Lyric Opera 2019-2020 Issue 6 Don Giovanni

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 15 Chicago public school students – participants in Lyric’s EmpowerYouth! program -- had the thrill of a lifetime when they performed onstage at the opera house. Todd Rosenberg The opera house is a place for discovering the great artists of the future, including the Ryan Opera Center’s annual Rising Stars in Concert . Todd Rosenberg arts in our society, which is important. I believe so strongly that we as human beings need – first of all – this creative outlet. It develops our children – it gives them a voice.” For those who don’t already call Chicago home, the city and its opera house quickly become just that for visiting artists and conductors. Enrique Mazzola, Lyric’s music director designate, declares, “It is one of those opera houses where you enter the stage door and you feel comfortable, you feel at home. It’s very human.” Behind those stage doors is a flurry of activity – if you look backstage any time from September to June, you’ll find theater staff working hard to contribute to the art onstage. Sewing machines are whirring in the wardrobe department, wigs are being created from scratch and styled, and snippets of music waft under rehearsal-room doors. While the backstage area might not look as elaborate as the front-of-house space, it’s no less magical. Those lucky enough to join a backstage tour will get a deep dive into Lyric’s history and an up-close look at all the work that goes into bringing opera to life onstage nearly every night during the season. Kids of all ages are invited to explore the opera house during student backstage tours or on Lyric’s annual Family Day, an event that encourages the youngest patrons (as well as anyone who’s young at heart) to participate in hands-on stagecraft demonstrations and learn what an opera performance is all about. It’s through community engagement initiatives like these that Lyric has been able to bring some of that opera-house thrill – the feeling of awe as you walk through the brass doors – to every patron interaction, whether it happens inside the Lyric Opera House halls or in an offsite venue, whether a school auditorium or a smaller theater space. Through programs such as EmpowerYouth!, Caminos a la ópera, Chicago Voices, and Opera in the Neighborhoods, Lyric has been able to go out into the community and share our art form with an average of 100,000 new people a year. Sometimes these program participants show every sign of becoming opera patrons; one young audience member said about her Opera in the Neighborhoods experience, “You guys did an excellent job. I will be glad to come back and watch you guys perform.” Maestro Mazzola plans to continue the work of breaking the fourth wall between the city of Chicago and its foremost opera company. He hopes to be “a point of connection between the people of Chicago and their opera house. So I play a more civic role of what a music director is today…to bring opera outside of the walls of our big theater.” Whether you experience Lyric within this hallowed, historic hall, internationally through a performance from one of our hometown heroes or Ryan Opera Center alumni, with your family on a backstage tour or a performance within our community, we thank you for being a part of the Lyric family. To everyone, a warm welcome home!