A 225+ Artist Carmina Burana at Lyric Opera of Chicago November 14–18, 2025

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What you need to know about 

Carmina Burana

More than 225 artists bring Orff’s classic work to the Lyric stage

Running time: Approximately 1 hour and 5 minutes, no intermission.

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents the company premiere of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, November 14–18, 2025. For three performances only, Music Director Enrique Mazzola conducts the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus in this 20th-century masterpiece, joined by soprano Jasmine Habersham, tenor David Portillo, baritone Ian Rucker, and the Uniting Voices Chicago children’s choir. From the thunderous opening chorus "O Fortuna" to passages of hushed intimacy, Carmina Burana captures the full sweep of human experience in music that is at once visceral, dramatic, and unforgettable.

Three performances only: Friday, November 14 at 7:00 p.m.; Sunday, November 16 at 2:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, November 18 at 7:00 p.m.

The songs of fate, fortune, and fleeting joy. Orff’s score is based on a set of medieval poems discovered in Bavaria, written by students and clergy between the 11th and 13th centuries. His selections explore love, lust, gambling, drinking, and the transience of life with bold rhythmic drive and theatrical force. The result is music that feels both primal and timeless, a raw spectacle of choral power, lush orchestration, and unforgettable immediacy.

Every note resonates with power and precision. Music Director Enrique Mazzola conducts the Lyric Opera Orchestra with a distinctive blend of clarity, vigor, and stylistic insight. Internationally recognized as a leading interpreter of bel canto, French repertoire, and early Verdi, he has appeared at major houses including La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, and Deutsche Oper Berlin, as well as festivals from Salzburg to Glyndebourne. At Lyric, he has led productions that showcase his ability to illuminate the majesty and power of large-scale choral writing such as Mozart’s Requiem (2023/24), Verdi’s Aida (2023/24), Beethoven’s Fidelio (2024/25), and the Wondrous Sound celebration of chorus and orchestra (2024/25).

Chorus Director Michael Black directs the 100-member Lyric Opera Chorus, one of the most distinguished ensembles of its kind in the world and a cornerstone of Lyric’s performances. Renowned for the beauty of their sound and stylistic versatility, the Chorus has collaborated with conductors including Enrique Mazzola, Sir Andrew Davis, Jakub Hrůša, Marco Armiliato, Harry Bicket, James Gaffigan, and Emmanuel Villaume. In the 2024/25 Season, the Chorus showcased its versatility to new audiences across the city and surrounding areas in the Great Choral Works community tour, performing operatic favorites alongside spirituals and musical theater selections. For Carmina Burana, the Chorus is joined by 50 treble voices from Uniting Voices Chicago (formerly Chicago Children’s Choir), directed by Josephine Lee, whose artistry and youthful energy provide a brilliant complement to Orff’s massive choral forces.

A dazzling trio of soloists brings these iconic vocal lines to life. Soprano Jasmine Habersham, who made her Lyric debut in the 2024/25 Season as Ashley in Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s The Listeners, has quickly become known for her radiant tone and vibrant stage presence. Chicago audiences may also know her from her starring role as Claudette Colvin in Chicago Opera Theater’s world premiere of Jasmine Barnes and Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton’s She Who Dared last summer. She has starred as Juliette in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette with Opera San José, Susanna in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro with Madison Opera, and Cleopatra in Handel’s Giulio Cesare with Atlanta Opera, and she recently appeared in Barcelona at the Gran Teatre del Liceu as Frasquita in Bizet’s Carmen. Her concert work has taken her to stages with the Baltimore Symphony, Dallas Symphony, and Rochester Philharmonic.

Tenor David Portillo, a distinguished alumnus of Lyric’s Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, has performed ten roles with the company since his debut in 2007, including Arbace in Mozart’s Idomeneo, and Andres in Berg’s Wozzeck. A regular at the Metropolitan Opera, he has sung Tamino in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Count Almaviva in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, and the Chevalier de la Force in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites. His credits span Glyndebourne, Houston Grand Opera, Washington National Opera, and the Salzburg Festival. Portillo was honored with the 2024 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, and his upcoming engagements include Frederic in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance with Seattle Opera and Jupiter in Handel’s Semele at Dutch National Opera.

Baritone Ian Rucker, another proud Ryan Opera Center alumnus, has built a strong presence at Lyric since his debut in the 2022/23 Season. His company appearances have included Raimbaud in Rossini’s Le Comte Ory, Moralès in Bizet’s Carmen, the Foreman in Janáček’s Jenůfa, and Schaunard in Puccini’s La Bohème. He returns in 2025/26 as Guglielmo in Mozart’s Così fan tutte. Beyond Lyric, Rucker has performed Dandini in Rossini’s La Cenerentola with Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Count Almaviva in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro with Scottish Opera, and the title role in the world premiere of Oliver Leith’s The Story of Billy Budd at Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. A recent prizewinner at the prestigious Neue Stimmen competition, he has also sung at the Salzburg Festival and with Palm Beach Opera. Originally from Wisconsin, Rucker studied at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.

The production team for Carmina Burana includes Lighting Designer Sarah Riffle and Projection Designer Adam Larsen.

A landmark premiere for Lyric. With its sheer sonic power, unforgettable choral writing, and themes that still resonate today, Carmina Burana is one of the most electrifying works in the concert repertoire. This long-awaited Lyric premiere is set to be a highlight of the Chicago cultural season.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW

· Language: Sung in Latin, Middle High German, and Old French, with easy-to-follow English titles projected above the stage.

· Pre-performance talks: Ticketholders are invited to a free 30-minute preview by Dr. Johann Buis one hour before each performance in the Ardis Krainik Theatre. Seating is unreserved; ticket required for entry.

· Accessibility: Braille and large-print programs, high-powered opera glasses, assistive listening devices, and booster seats are available from the Steiner Parquet coat checks at all performances. For more information, visit lyricopera.org/accessibility.

· Location: Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL.

For more information and tickets, visit lyricopera.org/carmina or call 312.827.5600.


Lyric’s 2025/26 Season is presented by the Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation.

Lyric’s presentation of Orff’s Carmina Burana is generously made possible by Irene D. Pritzker in honor of Michael Black.

Maestro Enrique Mazzola is generously sponsored by Alice & John Butler, H. Gael Neeson, Sylvia Neil & Daniel Fischel, the Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation, Mary Stowell, and the Zell Family Foundation as members of the Enrique Circle.

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



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 John Mangum and Music Director Enrique Mazzola, 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 Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Threads and Facebook. #LongLivePassion

For more information, visit lyricopera.org.




