Opera and Dance Reviews

***** Highly Recommended ***** The Joffrey Ballet’s “Chicago-centric” version of The Nutcracker, choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, is quite simply magnificent.  By setting The Nutcracker amidst Chicago’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, Wheeldon gave the city a unique gift.  It’s become a holiday tradition at my house!  No matter how many times I see The Nutcracker, I never get tired of the feeling of anticipation and excitement before a performance, waiting for that first chord of Tchaikovsky’s glorious music! 4 BIG Spotlights

****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED****  For avid classical music lovers, "Carmina Burana" tends to hold a special place in their hearts. They flock to venues worldwide to get the opportunity to hear this rarely performed 20th-century cantata composed by Carl Orff every chance that they can get. For others, this somewhat obscure piece holds numerous surprises for its first-time listeners who are curious to discover what all of the fuss is about. Both groups were equally represented in droves at the recent, extremely brief run at Lyric Opera of Chicago, which had the enthusiastic opening night audience -- which was largely made up of members a good 20 to 30 years younger than your average patron attending a traditional opera at Lyric -- clamoring for more. 4 BIG SPOTLIGHTS

****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED****  Perhaps the most famous double bill that exists within the operatic repertoire -- and, surprisingly, there are more than you might initially imagine -- has returned to Lyric Opera of Chicago. "Cavalleria rusticana" and "Pagliacci," often lovingly referred to as "Cav/Pag," are once again thrilling audiences with their compact storylines, richly melodious scores and morally conflicted characters who, undeterred by their individual fates, end up shining brightly from their rural Calabrian villages. One of the reasons why this production is so special is the fact that it features the Lyric debuts of two exciting new performers: mezzo-soprano Yulia Matochkina as Santuzza and tenor SeokJong Baek as Turiddu, the conflicted lovers at the heart of "Cavalleria rusticana."  4 SPOTLIGHTS

***RECOMMENDED***     For the casual audience member attending an operatic performance, it is usually not necessary to know much about a production's narrative beforehand. That's the job of the librettist. If you have a good librettist, the story unfolds in real-time, it beautifully complements the rhythm of the composer's score and it is easily understood. However, if the source material happens to be Shakespeare or Greek tragedy, perhaps, you may want to do a little bit of research ahead of time. No need to dig out your old Edith Hamilton edition of "Mythology" however, in order to appreciate the season-opener "Medea" at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Just peruse the synopsis in your program before the curtain rises. The first paragraph will grant you vital information that will fill in memory gaps to Medea's backstory while also helping to answer questions that have major significance on what is her motivation for ultimately devising such a sinister plan. 3 SPOTLIGHTS