Lyric Opera 2021-2022 Issue 4 Florencia en el Amazonas

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 13 as a cultural hub and strengthens the Lyric Opera House’s positioning as a haven for the arts. “The Lyric Opera House takes its rightful place among the great opera houses of the world, which frequently are home to magnificent ballets, as well as thrilling opera productions,” says Freud. “It also marks a significant step in Lyric’s quest to reach more and more people, as we identify new opportunities to grow our audience base through more regular interactions with dance patrons. The Lyric/Joffrey collaboration maximizes the use of our magnificent opera house. It is a win-win for Joffrey, for Lyric, and for our city.” After years of planning for this arrival, how does Joffrey’s residence in the opera house work in practice for Lyric? While the current calendar looks slightly different, Lyric Opera of Chicago will continue to present seasons of mainstage operas and other special events in the 2021/22 season and beyond, and Joffrey will perform four ballet programs during that same timeframe. Once the general contours of both companies’ seasons are decided, the next step means tackling a scheduling jigsaw puzzle, assembled by Lyric’s backstage team—especially Michael Smallwood, Lyric’s vice president and technical director. “Our season calendar looks different than the calendar I’ve known for the nearly 15 years I’ve been at Lyric,” says Smallwood. “We have to approach Joffrey’s contract with Lyric like we’re adding four shows to our regular season. We don’t necessarily think about Joffrey’s productions in the same way as we do our regular opera repertoire, but we have to integrate them into our planning cycle. Some of our stagehands, hair and makeup personnel, and wardrobe team members are working with Joffrey on its shows just like they would for one of our operas. We have to make sure there’s room for everyone to work in the opera house.” Over the summer, Joffrey spent several days working with Lyric’s technical crew during its traditional “summer tech” period. The companies worked together to make room for set pieces that could be pre-hung in the theater’s overhead fly space and otherwise stashed in hidden corners around the opera house, a luxury that Joffrey did not have in its former home. The Joffrey Ballet technical staff works hand in hand with Lyric’s house crew for performances. When Joffrey personnel are in Lyric’s facilities, they have access to the stage, dressing rooms, a production/artistic office, and a mobile costume/makeup shop. One of Lyric’s larger coaching rooms is transformed into a physical therapy room for the dancers. With Joffrey on Lyric’s stage for performances, Lyric continues to work daily in its scenery and handling areas to prepare for upcoming operas. Most Joffrey rehearsals continue to take place in Joffrey Tower on Randolph Street, while dancers and staff are backstage at Lyric for final rehearsals and performances. When Joffrey’s trucks arrive at the opera house, the first items that are unloaded are miles of ballet barres to fill up the rehearsal rooms. To help accommodate onsite Joffrey rehearsals, a special sprung dance floor with a marley vinyl surface was installed in one of the rehearsal rooms as well as onstage; this involved a true collaboration: using Lyric’s flooring combined with Joffrey’s to create a surface ideal for dancing. Lyric’s already extensive wardrobe and costume department was further expanded to accommodate more onsite laundry facilities that serve Joffrey’s own costume department and the company’s needs during its residency. Next up for Joffrey: English choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s production of The Nutcracker , the most popular title in the ballet repertory, which will run for 28 performances in December. The Nutcracker will require five trucks of equipment, a big increase from the one-and- a-half trucks needed for Home: a Celebration . Smallwood says the Lyric crew is ready for the challenge. “We know there is a learning curve for everyone during the first season, and we’ll continue to work together to improve our processes. Everyone is eager to make it work and figure out solutions.” Every aspect of the performing arts has undergone such transformative change in the last 20 months, and both Lyric and Joffrey are ready to fill the Lyric Opera House with fresh artistry. As Smallwood puts it, “It can’t hurt to have more art in our building, especially now.” Under the Trees’Voices with Dylan Gutierrez and Jeraldine Mendoza Cheryl Mann