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Showing posts with label Lyric Opera of Chicago. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lyric Opera of Chicago. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

REVIEW: Lyric Opera World Premiere of PROXIMITY On Stage Through April 8, 2023

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

What you need to know about the world premiere of 

Proximity 

at Lyric Opera of Chicago



Chicago takes center stage in this trio of new American works united by the bold vision of director Yuval Sharon's groundbreaking production, March 24 – April 8, 2023


Review of Proximity: A Trio of New North American Operas at Lyric Opera

By Catherine Hellmann, Guest Critic 

I was a season opera subscriber for over ten years. I never heard an “f bomb” sung on the Lyric stage until the premiere of Proximity last Friday night. The word “bitch,” either. Wow. Contemporary for sure. 

There are three short operas in the cycle: The Walkers (music by Daniel Bernard Roumain and libretto by Anna Deavere Smith), Four Portraits (music and libretto by Caroline Shaw with Jocelyn Clarke also on libretto), and Night (music by John Luther Adams and libretto by John Haines). 

My favorite was The Walkers set in modern day Chicago around gangs. Opera is certainly dramatic, and what could have more drama than the antagonism among gang rivals? The opera examines the likelihood of violence begetting violence. One character has killed a young man at 17; his victim’s family, he notes, looked just like his own. These young people are constantly confronting trauma and trying to survive. (I taught in Englewood for a year; one of my students lifted his shirt to show me his bullet scars. Another young man was shot on his front lawn with his mom watching. Miraculously, after numerous surgeries, he survived.) 

The rival gangs still remember their leaders who went to jail in 1963: Jeff Fort and Larry Hoover. Their hatred against each other’s groups is deep-seated. The Preacher Man, sung by American baritone Gordon Hawkins, urges peace; he reiterates that he’s “got status.” But one of the gang members retorts,” Your theology ain’t my mythology.”  

An unexpected character was Arne Duncan, former CEO of Chicago Public Schools and Secretary of Education (and basketball buddy) under President Barack Obama. (He had a snarky nickname in our household for never calling a snow day when I taught in CPS; I actually snickered when he appeared onstage.) Arne founded CRED (Create Real Economic Destiny) which “provides jobs, counseling, education support, job training, mental health, therapy,” according to librettist Anna Deavere Smith, better known as an actress on The West Wing and Nurse Jackie. Arne, played by Jeff Parker, has a few of the best quotes in the show: “You have to give people a reason to stop shooting…and put the guns down.” He also laments how “nothing gets solved.” 

Another devastating story was sung movingly by Chicago native and soprano Whitney Morrison as Yasmine Miller, a bereaved mother who lost her one-year old baby boy to gun violence. In June 2020, the 22-year-old mom and her toddler were driving home from a laundromat at 60th and Halsted. Shots fired from a nearby car killed Sincere. Ms. Miller delivered a powerful performance that conveyed the young mother’s heartbreak. The audience was very receptive to her compelling rendition. 

Four Portraits had much-needed humor in its storyline, poking fun at the technology in our lives that we now take for granted. One of the characters was named GPS, ably sung by Corrine Wallace-Crane. Yes, she sings the recognizable directions that lead us to work, home, shopping, and everywhere any more. There was laughter over the familiarity of being instructed to turn right, left, how many feet lie ahead, passing streets, etc. There were also chuckles as actors rode the CTA, and “doors closing” was announced. 

The giant screened set and projected graphics really benefited the show’s modern appeal. I liked the giant maps of Chicago expanding into the entire world. They were one of the best parts of the show. (I had wondered how the Lyric would handle having Carmen with its huge sets in the repertory.) Jason H. Thompson and Kaitlyn Pietras are to be commended as Production Designers for their clever, inspired graphics. 

Although the show overall was confusing with how the vastly different storylines jumped around (I would have preferred a more streamlined performance), the Lyric Opera is to be commended for trying to stay relevant with modern audiences. (There were quite a few empty seats after intermission which is a shame.) I admire them for expanding their horizons. Bravo! 

Catherine Hellmann is a teacher, daughter of an educator, and mom of a teacher and a librarian. Education is important in her family. :-)  She loves to explore Chicago neighborhoods, experience theater, try new restaurants, and read lots of books, especially historical fiction.   

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents the second of two Chicago-set world premieres in its season: Proximity, a trio of new American operas that confront head-on some of the greatest challenges affecting modern society: the devastating impact of gun violence on cities and neighborhoods, yearning for connection in a world driven by technology, and the need to respect and protect our natural resources. In an innovative production by director Yuval Sharon that is searing in its intimacy, revolutionary in its structure, and groundbreaking in its technical wizardry, Proximity is on stage at the Lyric Opera House for five performances only, March 24 – April 8, 2023.

Curated since its inception in 2019 by Lyric's Special Projects Advisor Renée Fleming along with Lyric’s General Director Anthony Freud and Sharon, Proximity brings together some of the leading creative thinkers in American culture, all in their Lyric debuts. Daniel Bernard Roumain, the acclaimed Haitian-American composer, and Anna Deavere Smith, the legendary playwright and actress, have written The Walkers, an opera that gives voice to families grappling with gun violence in Chicago. Caroline Shaw, a Pulitzer and Grammy-winning composer, has teamed with writer Jocelyn Clarke for Four Portraits, an opera about the impact of technology on society. And Pulitzer and Grammy-winning composer John Luther Adams has written Night, a short opera on the fragility of the natural world, set to a text by the late poet John Haines. 

The three operas are spliced and shuffled to create an entirely new work that zooms in and out from the scale of the individual to the community to the cosmic. Proximity, the synthesis of these three works, offers a compelling snapshot of 21st century life with all of its complex intersections and reveals our everlasting capacity for hope. 

A daredevil director’s bold vision. Familiar to Lyric audiences from his immersive drive-through production of Twilight: Gods in 2021 and its resulting film, director and Chicago-area native Yuval Sharon provides the unifying vision for Proximity. Sharon is a MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowship winner who is widely acclaimed for the work of his Los Angeles-based experimental opera company The Industry as well as Detroit Opera, which he has led as Artistic Director since 2020. Sharon is known for his unconventional body of work that seeks to expand the operatic form. “The ultimate irony in working on a project called Proximity is that most of it was made in the era of social distance,” says Sharon. “We chose the name Proximity because it succinctly captured one of the opera’s fundamental ideas: we are closer to our fellow humans than we are often made to feel.”

A creative team that expands what is possible in opera. The sweeping visual ideas of director Sharon are realized by Proximity's pathbreaking design team. Production designers Jason H. Thompson and Kaitlyn Pietras, who worked on Lyric’s Twilight: Gods, have created a stage design on a scale and complexity never before attempted in opera — a curved quarter-pipe video wall, 40 feet wide by 26 feet high, made of 140 LED panels and 240 black marble LED panels. Complemented by a robust on-set system of responsive cameras and other interactive features, the set design for Proximity affords audiences a new immersive way to experience opera.

Proximity also features the costume design of Carlos J. Soto, the sound design of Jody Elff, and the choreography of Rena Butler, all in their Lyric debuts.

Three distinct yet seamlessly woven sound worlds. Leading Proximity's musical forces is conductor Kazem Abdullah in his Lyric debut. Abdullah is a passionate advocate for new music who recently conducted Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels's Omar at LA Opera, where he was a member of its Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program. Abdullah will guide the 69 players of the Lyric Opera Orchestra in bringing to life the three unique soundscapes of Proximity's three composers. The 43 members of the Lyric Opera Chorus will be led by chorus master Michael Black.

