American Premiere The Listeners Missy Mazzoli | Royce Vavrek

The Listeners, from composer Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek, is a thriller about social rejection, suburban loneliness, and the role of charismatic leaders in our society. Based on an original story by Jordan Tannahill, the story is inspired by an actual phenomenon called “the global hum,” a low-pitched sound that people around the world claim to hear.

Lileana Blain-Cruz directs the production, which is designed by Tony-award winner Adam Rigg and choreographed by Raja Feather Kelly. American soprano Nicole Heaston sings the central role of Claire Devon, a middle-class mother living in a southwestern U.S. suburb who notices a “hum,” a high-frequency environmental noise that only a select few people, the “Listeners,” can hear. A community organization quickly forms to solve the mystery of the hum, but when a de facto leader suggests a spiritual significance the meetings become increasingly cult-like, ritualized experiences.