Lyric Opera of Chicago
20 N. Wacker Drive
Suite 860
Chicago, IL 60606
United States

Photo: John Shaw/Lyric Opera of Chicago

Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2025/26 Season kicks off With Cherubini's Medea October 11 - 26, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Lyric Opera of Chicago opens new season with 

Cherubini's Medea

October 11 - 26, 2025

Running time: 3 hours and 20 minutes, including one intermission.

Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2025/26 Season kicks off with a searing tale of vengeance and betrayal: Cherubini’s Medea, on stage October 11–26, 2025. Euripides's ancient tragedy comes to blazing life in this riveting opera, a late 18th-century masterpiece with music and themes that continue to resonate across the millennia. Medea marks the return of three Chicago-born international stars to the Lyric stage: superstar soprano Sondra Radvanovsky in an Olympic-level performance of the title role; acclaimed tenor Matthew Polenzani; and the rising star mezzo-soprano Zoie Reams. With the Lyric Opera Orchestra conducted by Lyric Music Director Enrique Mazzola, Cherubini’s score delivers operatic fire and fury as never before. Lyric presents Medea for the first time in its seven-decade history in a production directed by Sir David McVicar, who returns with a sweeping vision of beauty and decay that commands attention from first note to final breath. 

Six chances to see Medea: October 11 at 7:30 p.m.; October 14, 17, 20, at 7 p.m., and matinee performances on October 23 and 26 at 2 p.m.

For more information and tickets, visit lyricopera.org/medea or call 312.827.5600.

Sung in Italian, with easy-to-follow English titles projected above the stage.

Hell hath no fury like a sorceress scorned. This centuries-old tale burns with unrelenting emotional fire, and in Cherubini’s hands, it demands to be retold. Audiences witness the tragedy of Medea, a powerful sorceress betrayed by her lover, Giasone, who abandons her and their two children to marry another woman, Glauce, the daughter of the king Creonte. Given just 24 hours to accept her fate, Medea instead bends it to her will, with her accomplice, Neris, at her side, delivering vengeance that shakes the very foundations of the kingdom. A favorite of Beethoven himself, who considered Cherubini to be the greatest living composer of his time, Medea channels the raw power of Greek tragedy and sets it to unforgettable music, leaving audiences breathless as love curdles into rage, and a mother’s heartbreak becomes her most devastating weapon.

A pantheon of world-class operatic talent. Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky, who was born just outside of Chicago in Berwyn and now calls suburban Evanston home, is one of the world’s most renowned and in-demand vocal artists. She received thunderous critical and audience acclaim for her intense tour-de-force performance as Medea when the world premiere of this new co-production opened the Metropolitan Opera’s 2021/22 Season. Since beginning her Lyric career in the title role of Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah in the 2002/03 Season, she has performed the heroines of Verdi, Bellini, Tchaikovsky, and more on the Lyric stage. Her innovative Lyric concert performances of The Puccini Heroines during the 2024/25 Season, in which she sang most of Puccini’s iconic arias in a single monumental program, was recorded by Pentatone for a future release. In the wake of the pandemic, Radvanovsky ushered Lyric back into live performances at the start of the 2021/22 Season with her role debut as Lady Macbeth in Verdi’s Macbeth conducted by Maestro Mazzola in his first performances as Music Director.

At the Metropolitan Opera, she has regularly appeared in leading roles since her debut in 1996. A highlight of her extensive career at the Met was her 2015/16 Season portrayal of each of Donizetti’s Three Queens — the title roles of Anna Bolena and Maria Stuarda and Elisabetta in Roberto Devereux — a feat not accomplished at an American opera house since the legendary Beverly Sills sang the roles at New York City Opera in the 1970s. Radvanovsky’s Donizetti heroines were also the inspiration for her concert program The Three Queens, presented at Lyric in the 2019/20 Season and also recorded for Pentatone.

Away from the opera stage, Radvanovsky is a co-creator and co-host of the podcast and video series Screaming Divas, in which she and fellow soprano Keri Alkema talk with great humor and frankness about their lives and operatic careers.

Tenor Matthew Polenzani, an Evanston native and alumnus of Lyric’s renowned artist-training program, The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, is one of the most gifted and distinguished lyric tenors of his generation. In Medea, he sings Giasone, a role he performed opposite Radvanovsky at the Metropolitan Opera. His more than 15 roles at Lyric since his debut as the Captain of the Crossbowmen in Verdi's Simon Boccanegra in the 1995/96 Season include the title role in Mozart’s Idomeneo in the 2018/19 Season, and Nadir in Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers and the Duke in Verdi’s Rigoletto, both in the 2017/18 Season. He most recently appeared at Lyric in Mozart’s Requiem during the 2023/24 Season, with performances conducted by Maestro Mazzola.

In addition to his extensive work at Lyric, Polenzani has sung nearly 500 performances in more than 20 roles at the Met. Highlights later this season include Don José in Bizet's Carmen and Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly at the Met, Don José at Teatro alla Scala in Milan, and Riccardo in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera at Opéra national de Paris.

He was the recipient of the 2004 Richard Tucker Award, the Met’s 2008 Beverly Sills Artist Award, and a 2017 Opera News Award.

Soprano Elena Villalón makes her much-anticipated Lyric debut as Glauce. A winner of the 2019 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition and several prizes at the 2023 Operalia competition, she recently performed the role of Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto at Santa Fe Opera, and later this season she stars as Dalinda in Handel’s Ariodante at London's Royal Ballet & Opera. In the 2024/25 Season she made two major appearances in New York: as Nuria in the highly anticipated Metropolitan Opera premiere of Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar and in a solo recital debut at Carnegie Hall with pianist (and Ryan Opera Center Music Director) Craig Terry.

Exceptional ensemble cast. Mezzo-soprano Zoie Reams, a native of Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, is Neris, a role she has performed in this co-production at Canadian Opera Company. In the 2024/25 Season she performed two roles at Lyric: the Mother in Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson’s Blue and Maddalena in Verdi’s Rigoletto. Also in the 2024/25 Season, she appeared with the LA Phil as part of the Eldorado Ballroom series curated by Solange Knowles for Saint Heron, singing Julia Perry’s Stabat Mater, with an additional performance with the Houston Symphony. Later this season, she returns to Lyric as a soloist in Billy Corgan’s A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness.

Renowned bass-baritone Alfred Walker sings the role of Creonte. He has appeared at Lyric as Don Fernando in Beethoven’s Fidelio in the 2024/25 Season and as the Father in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel in the 2022/23 Season. Later this season, he takes on the role of Porgy in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. He sang the role of Enobarbus in the San Francisco Opera’s world premiere of John Adams's Antony and Cleopatra, a role he also performed at Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu and at the Met, where he is a graduate of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.