The Walkers

Music by Daniel Bernard Roumain and libretto by Anna Deavere Smith

Composer Daniel Bernard Roumain is known for his signature violin sounds infused with myriad electronic and African-American musical influences. He is a composer of solo, chamber, orchestral, and operatic works, and has composed an array of film, theater, and dance scores. His previous work in opera includes the interdisciplinary chamber opera We Shall Not Be Moved, written with librettist Marc Bamuthi Joseph, which premiered at Opera Philadelphia in 2017. He has worked with artists from Lady Gaga and Philip Glass to Bill T. Jones and Marin Alsop and has published more than 300 works.

Anna Deavere Smith is an actress, playwright, teacher, and author. She is credited with creating a new form of theater by looking at current events from multiple points of view. Her theater combines the journalistic technique of interviewing her subjects with the art of interpreting their words through performance. Plays include Fires In the Mirror (a runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize), Twilight: Los Angeles (nominated for two Tony Awards), House Arrest, and Let Me Down Easy. In 2012, President Obama awarded her the National Endowment for the Humanities Medal. Like Proximity director Yuval Sharon, she is a recipient of the prestigious MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowship. The Walkers is her first opera.

After Lyric connected Anna Deavere Smith to Chicago CRED (Creating Real Economic Diversity), an anti-gun-violence organization co-founded by Arne Duncan and Laurene Powell Jobs, Smith created the libretto following a series of interviews with Chicagoans whose families had experienced gun violence. Several of the characters in the opera are people she interviewed, including Arne Duncan, CRED counselor and former gang member Curtis Toler, and Yasmine Miller, the mother of a toddler who was shot and killed only months before the interview took place. Other characters are an amalgam of real people who work as counselors and people who have been helped by the organization. Smith's libretto uses the actual words of people to create monologues and dialogue.

At the start of The Walkers, we hear about the history of Chicago gang violence from Arne Duncan and Curtis Toler and we meet Bilal, who has been released from prison and is experiencing PTSD. We meet the fictional character of Lil’ Bunchy Bates, a child who deflects attempts to be recruited to gangs until he is shot and killed while playing basketball. Violence breaks out at his funeral, targeting the suspected perpetrator. Across the city, Yasmine Miller is shot in a drive-by shooting that kills her toddler. The story ends with a message of cautious hope that the epidemic of gun violence and the related crises of segregation, police abuse, and gang violence will all one day end, and that the community will finally find peace.

Leading the cast of The Walkers are soprano Whitney Morrison as Yasmine Miller and baritone Norman Garrett as Bilal. Morrison is an alumna of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, Lyric's acclaimed artist-development program. Last season at Lyric, she starred in Terence Blanchard and Kasi Lemmons’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones. Garrett has appeared with Lyric in Fire Shut Up in My Bones and in the recent world premiere of Will Liverman and DJ King Rico’s The Factotum. The cast also features baritone Gordon Hawkins as Preacher Man, tenor Issachah Savage as Curtis Toler, soprano Kearstin Piper Brown as Chief’s Daughter #1, and mezzo-soprano Zoie Reams as Chief’s Daughter #2.

The cast also includes several current members of the Ryan Opera Center Ensemble: bass Ron Dukes is Chief’s Son #1, tenor Martin Luther Clark is Chief’s Son #2, and soprano Lindsey Reynolds is Very Loud Girl. Rounding out the cast are tenor Jamion Cotten as Lil' Bunchy Bates and actor Jeff Parker as Arne Duncan. The children's chorus in The Walkers features 20 members of Uniting Voices Chicago under the direction of Josephine Lee.

Four Portraits

Music by Caroline Shaw and libretto by Caroline Shaw and Jocelyn Clarke

Composer Caroline Shaw is a musician who moves among roles, genres, and mediums; her recent work involves compositions for film, television, dance, and now opera. She was awarded the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in Music for Partita for 8 Voices and has received three Grammy Awards. She has written more than 100 works in the last decade, and has worked with artists as diverse as Yo-Yo Ma, Rosalía, Renée Fleming, and Nas. Her work as a vocalist or composer has appeared in the recent film Tár, the Showtime television series Yellowjackets, and the Netflix documentary of Beyonce’s Homecoming. Shaw's co-librettist Jocelyn Clarke is dramaturg at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. and has recently served in the writers room for the Starz television series P-Valley. His work abroad includes time with the Arts Council of Ireland and Dublin’s Abbey Theatre.

The first three of Shaw and Clarke's Four Portraits show a couple grappling with the disconnection of modern life — a fragmented telephone call with a bad connection, a crowded train of strangers, and a nighttime car trip with GPS. In the final scene, which begins with the first face-to-face conversation in the opera, spoken language recedes and acquiesces to the sonic landscape of the forest in a hopeful nod to a future unencumbered by technology.

Four Portraits stars countertenor John Holiday as A and baritone Lucia Lucas as B, both in their Lyric debuts. Holiday, winner of the Kennedy Center’s 2017 Marian Anderson Vocal Award, was recently seen in the Metropolitan Opera’s world premiere of The Hours and gained widespread fame for his appearance in Season 19 of NBC’s popular competition series The Voice. Lucas, an in-demand baritone who has sung at the Met, English National Opera, and across Europe, was featured in the recent documentary The Sound of Identity, which chronicled her journey as the first transgender woman to sing a leading role in a standard work at an American opera company.

Sopranos Kathryn Henry and Lindsey Reynolds, tenors Lunga Eric Hallam and Alejandro Luévanos, and bass Ron Dukes — current members of the Ryan Opera Center Ensemble — co-star as the Passengers, a group that also includes mezzo-sopranos Kathleen Felty (a Ryan Opera Center alumna) and Stephanie Sanchez and baritone Darren Drone. Mezzo-soprano Corinne Wallace-Crane sings the role of the GPS.

Night

Music by John Luther Adams and libretto by John Haines

John Luther Adams began his career as an environmental activist and transitioned into composing upon realizing that music had a better chance of changing the world than politics. Since that time, he has become one of the most widely admired composers in the world, receiving both the 2014 Pulitzer Prize in Music and 2015 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition for Become Ocean, among many other honors.

For his contribution to Proximity, Adams was inspired by the work of his friend and longtime neighbor in Alaska, the late poet John Haines. One of Haines’s very last poems, Night offers a dark and troubling vision of the Earth's future, but Adams was drawn to its ultimate notes of hope and promise in the next generation, a theme that runs throughout each of Proximity's three works.

Night features mezzo-soprano Zoie Reams as an omniscient Greek sybil who launches the work's spiritual interrogations. Reams was seen earlier this season at Lyric as Ragonde in Rossini's Le Comte Ory.

Lyric strongly reinforces its commitment to new work. Following the extraordinary success of the world premiere of The Factotum earlier this season, Proximity continues to push boundaries for what is possible in and for opera. It brings a new kind of musical and theatrical experience to Lyric, to the city of Chicago, and to the world. Experience the world premiere of Proximity — only at Lyric Opera of Chicago.


Important to know

·        Five chances to see Proximity: March 24, 26 (matinee), 29, April 5 (matinee), and 8.

·        A world premiere commissioned by Lyric Opera of Chicago: Proximity includes The Walkers, composed by Daniel Bernard Roumain with libretto by Anna Deavere Smith; Four Portraits, composed by Caroline Shaw with libretto by Caroline Shaw and Jocelyn Clarke; and Night, composed by John Luther Adams with libretto by John Haines.

·        Proximity addresses adult themes and contains some adult language.

