Interwoven short operas in ‘Proximity’ inform and confound but ultimately astound at Lyric Opera

Soprano Whitney Morrison plays a mother grieving the shooting death of her baby in “Proximity.” (© Todd Rosenberg Photography)

Audacious, topical and thrillingly contemporary in look, sound and structure. Lyric Opera of Chicago’s world premiere of “Proximity” Friday evening at the Lyric Opera House is all that and more.

Unlike festivals and specialty houses, conventional opera companies traditionally have offered an occasional premiere as a kind of a prestige project, and these presentations usually prove to be tough sells at the box office.