(Photo credit: GSA)

Will Liverman is one of the great baritones of his time performing at the Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera, Atlanta Opera, Minnesota Opera, Tulsa Opera, and Santa Fe Opera.

In the midst of his run as Figaro in Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” at Houston Grand Opera, Will Liverman took time to talk with OperaWire about “Factotum: The Groom & Glow Lounge” being performed at Governor’s School for the Arts (GSA).

Liverman and DJ King Rico’s soul opera “The Factotum” is inspired by “The Barber of Seville.” It is set inside a contemporary Black barbershop and beauty salon and blends opera, hip-hop, gospel, funk, neo-soul, and R&B. In this conversation, Liverman discussed how “Factotum” was adapted for students and his hopes for the work moving forward.

OperaWire: How did the partnership with Governor’s School for the Arts come about?

Will Liverman: Well, Shelly Milam-Ratliff, who runs the program, reached out to me about a year or a year and a half ago about doing “Factotum.” At first, I wasn’t sure because the show had gone through many changes. There was our Chicago run and the Portland workshop, and the story was kind of in flux and I wasn’t sure what to make of it. But Governor’s School has always meant a lot to me and Rico, my collaborator – we both went to Governor’s School, so we talked about creating a 60–70-minute version tailored for students, and that’s how it started.

OW: What changed specifically for GSA students?

WL: We realized that “Factotum,” at least the original version, is a really guy heavy show and this group of kids, the upperclassmen, has an abundance of of female singers. So we had to figure out how to make this happen. So what we did was, we basically flipped the narrative and made it feature two female artists who are sisters that run the shop,  like unisex salon. We basically ended up making a brand new show, but of course we kept some of the story elements from Portland. We worked to really reshape the story to make it fit the group of students that we have. It has turned out to be a really great experience and I personally think it’s the most streamline story of “Factotum.”

This version leans towards more of a musical style in its storytelling, because we use dialogue to advance the story, but there’s still operatic elements. There’s still a lot of the Rossini quotes in it and you know little tidbits that if people knew “Barber,” they would they would get the references. But, the story is very much original, we’ve taken it out of Chicago which is where it originally set and put it back in our hometown. It’s where we grew up and are really connected to the culture, so we felt that it was right to move it back home. It’s really been a joy to have create this version and to work with the students.

OW: What do you hope the students get out of this experience?

WL: Rico is actually on the ground now with them, and has been for about a week and a half now, which is really pivotal and huge for them. I, for one, hope that they feel seen as they’re able to tell a story of a lived experience. These characters are made for them, so I really hope they see how as far as being an opera singer that you don’t necessarily have to forsake the styles that you love. I hope they find a healthy way, an authentic way, to bring that to the table. I hope the kids can learn that because it took me a long time to learn that. Even though my main bag is opera, when I do recitals, I’ll dip into more of the gospel flavor and style that I grew up with, that’s just a part of who I am. I think sometimes we can lose sight of those different styles of music that we love when we study opera we think we have to just be one thing or sound a certain type of way. Of course, there’s so much training we have to do to project over the orchestra without a microphone, but there’s other elements and styles that we love that can also makes sense when the occasion calls for it. This show calls for it. So, I hope that they feel the freedom to explore what that is and mainly to enjoy the ride and have a good time.

OW: Many students, especially grade 8-11 students, don’t get to perform modern works. How do you think this experience will help them develop as artists?

WL: I hope that’s the another positive thing for them too, because there’s so much new work that happens. There’s new pieces and premieres out all the time and for them to have this experience with the brand new premiere, I hope it teaches them a sense of musicality. They can’t rely on other recordings because they’re literally creating these roles. I think that’s always something of value and something very important to learn in this field.

OW: Tell me about working with DJ King Rico.

WL: It was because of our Governor’s School experience that we discovered opera. When he left Governor’s School he had already switched to jazz and then went to study production and what’s going that route. So, when I brought this idea to him, it kind of pulled him back into the opera world. I’ve learned so much through our experience working together about what collaboration means, and most importantly, finding my own composition style.

We are also working with Donovan Mitchell who is directing and we all went to Governor’s School together. That’s why it feels like a full circle moment for Governor’s School to present this piece.

OW: When you attended GSA, were there any singers you got work with that left an impact on you?

WL: We would do masterclasses with Virginia Opera back in the day, and one thing I remember is we went to see Renée Fleming in concert. We didn’t work with her, but it was really cool to meet her and go to her concert. I’ve always thought of this as a full circle moment because I’ve worked with her a few times now and it’s been great.

I think the big thing for me was we would take these New York trips to The Met, that was a huge eye opening thing for me. We always had nosebleed seats and I was just in awe of how these voices were hitting me, like they were super close to me even at the very back. I couldn’t believe the grandeur of it all, and the costumes and everything really inspired me while I was at Governor’s School.

OW: Where do you see “Factotum” going from here?

WL: I really think a show like this could live in a Broadway world if we keep workshopping it. Not Broadway in the sense of, “Give My Regards to…,” but a piece like this I think is already unique in that we’re utilizing different methods of storytelling. When it comes to the topic of opera versus musical theater and what differentiates the two – we were in fact miked for Chicago because with the different styles we’re utilizing and the beats and everything. So, I’m like, what do we stand to lose by presenting it this way? Musically and storytelling wise, it does flow more in the musical theater setting, but if we have a mix of singers who some are more musical theater leaning or others who are more operatic leaning, I think in that way the show really works and can live in its own sort of lane. So I’m very interested in pushing this show in that realm and finding what it could be. I could also see it done at other schools for sure, or at colleges or young artist programs. Because it kind of lives in its own world, you could utilize some of the characters in a more operatic way and some more of a crossover.

OW: What has writing “Factotum” meant to you as an artist?

WL: We created “Factotum” as a way to bring in younger audiences and audiences that may not be too familiar with opera. It’s sort of a gateway into opera but also into a world of sounds that they are familiar with. By presenting an updated story of a lived experience that you know we’re used to seeing in Black culture and putting in a Black barber shop and Black beauty salon, it just really came together.

“Factotum” was the very first thing I ever wrote. It’s been an incredible eight-year journey. The piece has already fulfilled so much – I mean, we got to pack out audiences in Chicago doing this piece and there’s these big murals there by Barrett Keithley. I went to this barber shop and this guy saw the show and has all the “Factotum” merch. So, to leave an imprint on a big city like this was such a special thing. It’s been unexpected and challenging, but very rewarding.