Lyric Opera 2018-2019 Issue 3 Idomeneo

40 | October 13 - November 2, 2018 P A T R O N S A L U T E | L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O e Gannon household was always full of music. “My parents loved big band music on the radio, and of course they loved Ed Sullivan,” Mary Pat recalls. “ at was required viewing on Sunday nights because there were so many different kinds of performers on the show.” Mary Pat and her three siblings all studied piano, played in the school band, and sang in the school chorus. For her part, Mary Pat played trumpet and guitar, and took voice lessons, which led her to begin her college studies as music major. In an admirable display of self- awareness that complements her down- to-earth personality, Mary Pat abandoned her aspirations to become a classical singer midway through college in favor of a degree in political science. “Another career you can’t really make money in,” she joked. “I decided I wasn’t talented enough to become a successful performer, but I continued to appreciate music. I took a humanities course in which the curriculum blended all current events in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, so we knew what was happening politically, how that affected arts and literature, and how they all played together. One of our assignments was to see a live opera, and so my first opera was Madame Butterfly . at, I think, was a very fine start.” Mary Pat’s second area of study blossomed into a successful career in politics which, after working on a number of local campaigns, landed her in Mayor Harold Washington’s press office. She was able to satiate her musical appetite thanks in large part to the two thriving classical music radio stations Chicago had to offer. “Opera wasn’t really on my radar at that time. I did go to a few performances, but by and large, it was not really affordable for me.” Some years later, Mary Pat was invited to a night out at Lyric: dinner in the Graham Room, box seats, and Verdi’s grand Aida onstage. “I was totally overwhelmed and hooked, and I started subscribing. At first I had two seats and would take different friends with me to each opera. My friends all loved it so much that I went from two seats to four seats. en I realized that it was inconvenient to have dinner elsewhere, so I gave a donation in order to use the Graham Room; that of course was a flag on the field for [Lyric’s senior philanthropic advisor] Mary Selander, who was my neighbor.” As a result of Mary’s invitation, Mary Pat joined the Guild Board of Directors, whose major projects at that time included the Guild Board Backstage Tours. “It was through working on the Backstage Tours that I really learned to appreciate all of the incredible detail that goes into every minute of every production. From the wigs to the makeup to the costumes to the lighting... at you don’t use anything except natural fabrics in the costumes because the light would reflect off nylon or rayon. e attention to detail was amazing to me.” Now serving on the Board of Directors and Ryan Opera Center Board, Mary Pat is more in tune with what is going on from an administrative perspective. “Learning about Lyric’s business operation has been equally fascinating. I very much appreciate being involved with the Ryan Opera Center because I recognize that everyone who is accepted has just been given a unique and powerful gift, and it is a pleasure to see young people working toward their dream and being helped in a major way by our professionals.” Mary Pat has served on the Lyric Unlimited Committee since that committee’s inception in 2013. “I’m very fortunate to be part of Lyric Unlimited because that, in many ways, is the future of opera. If you go into a family home now, you don’t find a piano in the living room. When I was growing up, everyone had a piano in the living room. Music was a part of our lives. rough Lyric Unlimited, we are reaching out to kids; we’re reaching out to different audiences who may not have experience with opera. I just think it’s a wonderful initiative, and I hope we can continue to expand on it.” Entrenched as she is in Lyric’s volunteer and donor community, Mary Pat’s favorite thing to do each year is to attend one of the Lyric Signature Luncheons. “I find the luncheons terrific because you have a chance to meet the cast, crew, and Lyric staff who make the productions possible. One of my most memorable experiences was when I was seated with Deborah Voigt, who, in finding out my friend and I would be seeing her onstage the following night, invited us to visit her backstage afterward, which we did. at’s the kind of opportunity you get when you become involved with Lyric, and I would encourage everyone to become a donor so they can get invited to one.” rough her many years of active involvement, Mary Pat has given generously to Lyric’s Annual Campaign, supported the Breaking New Ground campaign, and made special gifts to the Ryan Opera Center and Lyric Unlimited presentations of Fellow Travelers and El Pasado Nunca Se Termina. She has also provided for Lyric’s future in her estate plan. When asked what motivates her to support Lyric financially, she says, “I believe that music, and all of the arts, are very critical to our society. It teaches us appreciation for others as they perform; it gives us the opportunity to enjoy something outside of our day to day lives. If we did not have Lyric, or CSO, or the many fine institutions that we have in Chicago, we would be so much poorer for that. Because I am fortunate enough to be able to make a gift, I want to ensure that Lyric is there for other people going forward.” — Meaghan Stainback Mary Patricia Gannon: Musically Inspired DAN REST