November 19, 2019
2020/21 Season Preview
On February 12, after an exciting morning spent fielding questions from members of the press, Lyric leadership couldn't wait to share the news of our 2020/21 Season with our Lyric family of subscribers. The Subscriber Season Preview is one of our favorite opportunities to meet with members of our loyal audience in person and bond over our shared passions. We love hearing what operas and special events patrons are looking forward to the most in the upcoming year – and sharing what we’re most excited about, too!
More than 1,000 subscribers joined us for the 2020/21 Season Preview Event, many of whom have been subscribers for multiple decades! (Photo: Kyle Flubacker)
This year's Season Preview featured a conversation between General Director Anthony Freud and Music Director Sir Andrew Davis, moderated by Chicago media personality Andrea Darlas. The audience enjoyed wine and sweet treats while learning about the new season and hearing excerpts from the new lineup performed by members of the Ryan Opera Center Ensemble. Music selections ranged from Stravinsky’s The Rake's Progress to Donizetti's comedic The Elixir of Love, and even a lively rendition of the classic title song from Singin' in the Rain (Comden, Green, Freed, & Brown) that had the entire audience humming along.
The upcoming season – which marks Sir Andrew Davis’s final year as music director, though certainly not his last time on Lyric’s podium – features eight new-to-Chicago productions, three Lyric premieres, and a host of highly anticipated star performances. Sir Andrew will lead the North American premiere of George Benjamin’s critically acclaimed new opera Lessons in Love and Violence, as well as Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, The Rake’s Progress, and a special, celebratory concert featuring Beethoven Symphony No. 9 and a new commission from his son, noted composer Ed Frazier Davis. Music Director Designate Enrique Mazzola is at the podium for two operas – the early Verdi epic Attila on the mainstage and Missy Mazzoli’s haunting new chamber work Proving Up, performed at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Additional highlights include the thrilling season opener Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci, and Puccini’s blockbuster hit Tosca. Freud and Davis spent the evening sharing the details behind the planning and the exciting artists that will bring the new season to life.
Sir Andrew Davis couldn't help but sing along when tenor Eric Ferring sang one of his favorite pieces: "Here I Stand" from Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress. (Photo: Kyle Flubacker)
Particularly popular at this year's event were our new seat tryouts. Now through the end of the 2019/20 Season, you can test out the new theater seats that will be installed through the newly renovated theater by this fall, thanks to a generous gift from an Anonymous Donor. Visit our seat displays in specially marked locations around the opera house and experience the comfort that awaits you this fall. You can learn more about how the new seats were selected, the renovations that will take place over the summer months, and how these changes will enhance your enjoyment of the house next season here.
Test out the new seats for yourself during all remaining performances in the 2019/20 Season. (Photo: Kyle Flubacker)
2020/21 Season subscriptions – both fixed-date and Create Your Own packages – are on sale now. Subscribers who renew before the Early Bird deadline of March 10, 2020, will be entered to win their seats for the new season. We can’t wait to share the new season together!