"The Magic Flute" - Review by Jeffrey Leibham
***RECOMMENDED*** To state the fact that the Lyric Opera of Chicago has a passionate love affair with Mozart’s "The Magic Flute" may be a bit of an understatement.
The Joffrey Ballet "Home: A Celebration"
**** Highly Recommended **** The Joffrey Ballet returns to live performances in their new home at the Lyric Opera House with Home: A Celebration, a demonstration of all that makes the Joffrey such a leader in contemporary ballet. The evening’s repertoire included one classic ballet and three vibrant original works, developed during the shut-down. The Joffrey’s incredibly talented dancers execute the most complicated choreography with flawless technique and timing – and they make it look easy! 4 BIG Spotlights
Bright & Cheery "The Elixir of Love" - Review by Jeffrey Leibham
In marked contrast to their brooding production of “Macbeth” which is running simultaneously until October 9 (see separate listing), Lyric Opera’s second offering of the season is bright, cheery and a heck of a lot of fun -- Donizetti’s extremely popular “The Elixir of Love.”
"The Queen of Spades" - Review by Jeffrey Leibham
****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
"Madama Butterfly" - Review by Jeffrey Leibham
***RECOMMENDED*** Not even a bout with the flu that was plaguing some of the cast members of Lyric's latest "Madama Butterfly" could prevent this production from being a smashing success. At a recent Sunday matinee performance, a case of musical chairs took place regarding some of the casting. Thanks to the resourcefulness of Lyric's management, several supporting roles were filled by understudies and singers who were scheduled to perform in a specific role were shifted to another. Not to worry -- none of the principals were affected. It all came off brilliantly without a misstep in a seamlessly cohesive yet firmly traditional staging of Puccini's extremely popular opera. 3 SPOTLIGHTS
The Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show is still Amazing - Review by Carol Moore
**** 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
"The Nutcracker" will dazzle You - Review by Carol Moore
***** Highly Recommended ***** The Joffrey Ballet’s “Chicago-centric” version of “The Nutcracker”, choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, is quite simply magnificent. By setting “The Nutcracker” against Chicago’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, Wheeldon gave the city a unique gift. I am in awe! Every movement was graceful, precise and exquisitely performed. This will be the fourth time I’ve seen/reviewed “The Nutcracker” and I love everything about it, including the glorious music played by the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra. By the way, this is the final appearance of “The Nutcracker” at the Auditorium Theatre. 4 BIG Holiday Spotlights!
Lyric's "Don Giovanni" - Review by Jeffrey Leibham
****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
Lyric Opera's "Dead Man Walking" - Review by Jeffrey Leibham
****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**** In 1989, Lyric Opera of Chicago launched an artistic initiative that came to be known as "Toward the 21st Century," wherein the company was committed to presenting at least one 20th-century opera, whether American or European, each season for an entire decade. For the most part, that trend has continued well beyond that initial period, carrying over into the new millennium. Now, as a means to attract new audience members. Lyric Opera is offering performances that are sung in English (with projected English supertitles), Lyric has also refocused that objective to bring more contemporary operas to the mainstage. Perhaps the most internationally well-known of these modern works, since it has been produced by 70 different companies worldwide, is "Dead Man Walking," which had its world premiere in 2000 at San Francisco Opera and makes its long-awaited Chicago premiere here. 4 BIG SPOTLIGHTS
"The Galaxy's Greatest Hits" Blew Me Away! - Review by Carol Moore
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