Three current members of Lyric’s Ryan Opera Center Ensemble also have supporting roles in Medea. Bass-baritone Christopher Humbert, Jr. is the Captain of the Guard, soprano Emily Richter is First Handmaiden, and mezzo-soprano Camille Robles is Second Handmaiden.

Passion and precision drive every beat. Lyric Music Director Enrique Mazzola takes the podium for this production, bringing his signature blend of elegance and intensity to the Lyric Opera Orchestra. Mazzola — “Chicago’s Maestro-Around-Town” — has quickly become a vital force in the city’s cultural scene. Internationally celebrated for his mastery of the Italian repertoire — from Donizetti and Verdi to Bellini — he brings deep stylistic insight shaped by a career spanning the world’s most prestigious stages, including recent performances at Deutsche Oper Berlin and New National Theatre Tokyo. Back home with Lyric, he continues to shape a bold new musical era with unwavering discipline, fiery enthusiasm, and a true love of the operatic form.

A bold show calls for bold leadership. Internationally acclaimed Scottish director Sir David McVicar takes the lead as both Director and Set Designer. McVicar is a frequent collaborator with Lyric; Medea will be his tenth opera with the company. McVicar brings dramatic depth and theatrical precision to each production, as seen in recent seasons in Verdi’s Don Carlos (2022/23), Verdi’s Macbeth (2021/22), and R. Strauss’s Elektra (2018/19). Known for his bold, visually striking productions, McVicar’s work has been seen at other leading opera houses of the world, including the Met, London’s Royal Ballet and Opera, and the Salzburg Festival.

Turning concept into creation. The production team for Medea includes Costume Designer Doey Lüthi in her Lyric debut; Revival Lighting Designer Clare O’Donoghue, who makes her Lyric debut recreating the work of Original Lighting Designer Paule Constable; and Projection Designer S. Katy Tucker. Chorus Director Michael Black leads the 60-member Lyric Opera Chorus, and Jo Meredith makes her Lyric debut as Movement Director.

A historic premiere launches one of Lyric’s most thrilling seasons to date. With a cast of operatic Olympians, visionary direction, and music that blazes with wrath and beauty, Medea sets the tone for a season defined by bold storytelling and emotional intensity. This spellbinding production transforms myth into music and passion into fire — an unforgettable night at the opera that proves hell hath no fury like a sorceress scorned.

Ticketholders are invited to a free pre-opera talk by noted opera scholar Dr. Harris Saunders on Medea’s composition history and social context; the talks begin one hour before each performance on the main floor of the theater.

Lyric partners with the Chicago Humanities Festival to present Medea Opera Insights on Saturday, October 18 at 3:00 p.m. at the University of Chicago’s Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, Breasted Hall, 1155 East 58th Street. This event will examine and contextualize Cherubini’s Medea within the broader tradition of theatrical adaptations of the Greek tragedy by Euripides, Seneca, and Corneille. Featuring distinguished faculty from the University of Chicago’s acclaimed Classics, Theater, and Music Departments alongside the world-class artists from Lyric’s cast, this event offers a rich blend of ancient storytelling and contemporary artistic insight. Tickets and more information at chicagohumanities.org.

Following the Sunday, October 26 matinee performance, former Lyric dramaturg Roger Pines leads a discussion with the artists from Medea. Deepen your experience of this visceral production by hearing how they brought Sir David McVicar's compelling vision to life — and explore each artist’s personal connection to the opera.

Audio description, a guided touch tour of the set, and SoundShirts are available at the Sunday, October 26 matinee performance. Braille and large-print programs, high-powered opera glasses, assistive listening devices, and booster seats are available from the main floor coat check at all performances. For more information on these and other accessibility assets, visit lyricopera.org/accessibility.

A co-production of Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Canadian Opera Company.

Six chances to see Medea: October 11 at 7:30 p.m.; October 14, 17, 20, at 7 p.m., and matinee performances on October 23 and 26 at 2 p.m.

For more information and tickets, visit lyricopera.org/medea or call 312.827.5600.

Lyric’s 2025/26 Season is presented by the Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation.

Lyric’s presentation of Cherubini’s Medea is generously made possible by Lisbeth Stiffel, Julie & Roger Baskes, Marlys A. Beider, and Patricia A. Kenney & Gregory J. O’Leary.

Maestro Enrique Mazzola is generously sponsored by Alice & John Butler, H. Gael Neeson, Sylvia Neil & Daniel Fischel, the Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation, Mary Stowell, and the Zell Family Foundation as members of the Enrique Circle.

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

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 John Mangum and Music Director Enrique Mazzola, 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 Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Threads and Facebook. #LongLivePassion

For more information, visit lyricopera.org.

THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND Via Invictus Theatre Company October 28 - December 14, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Cast and production team announced for 

THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND

October 28 - December 14, 2025

Aaron Reese Boseman to direct Marcus Gardley’s drama set in 1813 New Orleans

Invictus Theatre Company’s follow-up to its enormously successful production of ANGELS IN AMERICA will be THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND, by Marcus Gardley, a former playwright-in-residence at Chicago’s Victory Gardens Theatre. Company member and Jeff Award nominee, Aaron Reese Boseman, who previously directed Invictus’s productions of TOPDPOG/UNDERDOG (2024), THE MOUNTAINTOP (2023), and A RAISIN IN THE SUN (2020), will direct. Gardley’s drama, inspired by Federico Garcia Lorca’s THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA, is set in 1813 New Orleans, as the French-owned Louisiana Territory is about to be acquired by the United States, threatening the liberty of the free people of color residing on the land. A young woman skilled in the art of voodoo, and the appearance of a ghost, play into this story set during a very real, but little-known and disturbing chapter of United States history. 

THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND has been produced at some of North America’s most prestigious theaters, including Berkeley Rep, Yale Rep, the New York Theatre Workshop (where it won the Off-Broadway OBIE Award for Playwriting), and the Shaw Festival in Ontario, Canada. Invictus’ production will be the drama’s first professional Chicago production since it was staged at Victory Gardens Theater in 2016. Performances are at the Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago. I'll be out for the press opening Monday, November 3rd, so check back soon after for my full review. 

Boseman announced his cast today. Appearing as Beartrice Albans, a free woman of color who struggles to maintain her daughters’ independence, will be Britt Edwards, a veteran of seven shows at Black Ensemble Theatre, where she has played such luminaries as Donna Summer, Sheila E, and Tina Turner. Agnès Albans, the strong-willed and sensual eldest daughter, will be played by Kaylah Marie Crosby, whose credits include performances with Steppenwolf, Writers Theatre, and Court Theatre. Cast as Maude Lynn Albans, Beartrice’s light-hearted middle daughter, is Sierra Coachman, who appeared in BENEATH THE WILLOW TREE for Pulse Theatre. Coachman has also performed at the Goodman, Court Theatre and Griffin Theatre, among others. Odette Albans, the youngest daughter, will be played by Aysia Slade, making her Chicago debut after many credits in Raleigh, North Carolina. Shenise Brown, a veteran of productions with Northlight Theatre, Black Ensemble Theatre, MPAACT, and others, will be Makeda — the Albans’ servant who is known for her wisdom and regal presence.

