April 15, 2022
Lyric Family Favorites: April 15
The 2021/22 mainstage season has come to a close and what an incredible season it was! From the opening, riveting production of Macbeth, to the closing notes of a Tosca that was a “vivid realization of Puccini’s ceaselessly compelling score” (Chicago Sun-Times), it was wonderful to be together for live performances. And there's still one more opportunity for fun this season with The Magic Victrola!
We can’t wait to see the opera house filled with families for this fun and whimsical opera for kids. If you’re attending The Magic Victrola, take a moment to walk through our helpful guide with tools for preparing your young ones for the wonder they’re about to experience. If you don't have plans to see it, tickets are still available!
Plus, read about the career path of Board Chair Sylvia Neil, watch Will Liverman perform “Peculiar Grace” from Fire Shut Up in My Bones, see Michelle Bradley deliver in “Vissi d’arte” from Tosca, watch the virtual performance of Rising Stars in Concert before it expires at the end of the month, catch Beyond the Aria with J’Nai Bridges, and listen to Ryan Opera Center artists perform in a broadcast recital on WFMT.
Center Stage
In 2020, Sylvia Neil made history by becoming Lyric’s first female Board Chair. Learn more about Ms. Neil’s impressive career, her vision for Lyric’s future, and more in Sheridan Road’s “Women of Consequence” issue, on newsstands now.
“Peculiar Grace”
In this Act Two aria from Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones, Charles, portrayed here by Ryan Opera Center alumnus Will Liverman, reflects on his childhood as a boy of “peculiar grace” and his struggles with loneliness and trauma.
“Vissi d’arte”
In this exquisite Act Two aria from Lyric’s recent production of Tosca, the glamorous titular diva, sung here by soprano Michelle Bradley in her role debut, contemplates her fate. Forced to make a terrible bargain, Floria Tosca asks God why he has abandoned her in her hour of need.
Rising Stars in Concert
The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center’s annual showcase, Rising Stars in Concert, celebrates the extraordinary talents and artistry of the 2020/21 Ensemble. This virtual concert is only available through April 28. Watch it before it’s gone!
Beyond the Aria with J’Nai Bridges
See Ryan Opera Center alumni J’Nai Bridges and Mathilda Edge, along with current Ryan Opera Center ensemble member Leroy Davis and pianist Craig Terry, perform a cabaret-style concert on the enclosed Pritzker Pavilion Stage at Millennium Park on May 3.
Maria Novella Malfatti and Chris Reynolds in recital
Tune in to WFMT on Sunday, May 1, for a recital of Schubert, Bellini, Verdi, and more, featuring second-year Ryan Opera Ensemble members Maria Novella Malfatti, soprano, and Chris Reynolds, piano, and music director Craig Terry.