My Fair Lady

L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O

Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open-Air Theatre DAVID JENSEN/REGENT’S PARK OPEN-AIR THEATRE

deeply poignant one-act opera Trouble in Tahiti , will be followed by a selection of beloved gems from the Bernstein vocal catalog. Don’t miss this glorious, one- night-only tribute to an American icon. Any solo recital at Lyric is always a thrilling occasion, and next season will be no exception when the company welcomes Polish tenor Piotr Beczała on February 25. “Piotr is sought after by all the major opera houses,” says Freud, “and his artistry is one of the great joys of the international vocal scene. He won innumerable new Chicago fans with his Lyric debut in Faust eight years ago, and he was a magnificent Edgardo in Lucia earlier this season. I couldn’t be more delighted that we’ll highlight his gifts as a recitalist on the Lyric stage.”

John Frame, is known as one of his generation’s most innovative sculptors. This quintessentially French opera will have a French conductor at the helm, Emmanuel Villaume, and onstage will be a remarkably gifted young French tenor, Benjamin Bernheim (title role). He’ll partner two Ryan Opera Center alumni who both enjoy spectacular international careers, Erin Wall (Marguerite) and Christian Van Horn (Méphistophélès). Beyond the season’s eight mainstage operas, there are special events to make the Lyric season even more varied and exciting. “Up to now in our musical-theater productions we’ve concentrated on American classics,” notes Freud, “but in 2017/18, for the first time, we’re producing an iconic rock opera, one that suits a big theater – Jesus Christ Superstar .” In director Timothy Sheader’s new production adapted from London’s Regent’s Park Open-Air Theatre, “our audience will be reminded that this is a truly unforgettable piece. When it arrived in America in 1972, it became one of the greatest successes in Broadway history, and it’s been enthralling audiences everywhere ever since.” A Lyric Unlimited project at the Athenaeum Theatre will give Chicago audiences the opportunity to experience one of the most acclaimed new American works of recent years. “I heard Gregory Spears’s chamber opera Fellow Travelers

in its Cincinnati world premiere and was enormously impressed,” says Freud. This is a story of 1950s Washington; in the politically highly charged atmosphere of the crusade against communism, an idealistic young man becomes romantically involved with a handsome State Department official. Forbidden love, political corruption, unexpected betrayal – it’s all part of this riveting and moving work that The New York Times praised as “a near-perfect example of fast-flowing musical drama.” Kevin Newbury will be reprising his world-premiere production, in which, said Opera News , “ Fellow Travelers’ delicacy came through in full, and so did its emotional wallop.” Whether on Broadway or with orchestras, Leonard Bernstein personified 20th-century American music. Lyric will commemorate his 100th birthday on March 10 with Celebrating 100 Years of Bernstein. David Chase will conduct and renowned artists will be participating onstage. Bernstein’s bitingly funny and

TODD ROSENBERG

Polish tenor Piotr Beczała (pictured as Edgardo in this season’s Lucia di Lammermoor )

returns to Lyric in a solo recital.

In creating the 2017/18 season, Anthony Freud and Sir Andrew Davis recognize that, in Freud’s words, “there has never been a more challenging – or a more exciting – time to be part of the Chicago artistic community. I’m so proud of what Lyric is achieving, season after season. All of us in this company are part of a great legacy. We’re committed to honoring our past, celebrating our present, and nurturing our company in ways that ensure a vibrant and meaningful future. We welcome every member of our audience to be part of the journey.” Learn more about next season at lyricopera.org. Roger Pines, Lyric’s dramaturg and broadcast co-host, contributes writing regularly to opera-related publications and recording companies internationally.

Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday will be celebrated with a special concert.

JACK MITCHELL

16 | April - May, 2017