Pittsburgh Opera offers free livestream of 'Charlie Parker's Yardbird'

Pittsburgh Opera will provide a taste of what in-person audiences are seeing with a free livestream of its current production, “Charlie Parker’s Yardbird.”

The performance will stream at 7:30 p.m. Friday on the opera’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

“Yardbird” played to small, socially distanced live audiences on April 10 and 13. Seats for those performances, along with Friday’s and those following on April 18, 20 and 22, were sold out.

“ ‘Charlie Parker’s Yardbird’ is about a larger-than-life person who was also very human,” said Chris Cox, the opera’s director of marketing and communications.

The iconic American jazz saxophonist, known as “Yardbird” or just “Bird,” was a leading figure in the development of the bebop form of jazz.

“The challenges he faced — both personal and societal — are still with us today. He had to deal with racism. He had to deal with temptation,” Cox said. “The fact he was able to create such a lasting musical legacy despite these obstacles is truly awe-inspiring.”

Pittsburgh Opera summarizes the work this way: “While the body of the legendary tormented saxophonist Charlie ‘Yardbird’ Parker lies unidentified in a New York City morgue, his ghost travels back to Birdland, the famed New York City jazz club named after him. As he struggles to complete his final masterpiece, the great bebop innovator revisits the demons, inspirations, and women who have both fueled and hindered his creative genius.

“With the aid of his strong mother Addie, three of his four wives, and his partner in the bebop jazz revolution, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie will struggle to calm his demons and write his new masterpiece before his body is identified in the morgue and this gig is up forever.”

Tenor Martin Bakari sings the title role. Yazid Gray is Gillespie and Jasmine Muhammad voices Addie Parker. Antony Walker conducts the opera with music by Daniel Schnyder and libretto by Bridgette A. Wimberly. Director is Tomé Cousin.

“Jazz is often called ‘America’s original art form.’ Not only was it invented in the United States, but it combines democracy with individualism and self-expression in a uniquely American way,” Cox said. “For example, a jazz band plays together, but each member gets their own chance to solo and improvise.

“Few people have had as big an impact on this art form than Charlie Parker. He was a true titan, an innovator who took jazz to new places. Charlie Parker was a rock star, in all the ways typically associated with that label,” he said. “Sadly, like other rock stars such as Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain, the negative aspects of the rock star lifestyle caught up with him and he died before his time (at 34).”

Opera patrons have been grateful for the live performances, Cox said.

“Besides enjoying the performance itself, the audience was also very appreciative at simply having a live performance to go to. For some of them, it was the first live indoor event they’ve attended in over a year,” he said. “We received compliments and gratitude for our comprehensive safety protocols which enabled the show to go on.”

The free livestream is sponsored by UPMC. To register for an email reminder for the livestream and to unlock the official program book and pre-opera podcast, visit pittsburghopera.org.