·        Sung in English with projected English titles.

·        A total running time of 2 hours and 10 minutes, including one intermission.

·        Tickets and more information: lyricopera.org/proximity.

For updated information about Lyric’s ongoing health and safety protocols, visitlyricopera.org/safety.

Lyric’s world premiere of Proximity is generously made possible by an Anonymous Donor, OPERA America, and support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Lyric Opera of Chicago thanks its Official Airline, American Airlines, and acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

About Lyric

Lyric Opera of Chicago is committed to redefining what it means to experience great opera. The company is driven to deliver consistently excellent artistry through innovative, relevant, celebratory programming that engages and energizes new and traditional audiences.

Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO Anthony Freud, Music Director Enrique Mazzola, and Special Projects Advisor Renée Fleming, Lyric is dedicated to reflecting, and drawing strength from, the diversity of Chicago. Lyric offers, through innovation, collaboration, and evolving learning opportunities, ever-more exciting, accessible, and thought-provoking audience and community experiences. We also stand committed to training the artists of the future, through The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center; and to becoming increasingly diverse across our audiences, staff, programming, and artists—magnifying the welcoming pull of our art form, our company, and our city.

Through the timeless power of voice, the splendor of a great orchestra and chorus, theater, dance, design, and truly magnificent stagecraft, Lyric is devoted to immersing audiences in worlds both familiar and unexpected, creating shared experiences that resonate long after the curtain comes down.

Join us @LyricOpera on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. #LongLivePassion

For more information, visit lyricopera.org

 

Sunday, March 26, 2023

REVIEW: Carmen at Lyric Opera On Stage Through April 7, 2023

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

One of the world’s most beloved operas returns to Chicago 
March 11 – April 7, 2023


Review of Carmen at Lyric Opera
By Catherine Hellmann, Guest Critic 

“If I love you, beware!” declares Carmen in Act I. Well, she warns the gullible soldier Don Jose right from the start, but he welcomes the danger. (shake my head…) 

J’Nai Bridges is a very seductive, beautiful Carmen who is hard to resist. Her Carmen is sexy and captivating. She is playful and confident---I loved when she chugged wine straight from the bottle at the bar. 

In contrast is the very sweet Micaela, a girl from Don Jose’s hometown, who brings a letter from his mother. Golda Schultz was making her Lyric debut as Micaela and has a gorgeous voice. She and Don Jose have a beautiful duet; Jose’s mother urges him to marry Micaela. But bad-girl Carmen is just too alluring for Don Jose. (sung by handsome tenor Charles Castronovo)

Carmen urges Don Jose to abandon the Army. He refuses until his commanding officer Lieutenant Zuniga approaches with hopes of seeing Carmen himself. A jealous Don Jose, in a very poor career move, strikes Zuniga. Don Jose is now like Pee Wee Herman: “a loner…a rebel.” 

The revolutionaries sing “when conniving, it’s good to have women along,” so Carmen is their girl. (ah, those sexist lyrics…the opera was first performed in 1875.) After her fling with Don Jose, Carmen quickly moves on to bullfighter Escamillo. 
A very awkward moment occurs when there is silence between Acts III and IV while sets are changed for new scenes. Some music from the orchestra and that gorgeous, familiar score would have been appreciated. My sis recognized much of the music, from the “Habanera” in Act I to the “Toreador Song” in Act II. Carmen is often the first introduction to opera for many audience members.   

The Lyric Opera Chorus and the Uniting Voices Chicago (UVC, formerly the Chicago Children’s Choir) do an admirable job as always. I’m often reminded of a Cecil B. DeMille movie with its “cast of thousands” since the Lyric productions are so epic. The costumes are gorgeous by Robert Perdziola, especially the ladies’ gowns and the bullfighters’ outfits with lots of sequins. 

By the end, Carmen is dead, having been stabbed by her former lover, Don Jose, when she rejects him. (“Does someone always die in an opera?” questioned my sister. “Usually,” I answered.) Oh, Don Jose…you should have listened to your mother. 


Catherine Hellmann teaches downtown at a cool charter school. She loves theater, Chicago history, museums, reading, walking, and finding new restaurants. (Riding the CTA daily sometimes provides the best live performances in the city!) She needs to get to Hawaii to claim all 50 states visited.  


Opera’s legendary femme fatale returns to Lyric Opera of Chicago with Bizet’s Carmen — March 11 – April 7, 2023 — starring J’Nai Bridges, a leading interpreter of the famous title role and a singer with deep Chicago roots. Audiences are invited to experience one of opera’s greatest hits, featuring iconic music that is instantly recognizable even for those new to the art form.

The diva you know and love. BET has described two-time Grammy Award winner J’Nai Bridges as “the Beyoncé of the opera world.” As Carmen, a signature role she has portrayed around the globe, that description couldn’t be more accurate. An alumna of Lyric’s Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center training program and a Kennedy Center Next 50 cultural leader, the mezzo-soprano makes her triumphant return to the Lyric stage. Bridges has appeared in more than 15 productions at Lyric and continues to shine as an unparalleled talent in opera.

A star-studded cast. Bridges is joined by Charles Castronovo as Don José. A critically acclaimed tenor, he was last seen at Lyric during the 2021/22 Season as Nemorino in The Elixir of Love. He is joined by South African soprano Golda Schultz as Micaëla in her Lyric debut. Schultz is the 2022 winner of the prestigious Bavarian Culture Prize, with the citation proclaiming that “a fantastic firework of tones fills the stage when Golda Schultz sings.” The first prize winner in the 2019 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, Ukrainian baritone Andrei Kymach sings the role of the charismatic bullfighter Escamillo in his Lyric debut.

An international supporting cast of future stars. This production of Carmen is heightened by members of the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center Ensemble. Mexican soprano Denis Vélez is Frasquita and mezzo-soprano and Michigan native Katherine DeYoung is Mercédès. Hailing from New York, tenor Ryan Capozzo is Remendado, while Colombian baritone Laureano Quant is Dancaïre. Bass Wm. Clay Thompson, a Kentucky native, is Zuniga, and baritone Wisconsinite Ian Rucker joins his fellow Ensemble members as Moralès. Rounding out this stellar cast is Mexican tenor Alejandro Luévanos as Lillas Pastia. 

Opera’s biggest blockbuster. The immensely talented Lyric Opera Orchestra will be led by accomplished conductor Henrik Nánási, who is acclaimed for his performances of Carmen in one of opera’s biggest theaters, the Arena di Verona. At Lyric, he was last seen during the 2019/20 Season in Madama Butterfly, and made a memorable debut in the 2015/16 Season leading Le nozze di Figaro. He served as general music director at Komische Oper Berlin from 2012 to 2017. Nánási is joined by talented stage director Marie Lambert-Le Bihan, whose work at Lyric includes La clemenza di Tito in the 2013/14 Season and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in the 2012/13 Season.

A proper operatic spectacle, Carmen features the talents of set designer Robin Don, costume design by Robert Perdziola, and lighting design from Chris Maravich. This production also includes a children’s chorus featuring members of Uniting Voices Chicago, led by Josephine Lee. As always, Lyric’s brilliant chorus will be directed by chorus master Michael Black. 

Dance the night away. This spirited production of Carmen features choreography from Stephanie Martinez. An award-winning Chicago-based dance artist and founder of the acclaimed PARA.MAR Dance Theatre, she was awarded Joffrey Ballet’s “Winning Works: Choreographers of Color” commission in 2015. Martinez is assisted by Noelle Kayser alongside ballet instruction courtesy of August Tye.

