Jefferson Lives!

Teatro Grattacielo’s America 250 double bill brings together two powerful explorations of freedom — one civic, one personal — created for the national commemoration marking 250 years since the founding of the United States. Jefferson Lives!, a world premiere opera, examines the birth of the American Revolution not as distant history but as lived human experience. Through the ghostly presence of John Adams and a modern Narrator drawn unwillingly into the past, the opera traces how political ideas move from thought into action, revealing the moral pressure, doubt, and consequence behind America’s revolutionary awakening.

Paired with Puccini’s Suor Angelica, which turns inward to explore spiritual confinement and the cost of enforced silence, the evening asks a shared question: what does it mean to seek freedom within systems far larger than ourselves? An empire tightening its grip; a convent demanding obedience — each becomes the space where inner conviction is tested. Together, these works chart freedom as both a public act and a private reckoning, unfolding as a journey through the forces that shape history — and the lives caught within it.

MUSIC BY
Joshua Daniel Nichols

LIBRETTO BY
Libretto by Stefanos Koroneos, based on the original concept and source text by Dr. James R. Harrigan

LOCATION
The Sam at The Flea Theater,
20 Thomas St, New York, NY 10007

SUNG IN
English, with supertitles

RUNNING TIME
Jefferson Lives! runs for approximately 50 minutes and is presented together with Suor Angelica, with one 20-minute intermission.
Total running time for the double bill is approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes.

ACCESSIBILITY
The Flea and all Teatro Grattacielo productions are wheelchair accessible and disability-friendly. Please contact us in advance for any specific accommodation needs.