Playing La Veuve, a free woman of color who is Beartrice’s sworn enemy, will be Sandra Adjoumani. Adjoumani appeared in THE MAMALOGUES for Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre and additionally has many credits with Yellow Rose Theatre and Second City Skybox. Marie Josephine, Beartrice’s clairvoyant sister, will be played by Jimiece Gilbert, who has appeared with such companies as ETA Creative Arts, Black Ensemble Theatre, and Invictus, where she understudied key roles in A RAISIN IN THE SUN and ‘NIGHT, MOTHER.

Longtime Chicago actor Ron Quade, whose recent appearances include THE INNOCENCE OF SEDUCTION with City Lit Theatre, will play Lazare, the father of Beartrice’s daughters. Bryan Nicholas Carter, who is just completing his role in GANGSTA BABY with Open Space Arts, will play The Man with the Bamboula. Understudies are Quenna Lené (u/s Beartrice, Marie Josephine), Sarah Driessen (u/s Agnés, Maude Lynn), Karli Scott (u/s Odette), LaTorious R. Givens (u/s Makeda, La Veuve), Ronald McDowell (u/s Man with the Bamboula), and Charles Askenaizer (Lazare).




Top Row (Left to Right): Sandra Adjoumani (La Veuve), Shenise Brown (Makeda), Bryan Nicholas Carter (Man with the Bamboula), Sierra Coachman (Maude Lynn)

Second Row Down from Top (Left to Right): Kaylah Marie Crosby (Agnés), Sarah Driessen (U/S-Agnés and Maude Lynn), Britt Edwards (Beartrice), Jimiece Gilbert (Marie Josephine)

Third Row Down from Top (Left to Right): LaTorious R. Givens (U/S- Makeda and La Veuve), Quenna Lené (U/S- Beartrice and Marie Josephine), Ronald McDowell (U/S-Man With The Bamboula), Ron Quade (Lazare)

Bottom Row (Left to Right): Karli Scott (U/S- Odette), Aysia Slade (Odette)

The production team that will recreate the beauty and romance of New Orleans of 1813 in the Windy City Playhouse will include Jeff Award winners Kevin Rolfs (Scenic Designer) and Petter Wahlbäck (Sound Designer); and Christie Chiles Twillie (Composer), Terrie Devine (Costume Designer), Anika Splettstoeszer (Wardrobe Supervisor), Levi J. Wilkins (Lighting Designer), Mark Brown (Production Electrician), Mariah Bennett (Properties Designer), Rueben Echoles (Wig, Hair, and Makeup Designer), Jessica Moore (Wig, Hair, and Makeup Assistant), Greg Geffrard (Violence and Intimacy), Susan Gosdick (Dialect Coach), Cliford St. Laurent (Dialect Consultant), Isis Elizabeth (Assistant Director and Movement), Anthony Doyle (Stage Manager), Laura Courtney (Assistant Stage Manager), Tom McNelis (Technical Director), and Becca Holloway (Casting Director). Invictus staff includes Charles Askenaizer (Artistic Director), Todd Henry Faulstich (Executive Producer), Mary Carroll Dougherty (Marketing Director), and Ana Schedler (Graphic Design).

Performances are Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 7:00 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 1:00 p.m. (No performances November 28, 29 and 30). Tickets are $38.00 for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday performances and $25.00 for Monday performances (except opening night, Monday, November 3). Tickets are on sale now at https://www.invictustheatreco.com/house.

Production Details
October 28 – December 14, 2025
Previews: October 28 and 31 at 7 p.m., November 1 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., November 2 at 1 p.m.
Press Opening: Monday, November 3 at 7 p.m.
Closing: Sunday December 14 at 1 p.m.

Performances Fridays, Saturdays, Mondays at 7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m.
No performances November 28, 29 and 30 (Thanksgiving Weekend)
Performances at Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago
Ticket prices: Previews $25. Mondays $25 (except Opening Night 11/3 is $38).

In early nineteenth-century New Orleans, widowed mother Beartrice struggles to manage her headstrong daughters after the death of her second husband. But as the matriarch takes her place as head of the household, a more ominous transfer of power transpires in the region. The French-owned Louisiana Territory is about to be acquired by the United States, threatening the liberty of the free people of color residing on the land. A gripping examination of intersecting captivities, THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND follows four women in mourning as they look ahead to an uncertain and haunting future.

BIOS

Aaron Reese Boseman (Director) is a Chicago native and a graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Direction and Acting. He directed Invictus’s acclaimed productions of TOPDOG/UNDERDOG, THE MOUNTAINTOP, and A RAISIN IN THE SUN and is a Jeff Award, Black Excellence Award, and Black Theatre Alliance Award nominated theatre artist. He is also co-founder and Artistic Director of PULSE Theatre Chicago, where his directing credits include the world premiere of BENEATH THE WILLOW TREE by Isis Elizabeth, the Jeff Award Winning production of ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, IN THE BLOOD, THE COLORED MUSEUM, FABULATION, OR THE RE-EDUCATION OF UNDINE, and A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE. Other directing credits include AMERICAN SON (Ghostlight Theatre), NETWORTH, ROOM FOR MORE (Film Series), FABULATION OR, THE RE-EDUCATION OF UNDINE, DETROIT '67 (Columbia College Chicago-Mainstage),THE MUSIC MAN (Metropolis Performing Arts) and FAIRVIEW (Theatre at Cedar Rapids), THE TIGER WHO WORE WHITE GLOVES (eta Creative Arts Foundation), THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT, S'KIN, THE PHILADELPHIA (Columbia College Chicago). Boseman is also an adjunct professor of Theatre at Columbia College Chicago.

Recent Acting Credits include BLUE HEAVEN (Black Ensemble Theater), RAGTIME (Metropolis Performing Arts), RUINED (Invictus Theatre), BIG RIVER (TATC), SHREK THE MUSICAL (Windy City Performs), IN THE HEIGHTS (The Miracle Center, Slate), VIOLET, BALM IN GILEAD (Griffin Theatre and Loyola University), GOLDEN BOY, DO RE MI (Porchlight Music Theatre), RENT (CCC), and LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (Skylight Music Theatre and Citadel Theatre).

