The Cook-Off
Music by Shawn E. Okpebholo
Libretto by Mark Campbell

WINNING RECIPE

In this new opera, chefs face off in a televised cooking contest preparing one of America’s favorite comfort foods: macaroni and cheese. But the ensuing tensions are far from comforting as the cutthroat competition reveals deeper truths about food, culture, and history.

Okpebholo, named the 2024 Chicagoan of the Year in Classical Music by the Chicago Tribune, partnered with Pulitzer- and Grammy-winning librettist Mark Campbell to create this 60-minute comic chamber piece. Twice Grammy-nominated himself, the composer’s work is distinctly contemporary while rooted in tradition, in a voice The Washington Post calls “fresh and new and fearless.”

Commissioned by Chicago Opera Theater’s Vanguard Initiative.

Artistic Staff
Conductor
Lina Gonzalez-Granados

Stage Director
Michael Shell

Set Designer
Mark F. Smith

Costume Designer
Elizabeth Licata

Lighting Designer
Bridget Williams

Video Designer
Scott Carmichael

Wig & Makeup Designer
Drew Bryson