Lyric Opera 2019-2020 Issue 6 Don Giovanni

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 22 recent concert performances have been Adriana Lecouvreur at the Salzburg Festival, Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Mozart’s Requiem with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Verdi’s Requiem with the Oslo Philharmonic. His immediate future plans include Prince Ivan| Khovanshchina at the Berlin State Opera, the Grand Inquisitor| Don Carlo at Madrid’s Teatro Real, and Schmidt’s The Book with Seven Seals with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Fabio Luisi conducting. JAMES GAFFIGAN | CONDUCTOR Previously at Lyric: Così fan tutte (2017|18). The American conductor has earned acclaim at the Metropolitan Opera ( La bohème ), San Francisco Opera ( Carmen ), Glyndebourne ( Così fan tutte , La Cenerentola , Falstaff ), Den Norske Opera ( La traviata ), The Santa Fe Opera ( Ariadne auf Naxos ), the Bavarian State Opera ( Così fan tutte , La fanciulla del West ), and the opera houses of Vienna, Hamburg, and Amsterdam. He returns this season to the Met for La Cenerentola and San Francisco for Ernani . Gaffigan is chief conductor of the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester and principal guest conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic. He has guest-conducted the London, Dresden, Czech, and Rotterdam Philharmonic orchestras; major orchestras of Vienna, Berlin, Zurich, and Paris; and the leading orchestras of Philadelphia, San Francisco, St. Louis, Los Angeles, and Washington, among other distinguished ensembles. A first-prize winner in the 2004 Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition, Gaffigan is former associate conductor of the San Francisco Symphony and former assistant conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra . ROBERT FALLS | DIRECTOR Previously at Lyric: Three operas since 1993|94, most recently Don Giovanni (2014|15); Susannah (2002|03, 1993|94). The American director, who remounted his Don Giovanni in 2018 in Dallas, has been artistic director of Chicago’s Goodman Theatre since 1986. This season at the Goodman he directs Brian Friel’s Molly Sweeney . His Goodman productions last season included An Enemy of the People , for which he wrote the adaptation, Pamplona starring Stacy Keach; and David Cale’s musical|memoir We’re Only Alive for Short Amount of Time (Public Theater, New York). Recent productions elsewhere include The Iceman Cometh (Brooklyn Academy of Music), Rebecca Gilman’s Luna Gale (Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles), and Beth Henley’s The Jacksonian (Geffen Theatre, Los Angeles). Other credits range from Shakespeare, Chekhov, and O’Neill to Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida (Broadway|international). Honors for directing include, among others, Tony, Drama Desk, Obie, and Helen Hayes awards, plus multiple Jeff Awards. Falls holds the Savva Morozov Diamond Award (Moscow Art Theatre), the O’Neill Medallion (Eugene O’Neill Society), and in 20015 was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame. ( See Director’s Note, page 31. ) WALT SPANGLER | SET DESIGNER Previously at Lyric: Don Giovanni (2014|15). The designer’s opera work includes the world premieres of The Bonesetter’s Daughter (San Francisco Opera), The Fix , and the upcoming Edward Tulane (Minnesota Opera); The Coronation of Poppea (English National Opera), Dido and Aeneas (Handel Haydn Society), and La traviata (Lithuanian National Opera). His many designs for the Goodman Theatre include 2666 , The Winter’s Tale , Measure for Measur e (Jeff Award nomination), King Lear , Desire Under The Elms , and A True History of The Johnstown Flood (Jeff Award), all directed by Robert Falls. His work for Steppenwolf includes Good People , Tribes , The Christians , Time Stands Still , and Penelope . Productions on Broadway include Tuck Everlasting , Escape To Margaritaville , A Christmas Story , Desire Under The Elms , Scandalous , and Hollywood Arms , directed by Harold Prince. ANA KUZMANIC | COSTUME DESIGNER Previously at Lyric: Don Giovanni (2014|15). The Yugoslav-born designer’s acclaimed costumes for Lyric’s Don Giovanni production have also earned critical praise at Dallas Opera. Kuzmanic’s work has been seen on Broadway ( August: Osage County, Desire Under the Elms, Superior Donuts ); off-Broadway ( The Jacksonian ); at London’s National Theatre; and at the Sydney Theatre Company. Kuzmanic is closely associated with Chicago’s Goodman Theatre (15 productions), Steppenwolf, Lookingglass Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and The House. Among the regional companies where she has worked are Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, McCarter Theatre Center, Washington Shakespeare Theatre Company, Trinity Repertory Company, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and the Geffen Playhouse. Kuzmanic earned a bachelor’s degree in costume and fashion design from the Faculty of Applied Arts and Design in Belgrade and an M.F.A. in stage design from Northwestern University, where she is currently an associate professor of costume design. She designed for her own fashion label from 1993 to 2002. Ana Kuzmanic is supported by the Richard P. and Susan Kiphart Costume Designer Endowed Chair. DUANE SCHULER | LIGHTING DESIGNER Previously at Lyric: More than 140 productions since 1977, most recently Cendrillon (2018|19); Faust (2017|18). Lyric’s former resident lighting designer has recently created lighting for the Vienna State Opera ( Lucia di Lammermoor ), The Santa Fe Opera ( Jenufa ), and Dutch National Opera ( La Cenerentola ). Later this season his work will be seen at San Francisco Opera ( Ernani ), Geneva’s Grand Théâtre ( La Cenerentola ), and the Metropolitan Opera ( Cendrillon ). Highlights last season included Lucia di Lammermoor (Opera ˚