New to opera? Start with a certified classic. Carmen has cemented itself in popular culture with its iconic music and irresistibly tragic story. Audiences will fall in love with opera’s fiercest heroine, so get ready for the biggest operatic sensation of the season — only at Lyric Opera of Chicago. 

Important to know
· Eight chances to see Carmen: March 11, 15 (matinee), 19 (matinee), 22, 25, 30 (matinee), April 2 (matinee), and 7.
· Sung in French, with projected English titles.
· A total running time of 3 hours and 25 minutes, including two intermissions.
· For updated information about Lyric’s ongoing initiatives regarding health and safety protocols, visit lyricopera.org/safety.
Lyric’s presentation of Bizet’s Carmen is generously made possible by Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, Liz Stiffel, and the Lauter McDougal Charitable Fund.

Lyric Opera of Chicago thanks its Official Airline, American Airlines, and acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
About Lyric

Lyric Opera of Chicago is committed to redefining what it means to experience great opera. The company is driven to deliver consistently excellent artistry through innovative, relevant, celebratory programming that engages and energizes new and traditional audiences.

Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO Anthony Freud, Music Director Enrique Mazzola, and Special Projects Advisor Renée Fleming, Lyric is dedicated to reflecting, and drawing strength from, the diversity of Chicago. Lyric offers, through innovation, collaboration, and evolving learning opportunities, ever-more exciting, accessible, and thought-provoking audience and community experiences. We also stand committed to training the artists of the future, through The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center; and to becoming increasingly diverse across our audiences, staff, programming, and artists—magnifying the welcoming pull of our art form, our company, and our city.

Through the timeless power of voice, the splendor of a great orchestra and chorus, theater, dance, design, and truly magnificent stagecraft, Lyric is devoted to immersing audiences in worlds both familiar and unexpected, creating shared experiences that resonate long after the curtain comes down.

Join us @LyricOpera on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. #LongLivePassion

For more information, visit lyricopera.org/newseason.


Friday, September 24, 2021

OPENING: Lyric Opera of Chicago Presents Donizetti’s THE ELIXIR OF LOVE September 26 - October 8, 2021

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 
What You Need to Know About Donizetti’s

THE ELIXIR OF LOVE

September 26 - October 8 at Lyric Opera of Chicago

The Elixir of Love is a co-production of Lyric Opera of Chicago and San Francisco Opera, originally created by Opera North, UK.



Opera’s most heartwarming comedy, filled with Donizetti’s delectable music, is sure to bring nonstop smiles. Nemorino, the naive waiter, pines for the flirtatious Adina, the owner of the town’s hotel and Nemorino’s boss. His only hope to win her love is Dr. Dulcamara’s “elixir” — little does he know that it’s just Bordeaux wine! As we root for Nemorino, audiences are sure to laugh, gasp, “ooo” and “ahh”.

 

·       Classic Italian repertoire: While Donizetti and librettist Felice Romani may have hastily adapted a French comic opera to Italian in six weeks, The Elixir of Love has become one of most frequently performed Donizetti operas in the world and a classic of the bel canto repertoire.


 

·       After launching his career as Lyric’s Music Director with Verdi’s Macbeth, Maestro Enrique Mazzola, a true master of the bel canto repertoire, returns to the podium to lead the Lyric Opera Orchestra. The Maestro will have the difficult yet impressive task of performing back-to-back Verdi and Donizetti during these runs, demonstrating his versatility and expertise in the craft.

 

·       Exciting Lyric directorial debut: British director Daniel Slater comes to Lyric with over sixty productions in seventeen countries under his belt, including operas at Glyndebourne, Welsh National Opera, Santa Fe, Houston Grand Opera, and San Francisco. Slater started his career as acting Artistic Director of the Tricycle Theatre and Associate Director of the Nottingham Playhouse.

 

·       Ailyn Pérez in her element: The Chicago soprano steps into the role of Adina, which she has performed to great acclaim at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Wiener Staatsoper and Washington National Opera. You can also see Pérez in Lyric’s upcoming Pagliacci film.

 

·       Charles Castronovo’s long-awaited Lyric return: After triumphant performances in Lyric’s The Magic Flute(2011/12) and Eugene Onegin (2016/17), the American tenor returns to Lyric as Nemorino — a role he’s known for internationally. Castronovo and Pérez are sure to bring one of the best Elixir love duos to Lyric’s stage.

 

·       Also featuring fellow Lyric favorites: Canadian baritone Joshua Hopkins, most recently seen as Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte (2017/18), and American bass-baritone Kyle Ketlesen, who can be seen in Lyric’s Celebrating Sir Andrew Davis production, round out the Elixir cast as Belcore and Dulcamara respectively. 

 

·       Only five chances to experience the magic : September 26 (matinee), 29 (matinee) and October 2, 5, 8

 

·       2 hours and 30 minutes, including 1 intermission.

 

·       Sung in Italian with English translations projected above the stage.

 

·       For more information and to order tickets, visit lyricopera.org/elixir or call 312-827-5600.


For updated information about Lyric’s ongoing initiatives regarding health and safety protocols, visit lyricopera.org/safety.


Maestro Enrique Mazzola is generously sponsored by Alice & John Butler, Sylvia Neil & Daniel Fischel, and the Robert & Penelope Steiner Family Foundation



Lyric’s presentation of Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love is generously made possible by Sonia Florian.


Lyric Opera of Chicago thanks its Official Airline, American Airlines. 


Lyric Opera of Chicago is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.


About Lyric

Lyric Opera of Chicago is committed to redefining what it means to experience great opera. The company is driven to deliver consistently excellent artistry through innovative, relevant, celebratory programming that engages and energizes new and traditional audiences.


Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO Anthony Freud, Music Director Enrique Mazzola, and Special Projects Advisor Renée Fleming, Lyric is dedicated to reflecting, and drawing strength from, the diversity of Chicago. Lyric offers, through innovation, collaboration, and evolving learning opportunities, ever-more exciting, accessible, and thought-provoking audience and community experiences. We also stand committed to training the artists of the future, through The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center; and to becoming increasingly diverse across our audiences, staff, programming, and artists—magnifying the welcoming pull of our art form, our company, and our city.



Through the timeless power of voice, the splendor of a great orchestra and chorus, theater, dance, design, and truly magnificent stagecraft, Lyric is devoted to immersing audiences in worlds both familiar and unexpected, creating shared experiences that resonate long after the curtain comes down.



Join us @LyricOpera on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. #Lyric2122 #LongLivePassion


For more information, visit lyricopera.org.



Friday, January 31, 2020

New production of 42nd Street Makes Its Chicago Premiere at Lyric Opera House May 29 - June 21, 2020

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar
Broadway stars Norm Lewis and Faith Prince to lead Lyric Opera of Chicago's 42nd Street


Broadway stars Norm Lewis and Faith Prince will headline Lyric Opera of Chicago’s premiere of Harry Warren and Al Dubin’s song-and-dance spectacular 42nd Street, presented from May 29 – June 21, 2020 at Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago (press opening May 30, 2020).



Norm Lewis and Faith Prince take on the roles of famed Broadway director Julian Marsh and Dorothy Brock, the seasoned diva who sees her star status eclipsed by a rising newcomer. Lewis recently appeared in the NBC television special Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert! alongside John Legend and Sara Bareilles. He received Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle award nominations as Porgy in The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess. In 2014, Lewis made history as the first African American to play the title role in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. Other recent credits include the Broadway revival ofOnce on This Island and the title role in Sweeney Todd Off-Broadway, for which he received an AUDELCO Award. He is starring in Spike Lee’s upcoming Netflix film Da 5 Bloods.

