Lyric Music & More: October 6

The doors are open, curtains are up, and audiences are filling the opera house seats — what a glorious feeling! The 2021/22 Season is off to an exciting start with Macbeth and The Elixir of Love, and we’re back to creating unforgettable moments. On the opening night of The Elixir of Love, when Charles Castronovo as Nemorino sang “Una furtiva lagrima,” he created a moment that “felt like it would not be replicated again, not quite like this anyway” (Chicago Tribune). While nothing quite compares to being there in person, in this clip captured on opening night, you can hear Castronovo sing the beloved aria. Only one performance each of The Elixir of Love and Macbeth remain before we turn towards two new-to-Chicago productions in November.

Plus, The Joffrey Ballet kicks off their first season in the Lyric Opera House, get to know Florencia en el Amazonas, meet the cast of The Magic Flute, see how Lyric transformed the back of the opera house for Lyric Under the Stars, catch a virtual stream of Twilight: Gods before it ends, and watch the film Pagliacci!

This November, audiences will have the opportunity to see the Lyric premiere of Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas, the first Spanish-language work to be presented as part of Lyric’s mainstage opera season. Learn more about this magnificent, lushly romantic opera.

Dig in

In addition to welcoming thousands of people back to the opera house in the last month, Lyric rang in the new season with Lyric Under the Stars, a beautiful celebration featuring live performances and vivid projections on the back of the Lyric Opera House.

Learn more

This year’s production of The Magic Flute features the Lyric debuts of four cast members including Lila Dufy, Pavel Petrov, Huw Montague Rendall, and Tareq Nazmi. Read up on these luminous artists and get excited to see them make their first Lyric appearances.

Meet them

Remember when Lyric staged an opera in a parking garage? The film of the innovative opera-production Twilight: Gods that Musical America called “a theatrical triumph” is available to watch on-demand until October 29. Watch it now before it’s too late!

Start your engines

The Joffrey Ballet makes a celebratory return to live performances October 13–24 at Lyric Opera House with Home: a Celebration, featuring three world premiere performances from today’s rising stars and the remount of a ballet classical by Joffrey co-founder Gerald Arpino.

Watch the trailer

Experience the film Opera News called “The best-sung account of Leoncavallo’s drama one is likely to hear today.” Pagliacci stars Russell Thomas, Ailyn Pérez, Lucas Meachem, Quinn Kelsey, and Eric Ferring, and is now available as a free stream on demand.

Check it out