Pre-opera talks
Enjoy free talks before every opera performance
Join us in the Ardis Krainik Theatre one hour before your opera performance begins for a free, 30-minute preview talk discussing that day’s production.
Hosted by an opera expert, our pre-opera lectures allow you the unique opportunity to learn more about the historical context of the opera, the music that makes it a classic, and the creators behind each masterpiece. Arrive early for the opportunity to enhance your opera-going experience, mingle with your fellow operagoers, and be among the first to hear facts exclusive to Lyric productions.
Pre-opera talks are offered before every opera performance and take place on the main floor of the Ardis Krainik Theatre. Seating is unreserved, but a ticket for that day’s performance is required. Talks begin one hour before each performance and doors open approximately 15 minutes before the start of the talks.
2024/25 Season Pre-Opera Speakers
- Rigoletto, Roderick K. Hawkins
- Fidelio, Oliver Camacho
- The Marriage of Figaro, Elinor Olin
- November 9, Dr. Lady J
- November 24, Peek in the Pit
- La Bohème, Dr. Harris Saunders
- The Listeners, Dr. Justin Vickers
- Sondra Radvanovsky in Concert: The Puccini Heroines, Roger Pines
- A Wondrous Sound, Roger Pines
- Blue, Shades of Blue (details below)
Shades of Blue
Pre-opera talks for Blue will be presented as Shades of Blue, a series of conversations between Lyric Unlimited Scholar-in-Residence, Dr. Antonio C. Cuyler, and special guests who will explore the themes and complex community issues that this contemporary opera brings to the surface.
The following is the schedule for Blue pre-opera talks:
- November 16, 6:00 p.m. Extended 1-hour conversation with Dr. Cuyler and Dr. Naomi André, David G. Frey Distinguished Professor in Music at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- November 20, 6:00 p.m. 30-minute pre-opera talk between Dr. Cuyler and local artist and activist Tonika Johnson, whose work is on display during Lyric’s production of Blue.
- November 22, 6:00 p.m. 30-minute pre-opera talk between Dr. Cuyler and Dr. Franklin Cosey-Gay, director of University of Chicago Medicine’s Violence Recovery Program.
- November 26, 6:00 p.m. 30-minute pre-opera talk between Dr. Cuyler and representatives from the Illinois Prison Project, continuing the conversation started during Fidelio.
- December 1, 1:00 p.m. 30-minute pre-opera talk between LaRob K. Rafael, 98.7WFMT program host and founder of Hearing in Color, with Lieutenant Jermaine Harris, a current Chicago Police Department officer as well as a grassroots community leader around violence prevention.
Pre-opera talks are supported by Raynette and Ned Boshell.
Photo: Kyle Flubacker