Lyric Opera 2021-2022 Issue 3 The Magic Flute

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 14 Aside from its enhancements to support health and safety, some of Lyric’s recent changes serve as much-needed modernizations and restorations. Patrons will certainly enjoy the Ardis Krainik Theatre’s wonderful new seats that were installed as part of Lyric’s Patron Accessibility Initiative. While the goal of the project was to widen the aisles for safer and more expedient entrance and egress, add wheelchair seating locations, and smooth and level the floor for accessibility purposes, the theater also now boasts more comfortable seats with offset sightlines on the main floor that mirror the viewing experience of other seating levels. Operagoers also will notice beautifications and improve- ments made to the front-of-house elevators. “The elevators’ mechanical components had not been updated since the opera house was built in 1929, so it was definitely time for some necessary changes,’’ noted St. John. With the help of external architects, Lyric also refurbished the interior of the elevators during the renovation, preserving the beautiful, historic look of wood paneling and art deco accents and, most importantly, providing a faster journey upstairs. There also are some behind-the-scenes transformations taking place at the Lyric Opera House. Passenger and freight elevators, which are used daily by Lyric artists, the Orchestra and Chorus, crew members, wig and makeup artists, and rehearsal staff, were able to undergo long- needed renovations this past summer. The Lyric Opera House, historically known as the Civic Opera House, was built with cement vaults on two sides, and these near century-old underground chambers—now used as areas for stagehands and ushers—were in need of reinforcement as well. Lyric worked with the city to shut down the Washington Boulevard turn lane and sidewalk for the summer, and the result was a brand-new, waterproofed sidewalk that will help to preserve the vaults. Lyric also plans to upgrade its Washington-side truck lift in the coming years as renovations continue, and the vault under Madison Street will receive further repairs next year. When it opened almost 100 years ago, the Chicago architectural firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst &White— which also designed the Field Museum, the Wrigley Building, and the Merchandise Mart—wished for the Civic Opera Building to symbolize “the spirit of a community which is still youthful and not much hampered by traditions.” Our Lyric Opera House, however, is not hampered by traditions; instead, its stunningly beautiful interior honors and supports the continuation of live opera, an art form that is just as timeless as the opera house in which it lives. Mari Moroz is Lyric’s former public relations manager.