Marcus Gardley (Playwright) is an acclaimed poet, playwright, and screenwriter whom THE NEW YORKER describes as “the heir to Garcia Lorca, Pirandello and Tennessee Williams.” His plays include THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND, which had its world premiere at Yale Rep in 2014, and for which he received the 2018 AUDELCO Award and the 2019 OBIE Award; X: OR, BETTY SHABAZZ V. THE NATION; BLACK ODYSSEY (2023 Drama Desk nomination); THE GOSPEL OF LOVING KINDNESS; EVERY TONGUE CONFESS; ON THE LEVEE, music and lyrics by Todd Almond (commissioned by Yale Rep); …AND JESUS MOONWALKS THE MISSISSIPPI; THE ROAD WEEPS, THE WELL RUNS DRY; and DANCE OF THE HOLY GHOSTS (Yale Rep world premiere, 2006).

Charles Askenaizer (Artistic Director) is the Founding Artistic Director of Invictus Theatre Company. He won the 2023 Jeff Award (Non-Equity Wing) for his direction of the company’s WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?, which also won Jeff Awards for Production of a Play, Scenic Design (Kevin Rolfs), and Performer in a Supporting Role – Play (Rachel Livingston). Other recent Invictus directing credits include: ANGELS IN AMERICA, THE WINTER’S TALE, NETWORK, THREE SISTERS, THE CRUCIBLE (Jeff Award Nominations-Director, Production), JULIUS CAESAR, HAMLET, 'NIGHT, MOTHER (Associate Director), THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, and OTHELLO: THE MOOR OF VENICE. Directing credits outside of Invictus include TITUS ANDRONICUS (Bare Knuckles Theater), JULIUS CAESAR (Associate Director- Brown Paper Box), THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA (Reutan Collective) and readings with Chicago Dramatists and Piccolo Theater. Since 2018, Charles has also directed several productions for Invictus's outreach programming in partnership with the Cook County Juvenile Justice System and Lawrence Hall. In 2024, Charles was named one of New City Magazine’s “Players 50 2024: The Rising Stars and Storefront Stalwarts.”

ABOUT INVICTUS THEATRE COMPANY

At Invictus Theatre Company, our mission is to create theatre that promotes a better understanding of language: its poetry, its rhythm, its resonance; through diverse works by diverse artists. We respect the power of heightened language: spoken, written, sung; to express the breadth of the human condition. We work to harness the power of language: to promote diversity, to engender respect, to foster collaboration; and to empower our communities to share their voices.

Invictus Theatre Company incorporated in January 2017 and received its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in February 2017. A diverse group of Chicago actors and directors founded Invictus with the vision to empower their communities through theatrical productions of heightened language. We are committed to the idea that our productions should reflect the communities we represent, and, to that end, we are committed to non-discriminatory hiring practices. In working with local artists, designers, and production teams, Invictus Theatre Company does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, nationality, citizenship, religion, or any other status protected by law.

Invictus Theatre Company is generously supported by Michael and Mona Heath of The Heath Fund, The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Untouchable Times Tours, Inc., and the Illinois Arts Council

JEKYLL & HYDE Via Kokandy Productions at The Chopin Theatre October 9 – December 21, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Kokandy Productions Presents

JEKYLL & HYDE

October 9 – December 21, 2025 at The Chopin Theatre

Pictured (left to right) Emily McCormick, David Moreland and Ava Stovall in a publicity image

for Kokandy Productions’ production of Jekyll & Hyde. Photo by Collin Quinn Rice.

Just in time for Halloween, Kokandy Productions embraces gothic horror with a revival of Jekyll & Hyde – the first Chicago staging of the macabre musical in over 15 years. Directed by Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham with music direction by Nick Sula and choreography by Brenda Didier, Jekyll & Hyde will play October 9 – December 21, 2025 on the The Chopin Theatre Mainstage, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago. I'll be ChiILin' with Chi, IL's Kokandy Productions on Halloween night, so check back shortly after for my full review. Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we've been covering Kokandy's fabulous productions since their inception in 2010 and they just get better every season! 

Featuring the full orchestration and a 15-piece orchestra, the epic and sweeping score takes the company to the Chopin Mainstage for the first time, creating a chilling chamber for this haunting tale. Tickets are on sale now at kokandyproductions.com or bit.ly/JekyllChicago. 
Based on the story by Robert Louis Stevenson, Jekyll & Hyde is conceived for the stage by Frank Wildhorn and Steve Cuden, with book and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and music by Frank Wildhorn.

Audiences will be taken to the moral limit by David Moreland (Cruel Intentions, American Psycho) in the titular roles of Dr. Henry Jekyll and Mr. Edward Hyde. Ava Stovall (Alice by Heart) returns to Kokandy as Lucy Harris (the Red Rat's main attraction and Hyde's obsession) and Emily McCormick makes her Kokandy debut as Emma Carew (Jekyll's fiance). The trio will be joined by Nathan Calaranan (Sir Danvers Carew), Ismael Garcia (Lord Savage), Jon Parker Jackson (Bishop of Basingstoke), Quinn Kelch (Simon Stride), Quinn Rigg (General Lord Glossop), Gabby Sauceda-Koziol (Sir Archibold Proops) Quinn Simmons (Poole), Maiko Terazawa (Lady Beaconsfield) and Kevin Webb (Gabriel John Utterson).

Swings include Jeffrey Gougis Jr, Emily Ling Mei, Caitlin Preuss, Anna Seibert, Jaxson Smith and Kelan M. Smith.

About the Production:
An evocative tale of two men – one, a doctor, passionate and romantic; the other, a terrifying madman – and two women – one, beautiful and trusting; the other, beautiful and trusting only herself – both women in love with the same man and both unaware of his dark secret. A devoted man of science, Dr. Henry Jekyll is driven to find a chemical breakthrough that can solve some of mankind's most challenging medical dilemmas. Rebuffed by the powers that be, he decides to make himself the subject of his own experimental treatments, accidentally unleashing his inner demons along with the man that the world would come to know as Mr. Hyde.

Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham comments, “At the heart of Jekyll & Hyde is a question... and a dare: how far is too far, and are we willing to take the risk and find out? In spending our fall with this beloved gothic thriller, we're taking the dare, heading upstairs and going full swoon into penny dreadful pulp. With a 15-piece orchestra supporting our cast, the music will drive us to the edge, taunting and tantalizing us with a curiosity that is provocative, sexy and scary as hell. Do you dare?