Prince is a Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award winner for her performance as Miss Adelaide in the 1992 Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls. She most recently starred on Broadway in Disaster! the musical and as Miss Hannigan in the Broadway revival of Annie. She was nominated for Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for both A Catered Affair and Bells Are Ringing, and was nominated for Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Jerome Robbins’ Broadway. Prince recurs on ABC’s Modern Family, and previously reurred on ABC’s Melissa & Joey and Lifetime’s Drop Dead Diva. Prince appeared in Chicago in the new musical version of the hit movie First Wives Club in 2015. 

Single tickets for 42nd Street start at $37 and are on sale now at lyricopera.org/42ndstreet, in person at the Lyric Opera House box office, or by calling 312-827-5600.

Stephen Mear directs and choreographs this high-energy production featuring members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Gareth Valentine. Set and costume designs are by Peter McKintosh, with lighting designed by Chris Davey and sound designed by Mark Grey.

Tony Award-winning song-and-dance spectacular 42nd Street centers on a starry-eyed young dancer named Peggy Sawyer who leaves her home in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to audition for the new Broadway show Pretty Lady, staged by notorious director Julian Marsh. When leading lady Dorothy Brock breaks her ankle, Peggy takes over and rises from chorus girl to star status overnight. 42nd Street is filled with sensational tap numbers and memorable melodies like “Lullaby of Broadway,” “We’re in the Money,” “You’re Getting to Be a Habit with Me,” “Sunny Side to Every Situation,” “Young and Healthy,” and the famed title song. With music by Harry Warren, lyrics by Al Dubin and Johnny Mercer, and a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, the stage musical is based on the novel by Bradford Ropes and Busby Berkeley’s 1933 movie.

ARTIST BIOS

Norm Lewis has received Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle award nominations as Porgy in The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess. He recently appeared in NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert! and in the Broadway revival of Once on This Island. In 2014, Lewis was the first African American to play the title role in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. His nine other Broadway shows range from Les Misérables and Chicago to Miss Saigon and The Who’s Tommy. He has appeared extensively off-Broadway and in many major regional theaters nationwide, including in the title role in Sweeney Todd (AUDELCO Award). On PBS he has been seen in Norm Lewis: Who Am I?, New Year’s Eve: A Gershwin Celebration, Les Misérables: The 25th Anniversary Concert (as Javert, a role he also played in London’s West End), Show Boat, American Voices with Renée Fleming, and First You Dream – The Music of Kander & Ebb. Lewis has a recurring role in the VH1 series Daytime Divas and has previously been featured in television’s Scandal, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Bull, Chicago Med, Gotham, The Blacklist, and Blue Bloods. Lewis stars in Spike Lee’s upcoming Netflix film Da 5 Bloods.

Faith Prince has been dazzling Broadway since winning the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards as Miss Adelaide/Guys and Dolls. She most recently starred on Broadway in Disaster! and as Miss Hannigan in the revival of Annie. She was nominated for Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for both A Catered Affair and Bells Are Ringing, and was nominated for Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Jerome Robbins’ Broadway. Other important credits include The Little Mermaid, Nick & Nora, Little Me, The Dead, and Noises Off (Broadway); Billy Elliott (national tour); Terrence McNally’s Unusual Acts of Devotion (world premiere, Philadelphia Theatre Company); and First Wives Club(Chicago’s Oriental Theatre). Prince currently has a recurring role on ABC’s Modern Family. Among her other extensive television credits are Spin City, Ugly Betty, Grey’s Anatomy, CSI, Faith, House, Monk, and Law and Order. Film appearances include Our Very Own, Picture Perfect, Dave, and My Father the Hero. Prince, who has toured Australia in her original show Moving On and in concert with her Annie co-star Anthony Warlow, works frequently with the Boston Pops, Utah Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, and Philly Pops. Her new album, Total Faith, was recently released by Broadway Records.

About Lyric
Lyric Opera of Chicago is committed to redefining what it means to experience great opera.  The company is driven to deliver consistently excellent artistry through innovative, relevant, celebratory programming that engages and energizes new and traditional audiences.  

Under the leadership of general director, president & CEO Anthony Freud, music director Sir Andrew Davis, music director designate Enrique Mazzola, and creative consultant Renée Fleming, Lyric is dedicated to reflecting, and drawing strength from the diversity of Chicago. Lyric offers, through innovation, collaboration and evolving learning opportunities, ever more exciting, accessible, and thought-provoking audience and community experiences.  We also stand committed to training the artists of the future, through The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center and to becoming increasingly diverse across our audiences, staff, programming and artists - magnifying the welcoming pull of our art form, our company, and our city.

Through the timeless power of voice, the splendor of a great orchestra and chorus, theater, dance, design, and truly magnificent stagecraft, Lyric is devoted to immersing audiences in worlds both familiar and unexpected, creating shared experiences that resonate long after the curtain comes down.

Join us @LyricOpera on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. #Lyric1920 #LongLivePassion.


42nd Street is a production created by the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris.

Lyric presentation of Harry Warren and Al Dubin’s 42nd Street generously made possible by Lead Sponsor The Negaunee Foundation, cosponsors The Davee Foundation and Donna Van Eekeren and Dale Connelly, and Lead Corporate Sponsor Invesco QQQ.

Major in-kind audio support provided by Shure Incorporated.

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Review of Lyric Opera Concert: “Rising Stars in Concert”

Photo: Todd Rosenberg

Guest Review
By Catherine Hellmann 

The weather outside was frightful (about 5 degrees, ok, so it is finally winter in January in Chicago), but the atmosphere at the Lyric Opera on Sunday afternoon was delightful. The “Rising Stars in Concert” concert is an impressive “Thank you!” to the donors of the Lyric. 

The 2019-20 Ensemble of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center is a very talented group of performers. Selected from over 400 auditions, the elite group consists of 11 singers and one pianist. According to their website, the program “prepares emerging singers and apprentice coaches for careers in opera by providing unique, comprehensive training.” Since 1974, the Ryan Opera Center has been recognized as one of the premier training grounds in the world for emerging talent. Young singers are able to study with powerhouse talents, like Renee Fleming, and perform supporting roles at the Lyric in actual, full-scale productions. What a gift for an aspiring star! 

The singers study foreign languages in their apprenticeship so they are able to sing in French, German, and Italian as well as English. The program on Sunday included arias by Berlioz, Gounod, Richard Strauss, Rossini, Donizetti, as well as Victor Herbert and Ralph Vaughan Williams. So, check all four boxes on languages! 

There were dramatic pieces, like Lauren Decker (in her awesome red shoes!) singing Verdi in her rich contralto. She gave me goosebumps when she sang the words “Be silent,”  in her very low, deep voice. Mario Rojas sang a lovely romantic piece from Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette in his gorgeous tenor voice. I would have climbed down from my balcony to join him! 

Emily Pogorelc was a standout in her princess white gown singing Bellini’s aria from Act Two of La sonnambula. Her voice with its stunning trills and arpeggios was the cream in my coffee (which sounds like Cole Porter, but it’s Ruth Etting, because I looked it up...thanks, Google!) 

There were comical pieces as well. My favorite was a duet by Bass Anthony Reed and Bass-Baitone David Wiegel by Rossini from Il turco in Italia where two men talk about selling a wife. The one gent determines if he can’t buy the other guy’s wife, he will abduct her! My favorite line was: “When marriage isn’t working, the husband becomes a salesman.” The men intend to duke it out, so they stretch and prepare physically with one of them falling comically as he attempts the splits. The other hurts his back while warming up, so both end up lame at the conclusion. 

