Lyric Opera: "Rigoletto"
Vengence. Revenge. Don’t get mad, get even. The desire to exact retribution is so universal that Scripture is on record warning us against it.
Lyric Opera: "La Boheme"
It is impossible to not fall under the spell of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s production of “La Boheme” at the Civic Opera House.
Lyric Opera: "Pasquale"
Full of comic characters enmeshed in concealed identities, secret trysts in the garden and one disastrous (fake) marriage, “Pasquale” plays out at the Civic Opera House with broad humor delivered in elegant taste. The title character is well into his 70s and wants Ernesto, his nephew and only heir, to wed a wealthy woman of […]
Handel a million laughs? Rinaldo is, and great music too
Who would imagine that a Handel opera could be such fun? Lyric Opera opened a new production of the composer’s “Rinaldo” at the Civic Opera House, and the final opera in its 57th season is an extravaganza of music, drama, and plenty of side-splitting comedy! The story is slight. Crusader Rinaldo, sung gloriously by American […]
A Sparkling “Show Boat” Docks at the Lyric Opera
The Mississippi riverboat named the Cotton Blossom has docked on the stage of the Civic Opera House. “Show Boat,” the wonderful, ground-breaking 1927 American musical by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II, deserves a first-class presentation, and Lyric has given it just that with this lavish production, conducted by John DeMain. All the characters, under […]
Aida Steals the Show at the Lyric Opera
American soprano Sondra Radvanovsky eclipses everyone on the stage in the Lyric Opera’s production of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Aida.” And it’s not just the cobalt blue gown she wears. The production, rich in melody and splendor, recently opened at the Civic Opera House. Her voice is so strong, her shading so stunning and her emotion so […]
“Magic Flute” at Lyric Resounds with Enchantment
Sheer enchantment, magnificent singing and superb stagecraft.
Lyric’s “Boris” Explodes with Power
The sound of slender reeds opens a story of political intrigue, plots and crimes in Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov.” Lyric’s music director Sir Andrew Davis conducts this grim masterpiece, which is based on Pushkin’s play of the same name and recounts events from late 16th century Russian history. Boris is sung by an Italian bass, Ferruccio […]
Lost Love Leads to Madness: “Lucia di Lammermoor”
Lucia Ashton is a madwoman, but she didn’t start out that way. Like Juliet Capulet, she falls in love with someone from a rival family and is under extreme pressure to marry someone else. Lucia finally cracks under the demands of her family and the absence of her beloved, and like Juliet, she perishes. Lyric […]
Lyric Opera Spins Hoffmann’s Woes into Glorious Musical Drama
Poor Hoffmann is unlucky in love, but his woeful tales give the world magnificent music. Lyric Opera of Chicago opened its 57th season and the Civic Opera House rang out with “The Tales of Hoffmann,” packed with Jacques Offenbach’s familiar melodies, one more glorious than the next. The drunken protagonist is foiled by a succession […]