Music Director Nick Sula adds, “We are so excited to explore the broad range and color of the full orchestration, to emphasize the theme of duality – powerful brass paired with agile woodwinds, bold synths and percussion contrasting the elegant string quartet – all accompanying the passionate ballads and the intimate duets, from the explosions of full ensemble chorus to the quiet intensity of personal revelations. With the largest orchestra in Kokandy history and a cast of powerhouse voices, this production is sure to be an unforgettable experience!”

The production team includes Sotirios Livaditis (Scenic Design), Rachel Sypniewski (Costume Design), G “Max” Maxin IV (Lighting Design), Matt Reich (Sound Design), Forrest Gregor (Associate Sound Design), Syd Genco (Make-up Design), Keith Ryan (Wig Design), Charlie Baker (Violence Director), Kirsten Baity (Intimacy Director), Shane Roberie (Casting Director), Nicholas Reinhart (Production Manager), Kendyl Meyer (Assistant Production Manager), Hannah Kwak (A1), Christine Burquest (A2), Shelby Burgus (Stage Manager) and Yasmeen Abiad (Assistant Stage Manager).



PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Conceived for the Stage by Frank Wildhorn & Steve Cuden

Book and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse

Music by Frank Wildhorn

Based on the story by Robert Louis Stevenson

Directed by Derek Van Barham

Music Direction by Nick Sula

Choreography by Brenda Didier

Location: The Chopin Theatre Mainstage, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, October 9 – Friday, October 24, 2025

Press performance: Saturday, October 25 at 7 pm

Regular run: Sunday, October 26 – Sunday, December 21, 2025

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 pm; Sundays at 5 pm. Please note: there will be an added performance on Wednesday, November 26 at 7 pm; there will not be a performance on Thursday, November 27 (Thanksgiving Day).

Tickets: Previews $25 general admission, $33 reserved seating. Regular run $45 general admission, $55 reserved seating. Students/Seniors $35. There will be a limited number of $15 tickets (with code ARTIST) available to artists for each performance. Tickets are on sale now at kokandyproductions.com or bit.ly/JekyllChicago.



About the Artists

Derek Van Barham (Director) is the Producing Artistic Director of Kokandy Productions. Directing credits include Children of Eden in Concert (Broadway In Chicago), Amélie, Into the Woods, Alice by Heart, Sweeney Todd, American Psycho, Head Over Heels (3 Jeff Awards and 2 Jeff nominations, Kokandy); Spring Awakening (Flint Rep); Rock of Ages (Metropolis); The View Upstairs (Circle Theatre); Miracle by Dan Savage, Poseidon (Hell in a Handbag); Carrie, Bat Boy, Merrily We Roll Along (CCPA/Roosevelt University). Choreography credits include Evil Dead (Jeff nomination), Coraline the Musical, Ghost Quartet and Shockheaded Peter (Black Button Eyes). He was previously named one of Windy City Times’ 30 Under 30, and one of Newcity Magazine’s 50 Players 2024. MFA: CCPA/Roosevelt University. IG: @dvbarham

Nick Sula (Music Director) is an award-winning pianist and music director, proud to return to Kokandy Productions and the Chopin Theatre where he served as music director for the Jeff Award-winning productions of Sweeney Todd (Jeff Award for Outstanding Music Direction), Into the Woods (Jeff Awards for Outstanding Music Direction and Orchestrations), as well as the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival. Other Chicago theatre music direction credits include: Anything Goes (Jeff nomination) with Porchlight Music Theatre; Ghost Quartet (Jeff nomination), Mary Rose, Nevermore, Amour and Coraline with Black Button Eyes Productions; Myths & Hymns, The Glorious Ones (Jeff nomination), Hello Again, La Cage aux Folles and Pippin with BoHo Theatre. As a professor of musical theatre he serves as a music director, instructor and vocal coach at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.

Brenda Didier (Choreographer) is thrilled to collaborate with Derek (DVB) for the first time and to return to Kokandy after choreographing Grand Hotel in 2018 (Jeff nomination). Direction and/or Choreography credits include work with: Chicago Shakespeare Theater, The Goodman, Marriott, Paramount, Porchlight Music Theatre, Mercury Theater, Theo and many others. Tour: Kenny Rogers Christmas Tour, Cirque Shanghai: Navy Pier Skyline Stage and productions in Atlantic City, Las Vegas and the New Victory Theatre in New York. Ms. Didier made her TV Choreography debut with T-Mobile's national holiday commercial "Home for the Holidays." She is a multiple Jeff Award recipient in both Direction and Choreography (Equity and Non-Equity wings) and Artistic Director/Founder of The Lincolnshire Academy of Dance, now in its 28th Season. "Thank you to Derek, Nick, Shane, Scot and our incredible cast, design team, band and crew! Thank you for supporting live theatre! Love to Mike, Mom, family and friends!”

About Kokandy Productions
Founded in 2010, Kokandy Productions seeks to leverage the heightened reality of musical theatre to tell complex and challenging stories, with a focus on contributing to the development of Chicago-based musical theatre artists, and raising the profile of Chicago's non-Equity musical theatre community.

The company's artistic staff is comprised of Derek Van Barham (Producing Artistic Director), Scot T. Kokandy (Executive Producer) and Adrian Abel Azevedo & Leda Hoffman (Artistic Associates). The Board of Directors includes Preston Cropp, Scot T. Kokandy, Danielle Sparklin and Katie Svaicer.

For additional information, visit www.kokandyproductions.com.

Lyrica Opera of Chicago Presents Deadly Duo Cavalleria Rusticana & Pagliacci November 1 - 23, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

When love turns lethal: What you need to know about 

Cavalleria rusticana & Pagliacci

Photo: John Shaw/Lyric Opera of Chicago

November 1 - 23, 2025

Running time: A total running time of 2 hours and 55 minutes, including 1 intermission.

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents a murderous double feature of Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci — known collectively as Cav/Pag — two timeless operas that ignite music’s most incendiary emotions, on stage November 1 – 23, 2025. While both stories of Cav/Pag are set within southern Italian culture and tradition, their themes are universal; they tell of love that consumes, and revenge that devours. This chilling Lyric production returns for the first time in more than 15 years.

Ordinary lives erupt in extraordinary ways. More than just a random double bill, the two operas of Cav/Pag are united through the verismo style they defined. This 19th-century form of Italian opera broke from the traditional focus on mythology and royalty to ground itself in the realistic and often gritty depictions of everyday life. These operas strip love of its overwrought grandeur and show it for what it can become: messy, corrosive, and even fatal. Short in length but packed with unforgettable fervor, Cav/Pag delivers quick emotional blows to the heart.

Let passion follow their lead. Lyric Music Director Enrique Mazzola leads the Lyric Opera Orchestra in bringing this double production to life. Seasoned in the Italian repertoire, Mazzola turns to Cav/Pag after conducting the 2025/26 Season-opening performances of Cherubini’s Medea. Later this season, Mazzola conducts Lyric's company premiere of Orff's Carmina Burana as well as Mozart's Così fan tutte.