After intermission, there was a piano quartet playing Gabriel Faure’s Piano Quartet No. 1, Op. 15, Fourth Movement with pianist Madeline Slettedahl. She says in the program: “It’s been a privilege to perform frequently with my talented singing colleagues both here in Chicago and abroad, developing both musically and interpersonally in a field that has so much to say about the human experience.”  

A video played with departing singers being interviewed about their experiences with the Ryan Opera Center. One singer stated that these four years immersed her in everything and allowed her to “be prepared for anything” while growing as an artist and as a person.   

Another singer grew up attending the Lyric Opera since high school, so being in the program was like “coming home.” 

The show ended with Victor Herbert’s finale from Naughty Marietta. When the singers burst into: “Ah! Sweet mystery of life, at last I found you!” there were chuckles in the audience, probably recalling Mel Brooks’ amusing take on this song in Young Frankenstein. “‘For ‘tis love, and love alone, the world is seeking!” 

The world also needs more glorious music, and the Lyric Opera provided us with this balm on a dreary, frosty day. 

Catherine Hellmann has great stories from a year doing singing telegrams, which was not as artistic as the Lyric, but pretty darn enteratining. 


Lyric Opera's “Rising Stars in Concert” is a showcase performance starring Ensemble members of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center with members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra conducted by Ari Pelto Sunday, January 19, 2020.

Lyric Opera of Chicago
20 N. Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606
United States

Lead Sponsor: Donna Van Eekeren Foundation

Sponsors: Ann M. Drake, Sue and Melvin Gray, Patricia A. Kenney and Gregory J. O’Leary, Chauncey and Marion D. McCormick Family Foundation, Lauter McDougal Charitable Fund, Frank  B. Modruson and Lynne C. Shigley, and Dr. Scholl Foundation, with additional support from Dentons LLP and Allan Drebin

Rising Stars in Concert was also broadcast on 98.7WFMT and wfmt.com on Sunday, January 26, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.

The radio broadcast of Rising Stars in Concert is generously sponsored by the Donna Van Eekeren Foundation.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Verdi's LUISA MILLER at Lyric Opera of Chicago October 12 - 31, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar
Verdi's tragic romance 
LUISA MILLER 
opens Saturday, October 12 at 
Lyric Opera of Chicago
conducted by Music Director Designate Enrique Mazzola
October 12 - 31


Verdi’s heart-wrenching romantic drama Luisa Miller returns to Lyric Opera of Chicago for the first time in more than three decades on Saturday, October 12 at 7:30 p.m. Enrique Mazzola, Lyric’s music director designate, will be on the podium.

There will be six performances through October 31 at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Dr., Chicago. Tickets start at $39 for adults and $20 for children, and are available now at lyricopera.org/Luisa or by calling 312-827-5600.

Luisa Miller features an outstanding international cast of acclaimed Verdian artists. Bulgarian soprano Krassimira Stoyanova is sweet, vulnerable Luisa, who loves and is loved by Rodolfo (Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja), the son of ruthless, unethical nobleman Count Walter (American bass-baritone Christian Van Horn/Ryan Opera Center alumnus) whom Luisa’s own father Miller (American baritone Quinn Kelsey/Ryan Opera Center alumnus) loathes. To keep the lovers apart, Walter employs the help of his retainer Wurm (American bass Soloman Howard/Lyric debut), who wants to marry Luisa himself. An arranged marriage between Rodolfo and Duchess Federica (Russian mezzo-soprano Alisa Kolosova) further complicates Luisa and Rodolfo’s desperate situation.

The revelatory arias, breathtaking duets, thrilling ensembles, and electrifying orchestration of Luisa Miller foreshadow Verdi’s famous mid-career operas, marking his transition from bel canto to his own compositional style. These performances mark an exciting opportunity to experience a largely unfamiliar work by a well-known and beloved composer. The opera’s libretto by Salvadore Cammarano is based on the play Kabale und Liebe by the German dramatist Friedrich von Schiller. Luisa Miller has been presented only once previously in Lyric’s 65-year history, during the 1982 season. You can hear musical excerpts here (scroll down to "Learn More").

Lyric’s music director designate, Enrique Mazzola, is a lauded expert in conducting early Verdi, as well as bel canto and French opera. (Previously at Lyric he led acclaimed performances of two bel canto masterpieces, Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and Bellini’s I puritani). Luisa Miller marks the first installment of Lyric’s Early Verdi Series, to be presented over the coming years and which will be conducted by Mazzola.

The production of Luisa Miller is directed by Francesca Zambello, with open, evocative set designs by Michael Yeargan, traditional-period costume designs by Dunya Ramicova, and dramatic lighting design by Mark McCullough. Lyric’s chorus master is Michael Black, and August Tye is the choreographer for this presentation.

Performance dates for Luisa Miller are October 12, 16, 20, 25, 28, and 31. Performance times vary.

For tickets and information call (312) 827-5600 or go to lyricopera.org/Luisa Tickets start at $39.

Luisa Miller is performed in Italian with projected English translations.

About Lyric 
Lyric Opera of Chicago is committed to redefining what it means to experience great opera.  The company is driven to deliver consistently excellent artistry through innovative, relevant, celebratory programming that engages and energizes new and traditional audiences.  

Under the leadership of general director, president & CEO Anthony Freud, music director Sir Andrew Davis, music director designate Enrique Mazzola, and creative consultant Renée Fleming, Lyric is dedicated to reflecting, and drawing strength from the diversity of Chicago. Lyric offers, through innovation, collaboration and evolving learning opportunities, ever more exciting, accessible, and thought-provoking audience and community experiences.  We also stand committed to training the artists of the future, through The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center and to becoming increasingly diverse across our audiences, staff, programming and artists - magnifying the welcoming pull of our art form, our company, and our city.

Through the timeless power of voice, the splendor of a great orchestra and chorus, theater, dance, design, and truly magnificent stagecraft, Lyric is devoted to immersing audiences in worlds both familiar and unexpected, creating shared experiences that resonate long after the curtain comes down.

Join us @LyricOpera on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. #Lyric1920 #LongLivePassion.

Production sponsors: NIB Foundation, Julie and Roger Baskes, the Henry and Gilda Buchbinder Family Foundation, Liz Stiffel, and The Nelson Cornelius Production Endowment Fund.

Luisa Miller is a San Francisco Opera production.


Sunday, March 24, 2019

TICKETS ON SALE: World-renowned soprano Renée Fleming To Star In THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA December 14-29, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar
World-renowned soprano Renée Fleming stars in
new production of the multi Tony Award-winning musical
THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA
presented by John Berry and Anthony Lilley for Scenario Two


Limited Chicago engagement at Lyric Opera House for
ten performances only: December 14-29, 2019

“the most intensely romantic score of any musical since 
West Side Story” - New York Times

PUBLIC TICKETS ON SALE STARTING MARCH 28

John Berry CBE and Anthony Lilley OBE for Scenario Two are delighted to announce a new production of the acclaimed Broadway musical The Light in the Piazza starring four-time Grammy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Renée Fleming as Margaret Johnson, who embarks on a fateful trip to Florence with her daughter in the summer of 1953. Additional casting including Broadway and West End stars to be announced soon.

