Opera and Dance Reviews

****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**** Tchaikovsky's "The Queen of Spades" is not the esteemed Russian composer's most popular opera. That distinction probably belongs to "Eugene Onegin" which had its premiere eleven years earlier. It is, however, a much more complex and challenging work which has not been presented by Lyric Opera of Chicago in twenty years. That initial performance, in 2000, was the first chance that local opera lovers got a chance to experience Tchaikovsky's late-career masterwork on Lyric's stage and also coincided with the inaugural season of Sir Andrew Davis as its music director. Fittingly, as Davis approaches the end of that tenure -- he will step down as music director at the conclusion of the 2020/2021 season -- he is once again on the podium to lead a brilliant and haunting new-to-Chicago production of "The Queen of Spades." 4 SPOTLIGHTS

**** Recommended ****  The Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show pays tribute to 25 years of synchronized Irish dance in a spectacular fashion.   The Anniversary Show features the beautiful scenery, haunting music, poetry and song of Ireland.  Add in gorgeous costumes and a little extra zing from Spain, Russia and the USA, and you’ve gotta love it!  I give “Riverdance” 4 Spotlights

****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**** The political and social landscape in America has changed dramatically over the course of the past five years. So, some eyebrows may have been raised when Lyric Opera of Chicago announced that they would present Mozart's "Don Giovanni." After all, director Robert Falls' production of this work, which premiered at Lyric during the 2014/2015 season, deals very frankly with themes of privilege, rape, murder, the corrupting ability and misuse of power as well as the disturbing repeated sexual abuse of women, particularly some very young girls. In this present #MeToo moment, do we really need to have this pompous parade of treachery and immoral display of humanity thrust in our face? Based upon the merits of this stellar production, the answer is a resounding "yes." 4 SPOTLIGHTS

I had the marvelous opportunity recently to go to Symphony Center to see/hear the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) conducted by Benjamin Northey.  Although I a receive a lot more invitations to plays than to concerts, I always try to accept the ones I do get.  MSO commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, with “The Galaxy’s Greatest Hits”.  In addition to glorious music, pictures from space were projected on a giant screen suspended above the orchestra.  It was an ‘out-of-this-world’ experience!  4 BIG Spotlights