This Lyric production by the late Elijah Moshinsky, noted for its striking visuals and searing emotional depth, returns for the first time since the 2008/09 Season and is revived by stage director Peter McClintock. The staging threads the two operas together through the thematic foundations that drive both stories to their lethal ends.

A holy day of heartbreak. In Cavalleria rusticana, composer Pietro Mascagni sets a tender yet turbulent score against the backdrop of a Sicilian village on Easter morning, where sacred rituals can’t drown out explosive scandal. Santuzza, a woman shunned by her community and cast aside by her lover Turiddu, clings to her crumbling faith. As she pleads for forgiveness and recognition, she discovers that Turiddu has resumed his affair with Lola, who just so happens to be married to Alfio, a local cart driver. As the church bells ring, so does the call for blood to spill. In the church square, as villagers gather to celebrate, personal betrayals erupt into public vengeance.

In their Lyric debuts, mezzo-soprano Yulia Matochkina stars as the tormented Santuzza alongside tenor SeokJong Baek as Turiddu. Lyric veteran baritone Quinn Kelsey — a powerhouse alumnus of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, Lyric's renowned artist-training program — returns as Alfio, the first of his two roles in this production. Another alumna of the Ryan Opera Center, contralto Lauren Decker, is Turiddu's devoted Mamma Lucia. Mezzo-soprano Camille Robles, a current member of the Ryan Opera Center Ensemble, sings the role of Lola.

The clown isn’t laughing. The curtain rises again for Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, as a traveling troupe of performers arrives in a Sicilian village and envy and deception brew behind the scenes. Canio, the troupe’s leader, learns from Tonio that his wife and leading lady, Nedda, has taken Silvio as her lover. (Tonio also rages with an unrequited love for Nedda.) Canio must go on with the show, playing a clown whose wife betrays him — a role which hews all too close to his reality. Beneath its painted smiles and vaudeville spectacle, Pagliacci reveals a stage where illusion shatters and truth bleeds through the cracks.

Tenor Russell Thomas, a mainstay in leading roles at Lyric in recent seasons, returns to sing Canio. Soprano Gabriella Reyes, who charmed audiences as Musetta in the 2024/25 Season’s production of Puccini’s La Bohème, also returns as Nedda. In an impressive double-duty feat, baritone Quinn Kelsey also stars as Tonio. Baritone Luke Sutliff makes his Lyric debut as Silvio. Thomas and Kelsey were previously directed by McClintock in Lyric's Emmy-winning 2021 video production of Pagliacci, which was released for home streaming during the pandemic.

Worlds crumble under the weight of betrayal. Lyric’s acclaimed production of Cav/Pag captures both the beauty of traditional Sicilian village life and the charged theatricality of a traveling performance troupe. Set and costume designer Michael Yeargan creates the dramatic visual poetry of this production. Lighting designer Duane Schuler shapes the mood for these volatile tales of the soul. Under the leadership of Chorus Director Michael Black, the Lyric Opera Chorus beautifully evokes a solemn Easter morning and the celebration of a village festival.

A double dose of devastation. In Cavalleria rusticana & Pagliacci, sacred traditions give way to betrayals and become a battleground for passion and revenge. With entrancing music and unrelenting drama, Cav/Pag leaves no room for mercy and no character untouched. It is opera at its most heart-wrenching, brought vividly to life on the Lyric stage this November.

Important to know:

Eight performances only: November 1, 4, 7, 9 matinee, 12 matinee, 15, 20 matinee, and 23 matinee.

Language: Performed in Italian, with easy-to-follow projected English titles above the stage.

Pre-performance talks: Ticketholders are invited to a free pre-opera talk by noted opera scholar and former Lyric dramaturg Roger Pines on the composition history and social context of Cav/Pag; the talks begin one hour before each performance in the theater's Steiner Parquet (the main floor).

Post-performance discussion: Following the Sunday, November 9 matinee performance, Roderick K. Hawkins leads a discussion with the artists of Cav/Pag.

Accessibility: Audio description, guided touch tours, and SoundShirts are available at the Sunday, November 9 matinee performance. Braille and large-print programs, high-powered opera glasses, assistive listening devices, and booster seats are available from the Steiner Parquet coat checks at all performances. For more information on these and other accessibility assets, visit lyricopera.org/accessibility.

Location: Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL.

For more information and tickets, visit lyricopera.org/cavpag or call 312.827.5600.

Lyric’s 2025/26 Season is presented by the Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation.

Lyric’s presentation of Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci is generously sponsored by Josef & Margot Lakonishok and Sonia Florian*.

Maestro Enrique Mazzola is generously sponsored by Alice & John Butler, H. Gael Neeson, Sylvia Neil & Daniel Fischel, the Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation, Mary Stowell, and the Zell Family Foundation as members of the Enrique Circle.

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

*deceased

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 John Mangum and Music Director Enrique Mazzola, 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 Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Threads and Facebook. #LongLivePassion
For more information, visit lyricopera.org.

Lyric Opera of Chicago
20 N. Wacker Drive
Suite 860
Chicago, IL 60606
United States

World Premiere of Ghost Fetus Via Trap Door Theatre Now Playing Through September 27th, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

Trap Door Theatre’s Trap Open Series Presents

The World Premiere of

Ghost Fetus

Written by Suz Evans

Directed by Anna Klos

Now Playing Through September 27th, 2025

Trap Door Theatre is thrilled to open its 32nd season with a World Premiere presented with the Trap Open Series: Ghost Fetus, written by Chicago playwright Suz Evans and directed by Anna Klos. Ghost Fetus will play September 11th –27th, 2025 at Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W Cortland St. in Chicago. Tickets are now on sale at trapdoortheatre.com or by calling (773)-384-0494. 

The cast includes Jenn Geiger, Tia Pinson, Lolo Ramos, Gus Thomas, and Jacqui Touchet

A ghost seeking revenge. A church caught in its own contradictions. Two queer teens reckoning with faith, fear, and desire. Anna Klos and Suz Evans bring you a haunting, hilarious, and heartfelt piece like no other.

The production team includes Anna Klos (Director), Richard Norwood (Lighting Designer),Suz Evans (Set Designer), Emily Nichelson (Costume Designer), Anna Kosicki (Assistant Costume Designer), Laila Eskin (Sound Designer), Chels Morgan (Intimacy/Violence Director), Gabrielle Owens (Stage Manager), Laura Nelson (Marketing), Lo Miles

Cast (in alphabetical order): Jenn Geiger (Craig), Tia Pinson (Ghost Fetus), Lolo Ramos(Whitney), Gus Thomas (Aaron), and Jacqui Touchet (Sarah Jane).

