Opera converges with jazz in ‘Yardbird’ production

Indianapolis-based soprano Angela Brown portrays Addie, Charlie Parker’s mother, in “Charlie Parker’s Yardbird.” (Photo provided by the Indianapolis Opera)

In his 34 years, Charlie Parker lived life on an operatic scale.

The saxophone player from Kansas City reinvented an art form by bringing bebop to center stage, but behind the scenes Parker grappled with addiction and temptation.

Parker’s life is portrayed in the opera “Charlie Parker’s Yardbird,” which is set to make its Indianapolis debut March 16 with a production by the Indianapolis Opera at the Madam Walker Legacy Center.

Indianapolis-based soprano Angela Brown originated the role of Addie, Parker’s mother, in the world premiere production of “Yardbird” nine years ago in Philadelphia.

Brown, who again will portray Addie at the Walker, said Parker’s mother did what she could to nurture her son’s musical talent in a difficult environment during the 1930s.

“Mom is trying to keep everything going and trying to be that glue for the family,” Brown said. “But she also knows that Charlie has been sneaking drugs in the house, and he has been going out with white women. She says it very plainly, ‘In Kansas City, baby, they will hang you high for doing that. You have to leave. You have to go and start your life somewhere else.’”

Parker, nicknamed “Bird,” made New York City his next stop. Eventually, a popular nightclub in Manhattan opened as Birdland to capitalize on Parker’s fame.

That venue serves as the primary setting for “Charlie Parker’s Yardbird,” which presents the alto saxophone player as reflecting on his mercurial life.

David Craig Starkey, the Indianapolis Opera’s general director, said Parker crammed a wealth of advancement and evolution into his 34 years.

“At the beginning he’s trying to figure out an instrument,” Starkey said. “You can imagine him playing and practicing and making all kinds of squeaking and squawking sounds on the saxophone. You get it right, it’s a beautiful instrument. You get it wrong, it sounds like a duck.

“There’s nothing really in between. That’s why you know, ‘Oh, that person has the talent to play that instrument and to make it beautifully sing.’”

None of Parker’s music is heard in “Yardbird.” Instead, Swiss composer Daniel Schnyder wrote vocal parts from a saxophone player’s perspective.

In addition to Indiana University alum Brown originating the Addie Parker role, IU alum Lawrence Brownlee originated the Charlie Parker role nearly a decade ago.

“I remember being in workshops, trying to fit it to work with the vocal cords—because it’s jazz,” Brown said. “It was composed on a saxophone. … It was amazing to hear Dan Schnyder play the piece he wrote on the saxophone, which sounded just like what Larry sounded like when he opened his mouth.”

At the Walker, Charlie Parker will be portrayed by Martin Bakari, whose experience in the role includes performances in New Orleans and Dayton, Ohio. The opera’s libretto was written by Bridgette A. Wimberly, a Black playwright who died in 2022 at age 68.

Brown, the internationally acclaimed vocalist who serves as the Indianapolis Opera’s artistic cultural ambassador, said it’s gratifying to perform work by Black artists.

“Our voices are finally being heard with our voices,” she said. “They’re not being written by someone who’s standing on the fringes, who has to go in and research and then write down stuff. No, it’s coming from the people who live it or have lived it or had family who lived it or ancestors who lived it. We are telling our stories, and that’s a beautiful renaissance.”

‘Charlie Parker’s Yardbird’

• When: 7 p.m. March 16
• Where: Madam Walker Legacy Center, 617 Indiana Ave.
• Tickets: $39 to $92
• Info: Visit indyopera.org.