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House. Their memoir Tango: My Childhood Backwards and in High Heels won the Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Nonfiction.

About Opera Philadelphia

Opera Philadelphia is committed to embracing innovation and developing opera for the 21st century. The company is committed to delivering outstanding productions of traditional and new repertoire that engage the public and propel the genre forward, identifying extraordinary artists, both established and emerging, and providing opportunities for them to create their most imaginative and inspired work; and presenting innovative programming relevant to the multi-cultural Philadelphia region that broadens and diversifies the opera audience. Opera Philadelphia is recognized as “the very model of a modern opera company” (Washington Post). and “a hotbed of operatic innovation” (The New York Times). For more information, visit operaphila.org. 

About BCM+D Records

BCM+D Records is the official record label of the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University. Founded in 2009 by Dean Robert T. Stroker to highlight recordings by Boyer students and faculty, the label has released more than 65 recordings and garnered five Grammy nominations. Releases are available for streaming and download on Amazon, Apple Music, Pandora, and Spotify, along with other digital distributors. Select albums are available for purchase on Bandcamp.