CHICAGO (9/24/24) —Mozart’s breathlessly paced comic masterpiece The Marriage of Figaro, on stage at Lyric Opera of Chicago from November 9 to 30, 2024, tells an upstairs/downstairs story of love, lust, seduction, infidelity, and ultimately, forgiveness — all set to some of the most sublime and memorable music ever written. Directed by Barbara Gaines, the founding Artistic Director of the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and conducted by Erina Yashima, this ticklish twist on tying the knot features an all-star cast who together explore the perils of temptation, the grace of forgiveness, and the triumph of love.
Trouble in paradise. It’s the day before Figaro and Susanna’s wedding and things in the Almaviva house are going wild. The servants are bickering and Susanna is trying to evade the advances of the Count and marry her true love, Figaro. Zany antics ensue, people jump out of windows, and wily trickery creates a mood of frilly, fun chaos that in the end imparts a great moral message about love and fidelity. Clever disguises and absurd mix-ups keep the laughs and surprises coming while Mozart’s shimmering score delivers some of the most beautiful melodies in all of opera, from its effervescent overture to the fairytale finale.
Formidable forces. The Marriage of Figaro is directed by Chicago theater legend Barbara Gaines, who founded the Tony Award-winning Chicago Shakespeare Theater and served as its Artistic Director for 37 years. Gaines returns to Lyric to oversee her vision for Mozart’s masterpiece, which had its premiere in the 2015/16 Season; Gaines previously directed Verdi’s Macbeth in Lyric’s 2010/11 Season. During her time at Chicago Shakespeare, she won three Best Director citations from The Jeff Awards. The electrifying Erina Yashima makes her Lyric debut conducting the Lyric Opera Orchestra and a cast of internationally celebrated Mozartians. Yashima, the First Kapellmeister of Komische Oper Berlin and a past recipient of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Sir Georg Solti Conducting Apprenticeship, has worked extensively with conductor Riccardo Muti and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. These two powerful women join forces to lead the opera, whose plot is decidedly woman-driven as well.
A royal flush of a cast. The Marriage of Figaro features a compelling cast of global talent who are highly sought-after in their roles at the world’s leading opera houses. Slovakian bass Peter Kellner makes his Lyric debut as Figaro. Known widely across Europe for his ravishing performances, Kellner joined the ensemble of the Vienna State Opera in the 2018/19 Season and has been hailed for his performances there as Figaro. Chinese soprano Ying Fang is Susanna, the role in which she made her debut at London’s Royal Opera House earlier this season. This is her third Mozart role at Lyric, following Pamina in The Magic Flute in the 2021/22 Season and Zerlina in Don Giovanni in the 2019/20 Season. One of the most acclaimed interpreters of leading roles in Mozart’s works, Italian soprano Federica Lombardi makes her Lyric debut as Countess Almaviva, bringing her star power and expertise with the role to Chicago following her acclaimed interpretations in London, Vienna, New York, Rome, and Munich. Canadian bass-baritone Gordon Bintner makes his Lyric debut as Count Almaviva. A rising star who has already notched debuts in London, Paris, and San Francisco, Bintner will perform the Count at Opera Australia following his time in Chicago. American mezzo-soprano Kayleigh Decker, an alumna of Lyric’s Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, is Cherubino. Her recent roles at Lyric include another famous "trouser" role, Isolier in Rossini’s Le Comte Ory in the 2022/23 Season.
Starry supporting singers. American mezzo-soprano Sarah Mesko, who recently sang the title role in Handel’s Julius Caesar at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, makes her Lyric debut as Marcellina. The dynamic American bass-baritone Nicholas Newton is Dr. Bartolo; he previously performed at Lyric as Alidoro in Rossini’s Cinderella in the 2023/24 Season and Father in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel in the 2022/23 Season. American tenor Brenton Ryan, who made his Lyric debut as the Fool in Berg’s Wozzeck in the 2015/16 Season and performed at Lyric as Monostatos in The Magic Flute in the 2021/22 Season, is back to wreak havoc in another Mozart opera as Don Basilio. The inventive and captivating American bass Matt Boehler makes his Lyric debut as Antonio.
Developing dreams on display. Members of the Ryan Opera Center, Lyric’s renowned artist-development program, also appear in key roles in The Marriage of Figaro. First-year soprano Gemma Nha is Barbarina, first-year tenor Daniel Espinal is Don Curzio, first-year soprano Emily Richter makes her Lyric debut as a Peasant Girl, and second-year mezzo-soprano Lucy Baker is a Peasant Girl.
A creative team worth the chatter. The Marriage of Figaro features set design by James Noone, whose work has been seen in Gaines’s production of Macbeth at Lyric and in more than a dozen productions on Broadway; costume design by Susan Mickey, whose bright, lush costumes bring a charmingly opulent feel to the production; and lighting design by Robert Wierzel, who has won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Tony nomination for his illuminating work in television and theater. The Lyric Opera Chorus is ably led by Chorus Director Michael Black. Choreographer Harrison McEldowney, an internationally celebrated dance artist with deep Chicago roots, adds sizzle to the movement on stage.
Exploring the meaning of Figaro with Dr. Lady J. Lyric invites audiences to explore The Marriage of Figaro in deeper context at three special events featuring the noted opera scholar Dr. Lady J, known as the world’s first (and only) drag queen with a PhD in musicology. Join Lyric and Dr. Lady J for a special Opera Insights event at Center on Halsted on Thursday, November 7 at 7:00 p.m.; for a fireside chat at Roosevelt University on Friday, November 8 at 12:00 noon; and for a pre-opera talk at the Lyric Opera House on opening night, Saturday, November 9 at 6:30 p.m. For more information on these and other special events, visit lyricopera.org/figaro.
The "most perfect opera" returns to Chicago. From its distinguished, star-studded cast to Barbara Gaines’s savvy direction and conductor Erina Yashima’s exhilarating Lyric debut, The Marriage of Figaro’s whimsy and character-driven narrative will delight Chicago audiences and provide moments of joy this November. Mozart’s classic romantic comedy packs antic-filled fun from the rise of the curtain all the way to its joyous end.
Honoring the legacy of Sir Andrew Davis. All performances of The Marriage of Figaro are dedicated to the memory of Sir Andrew Davis (1944–2024), who served as Lyric’s Music Director from 2000 to 2021 and whose extraordinary career at Lyric included 34 performances of The Marriage of Figaro, one of his favorite operas, including the premiere of this production in the 2015/16 Season.
Important to know…
- Eight chances to see The Marriage of Figaro: November 9 and 13; a matinee on November 17; November 19; matinees on November 21, 24, and 27; and November 30.
- Performed in Italian, with easy-to-follow English translations projected above the stage.
- A total running time of 3 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission.
- Ticketholders are invited to free pre-opera talks by Elinor Olin on The Marriage of Figaro's composition history and social context. At the Saturday, November 9 opening-night performance, the pre-opera talk will be given by Dr. Lady J. The Sunday, November 24 matinee performance features Peek in the Pit with conductor Erina Yashima and members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra. Pre-opera talks begin one hour before each performance on the main floor of the theater.
- Audio description, a guided touch tour of the set, and SoundShirts are available at the Sunday, November 17 matinee performance. Braille and large-print programs, high-powered opera glasses, assistive listening devices, and booster seats are available from the main floor coat check at all performances. For more information on these and other accessibility assets, visit lyricopera.org/accessibility.
- For more information and tickets, visit lyricopera.org/figaro or call 312.827.5600.