Location: Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W. Cortland St. Chicago, IL 60622

Dates: Regular Run: Thursday, September 11th –Saturday, September 27th, 2025

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00 pm.

Tickets: $22. Tickets are currently available at https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/trapdoor/ghost-fetus or by calling (773) 384-0494.

Group tickets: Special group rates are available. For information, call (773) 384-0494 or email boxofficetrapdoor@gmail.com.

Plan your visit: Free street parking is available.

Buses: #9 (Ashland), #50 (Damen), #72 (North), #73 (Armitage).

Metra: Clybourn metra stop.

Accessibility:

Trap Door Theatre is wheelchair accessible.

About the Artists:

Suz Evans (Playwright) (they/them) (b Cincinnati 1990) is a playwright, set designer and visual artist with a background in printmaking and performance art. Their work delves into questions about identity, hierarchy, cultural deviance, relationships and grief. Evans has a BFA in printmaking and art history from Montserrat College of Art (2013). They have shown visual work at the Lily Pad (Cambridge MA), the Crane Estate of Ipswich (MA), SOWA open studios (Boston), the Boston Printmakers Biennial, Roots and Culture and Archer Beach House (Chicago) and unofficially made live work at places such as the Cincinnati Art Museum, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Mass MoCa, and Smith College Museum of Art.

Their first script, Childhood Beauty, was produced at Trap Door Theatre in 2019. In 2021 they wrote for adevised work at Trick Lock Theater (Albuquerque). Evans designed the set for Antigonik, directed at Trap Door by Anna Klos in 2024. Their puppetry work has also been performed at several YUCK! shows in Chicago in collaboration with Klos. 

Evans is committed to making work that examines their own childhood of fundamental Christian upbringing. Whether it’s deep dives into the impacts of pro-life ideology or obsessions with cultural moments such as Jane Fonda Workout videos, their plays are all in consideration of understanding what got us to the present. Ghost Fetus was written a year before Roe v.Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court. As Evans creates work about a life that feels far removed from a progressive city like Chicago we are reminded that ideas of the body, the reproduction system, and societal control are strongly rooted in our American culture.

Anna Klos (Director) (they/them) has worked with Trap Door for the last five seasons, and during thattime they have explored a myriad of projects, including: Antigonick (Director), The Ugly One (Assistant Director), Trap Door's 25/25 (Event Manager), Old Woman Broods (Actor), and Monsieur D'Eon is a Woman, The White Plague, Lipstick Lobotomy, Queen C, Decomposed Theater, The Martyrdom of PeterOhey (Chicago run and New York tour), Jeanne et le Feu, and Bowie in Warsaw (Stage Manager). Anna is grateful for clowns, their Trap family, and their partner, Suz.

About the Trap Open Series

The Trap Open Series explores non-traditional forms of playmaking, while developing and giving voice to the next generation of groundbreaking theater artists. In keeping with the promise to foster innovative forms of expression, Trap Door opens up its space to company members, as well as guest artists, to develop new work that exists outside the realm of a traditional theatrical run. These performances occur sporadically throughout the prime-time season as additional offerings during the week and late nights. Whether it is a workshop of a bold new play, a daylong performance installation, or a collaboration with artists from other mediums, Trap Open offers audiences thrilling, unexpected experiences while granting artists the opportunity to take risks that push their artistic practices to new heights.

About Trap Door Theatre

Trap Door Theatre is committed to seeking out challenging and obscure works. Whether a forgotten European classic, an international project rarely seen in the United States, or an untarnished piece of American literature, Trap Door seeks diverse voices and presents them through innovative expression. We mix established and imaginative techniques to illustrate theabsurdities of living in today’s society.

Trap Door Theatre is funded in part by The Paul M Angell Family Foundation, The CliffDwellers Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council Agency, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The John R Halligan Charitable Fund, The Reva and David Logan Foundation, and the generosity of individual donors.

For additional information, visit trapdoortheatre.com

TWIHARD! A Twilight Musical Parody Announces Final Extension Through Nov. 9, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

TWIHARD! A TWILIGHT MUSICAL PARODY 

SINKS ITS TEETH INTO FINAL EXTENSION WITH PERFORMANCES NOW ON SALE THROUGH SUNDAY, NOV. 9

Tickets On Sale Now at www.TwihardTheMusical.com, Just in Time for Spooky Season

TWIHARD! A Twilight Musical Parody, the smash hit original musical from Otherworld Theatre Company that was called “super funny” by WBEZ’s Mike Davis, today announced that performances will extend through Sunday, Nov. 9 at Chicago’s Apollo Theater (2550 N Lincoln Ave), with tickets for the entirety of the run on sale now at www.TwihardTheMusical.com.

Hailed as “too much fun” with a “surprising amount of heart” by Chicago Tribune, TWIHARD! reimagines the beloved Twilight saga with irreverent humor and showstopping original music. Written and directed by Tiffany Keane Schaefer with music by Brian Rasmussen, TWIHARD! “goes hard” (Chicago Reader), with Entertaining Chicago calling it “the musical you never knew you needed in your life.”

The cast, called “superb” by Around the Town Chicago, includes Rachel Arianna, Peter Stielstra, Aliyah Necaise, Allie Grace Ember, Trey Plutnicki, Maxwell Peters, Kyra Young, Ryan Wagner, Hannah Decker, Cris Moreno, Stephanie Boyd, Ginny Weant, Jacob Watson, Mason Sammarco, Liam Ryan, Jackson West, Nicholas Ian, Maddi LeBlanc, Carly Nadeau, Cosmo Coniglio, Isabel Koleno and Jordan Thompson.

Photo Credit for all: Nadir Waxali

Tickets to TWIHARD! A Twilight Musical Parody are available now at www.TwihardTheMusical.com through Sunday, Nov. 9. Performances take place Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. To relive the fang-tasy at home or to prepare for your next visit to Forks, stream the TWIHARD! A Twilight Musical Parody original cast recording album on Spotify.

About TWIHARD! A Twilight Musical Parody

TWIHARD! A Twilight Musical Parody is a hilarious reimagining of the iconic Twilight saga, blending catchy original songs, over-the-top humor, and a fang-filled twist on the story of Bella, Edward, and the supernatural world of Forks. Created by Otherworld Theatre Company—North America’s premier sci-fi and fantasy theatre—this side-splitting parody delivers a wildly entertaining experience for die-hard fans and first-timers alike. Whether you're Team Edward, Team Jacob, or just in it for the chaos, TWIHARD! promises an evening of laughter, love and glitter.