There was no shortage of curiosity and surprise on Friday for the world premiere of Billy Corgan’s “A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness” at Lyric Opera. Having been kept for months a tight-lipped secret about what the concert would constitute, the adaptation of the Smashing Pumpkins’ grandiose 1995 double album in operatic form validated the core strengths of its compositions — and reinforced Corgan’s unofficial status as the biggest romantic of his generation.
Rather than presenting the acclaimed record as a character-based narrative akin to a traditional opera, the roughly 90-minute program (plus an intermission) wisely focused on the music’s greatest assets. Namely, the sweeping melodies, majestic architecture, baroque accents and quirky flourishes that distinguish it from the work of the band’s peers. More frequently than not, the elements warranted the elevated treatment provided by the world-class Lyric ensemble.
Songs piqued curiosities with new structures devised by Corgan and arranger-conductor James Lowe. They took on refreshed context due to the sonic overhaul and savvy choices to deviate from the record’s original running order and forgo any attempt to stuff all 28 tracks into the show. Because of and despite its flaws, “A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness” is at heart an ode to undying possibility and hope — and a sincere love letter to Chicago.
The decision to reimagine the Smashing Pumpkins’ guitar-driven magnum opus for the opera house has generated considerable buzz. All seven performances of the run are nearly sold out. Part of the excitement stems from the fact that “A Night of Mellon Collie” represents a creative progression to the conventions that some listeners, rightly or not, associate with the Italian art form. Importantly, the project also offers a chance for the institution to reach audiences that normally don’t step through its doors.
The 30th anniversary of the album and connection to Corgan, a Chicago native and Highland Park resident, compound the significance. A longtime Lyric audience member, he started mulling ideas after seeing the company’s rendition of Mozart’s “Requiem” in March 2024. Discussions ensued, and soon after, the Smashing Pumpkins leader began collaborating with Lowe.
Though translating a record that is neither a concept album nor rock opera for the Lyric’s stage might strike some as odd, “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” lends itself to the transition more intrinsically than most any other so-called alt-rock effort. Brimming with wide-lens expansiveness and boundary-defying ambition, it signaled what for Corgan remains a personal trademark: A desire to think and go big, to risk indulgence no matter the prevailing trend or critical consequence.
Those characteristics help shape and characterize “A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness,” the main difference being that Corgan — usually the central figure in everything he does — largely remains unseen. Though he performs for five songs, he ceded the spotlight to Lowe, the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus and four guest vocalists.
In a break from the norm, the Lyric Orchestra sat on the stage and the Chorus struck an imposing presence behind them on risers. Soprano Sydney Mancasola, mezzo-soprano Zoie Reams, tenor Dominick Valdés Chenes and baritone Edward Parks joined Corgan on the rotating lead singing roles. Singers entered and exited from the wings and any physical acting was kept to a minimum, given the lack of a plot. All five vocalists appeared together only during the “Tonight, Tonight” finale.
Costumes — designed by Chloe Mendel Corgan (Corgan’s wife) and her father, fashion veteran Gilles Mendel — paid tribute to black-tie tradition while embracing a hint of whimsy. The elegant tailcoats, suits and gowns fit the setting and never drew attention away from the music.
The main visual flair arrived via a delightful mix of illustrations and animations projected on a backdrop screen. Mirroring and expanding upon the antique aesthetics of the album artwork, they incorporated steampunk, Victorian, Art Deco and gothic imagery, with Chicago at the center of it all.
Coming across as a combination of “The Wizard of Oz,” the 1933 Century of Progress World’s Fair and the real downtown Chicago, the graphic visions of the city blended fantasy and reality. Landscapes frequently evoked vintage travel posters and resembled stained-glass panels that captured the awe of urban buildings and innovation.
Landmarks like the Board of Trade, Willis Tower, Tribune Tower, Merchandise Mart, Navy Pier and Marina City Towers shared real estate with the “L,” the lake and skyline. Zeppelins and steam-powered airships zoomed above. Clouds and distant universes framed the horizon. Visuals went hand-in-glove not with the words but with the pace and mood of the arrangements. When the latter turned dark, despondent or threatening, the imagery followed. Storms and waves erupted; large buildings multiplied, acting as walls and traps. The daytime scenery of Act 1 concluded with a sunset and Act 2 was set at night.
Likely owing to the English deliveries, the Lyric bypassed its customary surtitles, which may have left those unfamiliar with Corgan’s texts guessing at meanings. All the better to home in on the tunefulness and colors. Some of the opera’s stumbling blocks occurred when lyrics gained too prominent a foothold.
Sung in serious fashion and in a low register by the Lyric Chorus, the opening lines of a sophisticated reconstitution of “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” sounded out of step with the vitriolic sentiments. “By Starlight,” which crossed into lounge territory, and a classically dramatic “Jellybelly,” similarly felt ill-suited.
Not every Smashing Pumpkins fan, let alone opera buff, will gravitate to “A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness.” Yet the interior depth and warm beauty of most of the arrangements, and the consideration behind the sequencing and audiovisual pairings, make it a unique hybrid that explodes the epic scope, soft mysteries and bittersweet ingredients of Corgan’s original material. He beamed with pride.
Indeed, when he first stepped on stage to sing “Thirty-Three,” Corgan attempted to maintain a serious poker face. Upon looking out at the crowd, he couldn’t prevent a smile from forming at the corner of his mouth. There he stood, the famously ego-strong star, star-struck by the new enterprise, recognizing his opera had become a reality.
Whether “A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness” will fly outside Chicago remains questionable. For now, the Lyric, the city and one of its hometown heroes stake claim to an unusual cultural asset.
Bob Gendron is a freelance critic.
Act 1
“Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness”
“Tonight, Tonight” (partial)
“Jellybelly”
“Galapagos”
“Thirty-Three”
“Tonight, Tonight” (reprise)
“Beautiful”
“Muzzle”
“Lily (My One and Only)”
“Stumbeline”
“Thru the Eyes of Ruby”
Act 2
“In the Arms of Sleep”
“1979”
“By Starlight”
“Bullet with Butterfly Wings”
“To Forgive”
“Cupid de Locke”
“Porcelina of the Vast Oceans”
“Tonight, Tonight” (full)