After premiering in London at the Royal Festival Hall this summer, the new production will be presented in Chicago for ten performances only at Lyric Opera House from December 14-29, 2019 (press opening Saturday, Dec. 14). Tickets start at $49 and go on sale for Lyric Opera subscribers on Monday, March 25 at 10 a.m. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Thursday, March 28 at 10 a.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.lightinthepiazzathemusical.com

The new production of The Light in the Piazza is directed by Olivier Award winner and critically acclaimed musicals expert Daniel Evans and designed by Robert Jones, with costumes by Brigitte Reiffenstuel, lighting by Mark Henderson and sound by Mick Potter. The ravishing score will be played by the Lyric Opera Orchestra under the baton of Kimberly Grigsby, conductor of the original Lincoln Center production.

Upon its Broadway debut, The Light in the Piazza was described by the New York Times as having “the most intensely romantic score of any musical since West Side Story.” Based on the novel by Elizabeth Spencer, The Light in the Piazza book is by Craig Lucas, with music and lyrics by Adam Guettel. Set in Florence during the summer of 1953, it’s a touching and unforgettable love story. A fateful gust of wind whisks Clara’s hat into the hands of local dreamer Fabrizio Naccarelli and it’s love at first sight. However, Clara isn’t quite what she appears.  Soon her mother is faced with a heart-wrenching decision, and they must all confront a secret that’s been kept in the shadows for far too long. 

The Light in the Piazza’s rich, emotional score is unique amongst 21st-century Broadway musicals. Unapologetically lyrical and romantic, it transports audiences to 1950s Florence for a romantic evening of love and light.

Scenario Two presents
The Light in the Piazza
Book by Craig Lucas
Music and Lyrics by Adam Guettel
December 14-29, 2019 
At Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago
Tickets $49-$219
www.lightinthepiazzathemusical.com

About Scenario Two
Scenario Two is a new UK company founded by John Berry CBE and Anthony Lilley OBE, which specializes in commercial theatrical production in London and Internationally. It brings together the very best talent from the world of opera and musical theatre with top performers and creatives from other industries such as film, television and theatre. The company is creating exciting new productions of classic musicals and developing new commissions and thereby aims to attract both existing theatre-goers and new audiences in the West End and major theatres around the world. For more information visit www.scenario-two.com.


Monday, March 11, 2019

REVIEW: Lyric Opera’s Ariodante by Handel Now Playing at Lyric Opera of Chicago Through March 17, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

ARIODANTE 
Now Playing at Lyric Opera of Chicago
Through March 17
by George Frideric Handel

Sung in Italian with projected English translations



Guest Review
By Catherine Hellmann

At first, I thought there was a mistake in the program, or my eyes are bad (which they are, but I doubted the Lyric had a misprint…). George Frideric Handel’s Ariodante was first performed at Covent Garden in London on January 8, 1735 and “First performed by Lyric Opera of Chicago on March 2, 2019.” 1735? 2019? Huh?? How did it take 284 years (I had to do the subtracting on a calculator...I teach English, not math…) for the Lyric to present this glorious music? What a treasure has been neglected! Well, at last it is here in our beloved city, so “treat yo’self” (thanks, Tom Haverford and Donna on Parks and Rec!) by going to see it while it lasts. (and we hope it won’t be another nearly three centuries to return.)

The plot is a little kooky and quite like Shakespeare. I am going to save myself the mental gymnastics by quoting the Lyric press release which summarizes the storyline beautifully:

“The original plot of Ariodante is full of Shakespearean twists, disguises, mistaken identities, wrenching misunderstandings, and eventual reconciliation (not unlike Much Ado About Nothing). Ginevra and Ariodante love each other and are about to be wed with the blessing of her father, the King of Scotland. Polinesso covets Ginevra and uses her lady-in-waiting, Dalinda (who loves Polinesso), to trick Ariodante into believing Ginevra is unfaithful and provoke his apparent suicide. Ariodante’s brother Lurcanio, meanwhile, loves and is shunned by Dalinda, and blames Ginevra for his sibling’s seeming demise. Eventually Ariodante turns up alive, Polinesso is vanquished, and the “right” couples are united.”

My first reaction was, ”So they both love each other, and her father APPROVES? What is the problem here?” Ha ha ha. Oh, silly me. Enter the super-creepy Polinesso, played by astounding British countertenor Iestyn Davies, to stir up trouble. (In a previous review for ChiIL Live Shows on The Scarlet Ibis for Chicago Opera Theater, I referred to countertenors as “unicorns.” You swear you are hearing a woman singing a “trouser role” dressed as a man...which in this opera is the case with the equally amazing Alice Coote, as future-husband-to-Ginerva, Ariodante. But it is a guy with a super-high voice. It’s a little freaky.) Polinesso is dressed in a priest’s black cassock with a biker look of jeans, a denim jacket, and sporting tattoos underneath his “holiness.” It is an icky transition, especially when witnessing how he abuses Dalinda; I couldn’t help cringing thinking of the priest abuse scandals. Blek. (One really hilarious highlight of the evening is that Davies received “boos” and hisses from the audience at curtain call, not for his performance being poor, but quite the opposite, because he rocked playing a chilling villain. I loved the Lyric audience in that moment!)

My teenagers have to keep me educated of the latest terms on sexual identity (I swear this ties into my review…) like “cis-gender,”  “trans,” and foreign concepts like “preferred pronouns.” But think about the gender fluid-ness of Handel’s opera from 1735. The counter-tenor is a man who sings like a woman, and the title character is a woman dressed as a guy (who looks like a lesbian in this production). When the opera premiered, there were still castrati around, a horrifying procedure performed deliberately before puberty to keep the boys’ voices high. Talk about sacrifice for one’s art! Wow. Radical.

Part of Polinesso’s evil plan is to plant “evidence” of nude male drawings in Ginerva’s bedroom, like she was sketching her new paramour. I don’t know of any straight woman when confronted with that kind of virility who would waste her time drawing...and if he is hung like that, I mused, how does he sing so high??

The most “manly” character is the handsome Kyle Ketelsen as the King of Scotland who is Ginerva’s father. It takes great strength to look that good in a kilt while singing so sweetly mourning the supposed death of his future son-in-law.

Also deserving special recognition is American soprano Heidi Stober as the what-the-hell-is-she-thinking-liking-that-asshole-Polinesso? Dalinda. We have all known friends who like someone who is no good for them, and she is delusional about Polinesso’s sinister feelings for her. Girlfriend, run away from him while you still can! She looks devastated after he tricks her, but she still sings beautifully about how she likes him anyway. Wtf…

At nearly four hours long, this opera is not for the faint-hearted. However, the singing is so superb, and I love harpsichord with recitative; the opera does not feel as long as other operas that are shorter. Handel could have easily cut the singing down by an hour if he left out the impressive vocal theatrics. Eric Ferring as Ariodante’s brother Lurcanio has a musical passage where one word lasts about ten bars of music; I counted thirty-six quick notes for one syllable. But the singers are vocal athletes in fine form, and the arias are just a joy to hear. The virtuosity of the singers is half the fun.  

The modernized staging sets the opera in the 1970’s era of bad fashion. The chorus members wear ghastly sweaters and a mismash of clothing taken from my sister’s high school yearbook. It was ugly then and does not need a revival. Another overhaul was to drop the ballet dances as intended in the original production and substitute with puppets representing the lovebirds. The puppets are mesmerizing and predict the futures of the characters. When the marriage is anticipated, Ariodante and Ginerva are seen getting married and climbing into bed. (Puppet sex! Is this Avenue Q?) Four babies soon follow, which elicited chuckles from the audience. When Ginerva is believed to have been unfaithful, her puppet is portrayed as a common whore, stripped down, dressed in a plastic bag with high red heels, walking the strip and dancing on a pole. The effect is eerily powerful to show her fall from grace.

