Lyric Opera 2021-2022 Issue 6 Tosca 2

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 15 Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera Photo: Todd Rosenberg Photo: Andrew Eccles Renée Fleming and Rod Gilfry in concert Director Yuval Sharon has been instrumental in working with the creative teams in the development of the project and will direct this production. Proximity is conducted by Kazem Abdullah in his Lyric debut; Lyric Special Projects Advisor Renée Fleming is the project’s curator. The powerful trio of works confronts head-on some of the greatest challenges affecting us as a society: yearning for connection in a world driven by technology; the devastating impact of gun violence on cities and neighborhoods; and the need to respect and protect our natural resources. As the story zooms in and out from the individual to the community to the cosmic, we find ourselves in a compelling snapshot of 21st century life, with all of its complex intersections and commonalities. The season also includes a one-night-only event featuring soprano Renée Fleming and baritone Rod Gilfry in concert with the Lyric Opera Orchestra, conducted by Enrique Mazzola. The October 8, 2022 program includes the Chicago premiere of The Brightness of Light , composed by Pulitzer Prize winner Kevin Puts. This superb new work is based on letters between painter Georgia O’Keeffe and her husband, photographer Alfred Stieglitz. These texts and Puts’s remarkable music offer a marvelous showcase for the probing, profoundly connecting and sensitive artistry of Fleming and Gilfry, who sang the premiere with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 2019. Heralding the return of its traditional spring musical, Lyric’s hit production of the classic West Side Story concludes the company’s 2022/23 Season. Leonard Bernstein’s music and Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics will once again transplant Romeo and Juliet to the backstreets of New York City in this timeless Broadway musical masterpiece, a Francesca Zambello production that stands as one of the most successful shows in company history. And, of course, that’s just one of the many special occasions ahead. The new cultural season starts on a literal high note with Sunday in the Park with Lyric’s Rising Stars on August 21, 2022, as artists from The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center perform a variety of favorites from the 2022/23 Season accompanied by members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra and conducted by Enrique Mazzola. The Season Opening Gala, always a grand night of celebration, is slated for September 10, 2022, with cocktails, dinner, and dancing in true Lyric style—an evening not to be missed. And we celebrate the return of the famous Lyric Wine Auction on May 13, 2023. This year, the grand fundraiser, held on The Ken Pigott Stage of the historic Ardis Krainik Theatre, will honor the legendary Maison Joseph Drouhin. “From breathtaking classics to the new sonic and dramatic worlds of our two world premiere operas,” says Mazzola, “this exciting season presents thrilling music theater in all its forms—past, present, and future!” CARMEN J’Nai Bridges ESCAMILLO Andrei Kymach MICAËLA Golda Schultz DON JOSÉ Charles Castronovo Carmen West Side Story Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2022/23 Season is on sale now, with more than a dozen curated packages and “create your own” package options that allow you to customize every detail. Explore the season at lyricopera.org/subscribe , and join us for an extraordinary season of live performances.