June 24, 2022
Lyric Family Favorites: June 24
There are only 76 days until the opening of the 2022/23 Season, but who’s counting? The summer weather is wonderful, but we can’t wait to be back in the Lyric Opera House when the curtain rises on Ernani. Starring in the title role will be tenor Russell Thomas, a Lyric favorite and one of the best Verdian artists in the world. Most recently, Thomas appeared as Canio in the Lyric film Pagliacci and starred as Cavaradossi in Tosca, but his last Verdi role at Lyric was as Manrico in Il trovatore. See him perform the Act Three aria "Di quella pira" in this clip, and get ready for his season-opening performance in Ernani.
Plus, meet some of the best and worst operatic fathers, show your pride with some colorful Lyric virtual backgrounds, get a taste of the upcoming season in a curated playlist, watch Denis Vélez perform “In solitaria stanza,” and mark your calendar for Joffrey’s Rita Finds Home at Navy Pier.
Operatic fathers: the best and worst
Father’s Day was last weekend, but to celebrate all of the fathers and father figures out there, take a look at some of opera’s best and worst dads, from Gianni Schicchi to Wotan. Who is your favorite?
Zoom backgrounds for Pride month
Love is love is love! Show your pride in your next Zoom meeting with a #Pride background from Lyric.
2022/23 Season playlist
There is so much great music to look forward to in the 2022/23 Season! In this playlist, listen to excerpts of everything from Ernani to West Side Story, plus music from the composers of some of our world premieres.
Denis Vélez sings “In solitaria stanza”
In a beautiful excerpt from Sole e Amore, Ryan Opera Center soprano Denis Vélez performs one of Verdi’s best-known songs, “In solitaria stanza” (“In a lonely room”), with Lyric Music Director Enrique Mazzola on piano. Fun fact: this song was a precursor to Leonora's first aria in Il trovatore.
Rita Finds Home
Our friends at The Joffrey Ballet invite you to experience a new family-friendly ballet for young audiences, Rita Finds Home. See the World Premiere July 9-10 at Navy Pier. Free performances take place twice daily at 11:00 AM and 6:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday.