Cincinnati Opera has announced that “Good Bones” will be the third and final work in The Black Opera Project.
The opera, with music by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Michael Abels and libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright James Ijames, will receive its world premiere in Summer 2028 at Cincinnati Music Hall.
“Good Bones” follows a young couple who return to a historically Black neighborhood to renovate a home, only to find themselves confronted by ghosts of the past and the complexities of a changing community. The opera will be staged by Timothy Douglas and conducted by Kelly Kuo.
Abels is best known for his scores for Jordan Peele’s films “Get Out,” “Us,” and “Nope.” His operatic work includes “Omar,” co-composed with Rhiannon Giddens, which won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize. Meanwhile, Ijames won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for “Fat Ham.” His plays have been produced on Broadway, off-Broadway, and across the country. “Good Bones” is adapted from his play of the same name, which premiered at Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C. in 2023 and received its New York premiere at The Public Theater in 2024. The adaptation marks his debut as an opera librettist.