Brenda Rae, making her Lyric debut as Ginerva, gets to show off her acting and singing talents; she excels at both. Ginerva begins the opera by considering how she can make her “sparkling and seductive charm more appealing to her beloved.” Hmmm...feminist icon, she is not. But by the end, the wrongful accusations from her betrothed and her self-righteous father send her on a different path. Ginerva doesn’t need a man. She’s got a Handel on this. ;-)

Catherine Hellmann is a feminist who loves lipstick, likes gardening but lives in a condo, and hates the cold but adores Chicago. But there are no contradictions in her complete love for theater, books, and her children. 


**This production includes mature themes**



Provocative Baroque drama about abuse and complicity
in a bold, updated staging 

New coproduction and Lyric premiere of Handel’s masterpiece


The Lyric Opera of Chicago premiere of George Frideric Handel’s Baroque masterpiece Ariodante opens Saturday, March 2 at 7:30pm in a provocative new coproduction. There are six performances March 2 through March 17 at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Dr., Chicago. Tickets start at $39, and are available now at lyricopera.org/Ariodante or at 312-827-5600. 


VILLAINOUS POLINESSO LUSTS AFTER GINEVRA, BUT SHE LOVES NOBLE ARIODANTE, WHO LOVES HER IN RETURN.

Sometimes opera takes you to completely unexpected, dramatically powerful places.

That’s certainly the case with the Lyric premiere of Handel’s Ariodante, on multiple levels. Some of its thrilling arias might be familiar from concerts or recordings, but the full Baroque masterpiece is terra incognita for many (even though it was wildly popular when Handel, the German expat living in London, was composing multiple Italian operas). Still, there is inviting familiarity in the bouncing beat and virtuoso vocal writing in this new-to-Lyric opera.

The original plot of Ariodante is full of Shakespearean twists, disguises, mistaken identities, wrenching misunderstandings, and eventual reconciliation (not unlike Much Ado About Nothing). Ginevra and Ariodante love each other and are about to be wed with the blessing of her father, the King of Scotland. Polinesso covets Ginevra and uses her lady-in-waiting, Dalinda (who loves Polinesso), to trick Ariodante into believing Ginevra is unfaithful and provoke his apparent suicide. Ariodante’s brother Lurcanio, meanwhile, loves and is shunned by Dalinda, and blames Ginevra for his sibling’s seeming demise. Eventually Ariodante turns up alive, Polinesso is vanquished, and the “right” couples are united. 



Richard Jones’s production moves the story from medieval times to an isolated, religiously fundamentalist Scottish island in the 1970s. Polinesso is an outsider from the mainland who penetrates this closed community in preacher’s clothes, wreaking terrible havoc on several relationships and the fabric of the village itself through acts of abuse and manipulation. Rather than ending with the reconciliation and redemption traditional in 18th-century opera, this production of Ariodante takes an intriguing detour that will resonate with contemporary audiences.

Puppets representing Ginevra and Ariodante pantomime scenes that reflect the community’s expectations and misperceptions of the central couple in this production, replacing ballet sequences used to close each act in the original opera.

Baroque opera “is radical theater,” says Anthony Freud. “Ariodante deals with abuse and complicity.” Lyric’s general director calls this production of Ariodante “a clear, immediate, powerful telling of the story that will defy preconceptions about Handel’s Baroque formality. Our production reflects many contemporary issues. Handel’s masterpiece may be over 280 years old, but is startling in its topicality and intensity.”

The creative team drew inspiration for this production of Ariodante from the dark indie film Breaking the Waves, and also the plays of Strindberg and Ibsen. There are similarities to Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah, in which an innocent young woman in Appalachia is seduced by an itinerant preacher. There are also traces of Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes in the community turning against one of its own. 

Lyric’s splendid cast inhabits the complex characters while singing the daunting score to great effect. Mezzo-soprano Alice Coote takes on the title role, with soprano Brenda Rae (Lyric debut) as Ariodante’s betrothed, Ginevra. Soprano Heidi Stober portrays the vulnerable Dalinda, manipulated by the evil Polinesso, played by countertenor Iestyn Davies. Bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen is the King of Scotland. Tenor Eric Ferring portrays Lurcanio.  and tenor Josh Lovell portrays Odoardo (the latter two are Ryan Opera Center artists). 






Acclaimed Baroque specialist Harry Bicket conducts, and Benjamin Davis (Lyric debut) is revival director. The production is designed by ULTZ (Lyric debut), with lighting by Mimi Jordan Sherin. Michael Black is chorus master, Lucy Burge is choreographer, Finn Caldwell is puppetry director and designer, and Nick Barnes is puppetry designer (the latter three are Lyric debuts).  




Don't miss your chance to experience this critically-acclaimed premiere — view the trailer here and find out for yourself why critics are praising its "tight, compelling story and rich, well-developed characters" (Chicago Sun-Times).


ARIODANTE IS "QUITE MOVING" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE)
In a small town rife with rumors, who can you trust? The highly anticipated U.S. premiere co-production of Handel's Ariodante opened Saturday night and critics are raving. With only five more performances, Ariodante must close March 17. See what people are saying about this Lyric premiere:

"Vocally, visually and dramatically arresting"
"Clarity and rhythmic verve from the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus"
"An opera penned nearly three centuries ago can resonate profoundly with modern times, when staged as tellingly as this"
"★ ★ ★ ★" (out of four) 
–Chicago Tribune

"Unexpected and intriguing"
"The casting for this production could hardly have been better"
"Many vocal high points"
"★ ★ ★ ½" (out of four)
–Chicago Sun-Times

"Dazzling vocal pyrotechnics"
"A daunting tour de force"
–Stage and Cinema


What happens when someone your town trusts is actually the villain? For Ginevra and her beloved Ariodante, things may never be the same. Lyric is proud to produce the company premiere of this important Baroque masterpiece from the composer of Messiah which marries stunning vocalism and riveting drama. 

Making its U.S. debut, this critically-acclaimed Lyric coproduction from Director Richard Jones updates the story to 1970s Scotland, where a close-knit, fundamentalist community provides the thought-provoking backdrop. The Toronto Globe and Mail says, "The decisions Jones has made to update and deepen the resonances of the opera work beautifully both to preserve the integrity of the original and add to it touches and textures that only a modern audience can appreciate…If you needed one example to demonstrate why modern staging and perfectly realized music from the past need each other, this was it." 

Don't miss this highly anticipated Lyric premiere that critics are calling "dramatically complex... deliciously interesting" – (The Toronto Star). 

5 REASONS YOU CAN'T MISS ARIODANTE
Handel’s Baroque masterpiece is currently playing Lyric, and there are so many reasons you can’t miss it. Here are just a few: 

1. It’s a Lyric premiere. Believe it or not, this rare gem by the composer of the beloved Messiah has never been performed on Lyric’s stage.

2. The cast is truly world-class. Our dream team of opera superstars have voices ideally suited to bring Ariodante to life.

3. It's the U.S. premiere of a production that earned rave reviews. TheToronto Star called it "deliciously interesting" and the National Post praised its "inspired and meticulous staging."

4. Handel’s music is exhilarating. You will fall in love with a score that exudes both passion and elegance.

5. It's not just great music, it's great theater. This story of true love plagued by obstacles in a small town is just as universal today as it was when the opera first premiered.

Save your seats today for Ariodante, on stage March 2-17, and experience this delightful and innovative production for yourself.




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