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!  "The Nutcracker" is absolutely perfect in every way.  4 BIG Spotlights

****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED****   It has been 50 years since Lyric Opera of Chicago has presented a production of "The Daughter of the Regiment." That's much too long a span of time to deprive local audiences the pure joy of witnessing Gaetano Donizetti's 1840 bel canto comedic opera. Under the faultless work of original director Laurent Pelly (revived here by Christian Rath) this charming, new-to-Chicago production simply shines with a stellar cast that delivers all of the laughs -- of which there are many -- hits all of the high notes plus delivers it all with pure heart to make for a splendid experience in the opera house.  4 BIG SPOTLIGHTS

***RECOMMENDED   The 2023/2024 season at Lyric Opera of Chicago has set sail. Billed by the company as a "Season of Firsts," their production of Richard Wagner's "The Flying Dutchman" marks the very first German opera that Music Director Enrique Mazzola has conducted here at Lyric.

****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED****   If you are hesitant to explore contemporary operas because you fear that the music will be too atonal or discordant, then you need to hear the soaring and oft-times ethereal score of "Proximity." If you shy away from modern operatic productions because you feel that they have nothing of any importance to state or that they are out-of-touch with reality and are completely irrelevant, then you need to let the profound importance of "Proximity" wash over you. And if all of that isn't enough to engage you, the visually stunning stagecraft of "Proximity" alone is well worth the price of admission to this bold, daring and highly inventive new work.  4 BIG SPOTLIGHTS