Lyric Opera 2022-2023 Issue 7 - Carmen

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 14 Carmen —there’s depth and complexity in the acting, in the dancing, in the whole way the staging and the stage setting itself are communicating. DOES THE BOARD CHAIR PLAY A ROLE IN THESE AREAS? My role is to work very closely with the executive team to support their vision, to act as a sounding board and to be a conduit to involve the board, thereby moving the creative agenda forward. To this end, I created a so-called blue ribbon Production Advocacy Committee, chaired by Susan Morrison. I really endeavor to bring people into the process of understanding why something on the stage is so exciting, which results not just in support, but with contagion for opera! SPEAKING OF EXCITING—TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST LA BOHÈME AT LYRIC. It was my rst opera ever. I had just turned 21 and arrived in Chicago to go to law school. The father of my then boyfriend was an opera buff who gifted me a ticket to La bohème at Lyric. I still have the image in my head of sitting in the audience and just being overwhelmed by the voices, by the setting. I remember the snow falling like magic on the stage. It was so compelling—the story, the singing— you’re just taken into your own imagination and emotions in a very profound way. And guess who the star was of the production—Luciano Pavarotti! PAVAROTTI IS A PRETTY GOOD WAY TO START. He was an unbelievable performer. As wonderful as other tenors have been and still are, there was just something unique about him. Magni cent. I’D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF YOUR OTHER BOARD ACTIVITIES.YOU’RE ON THE INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY,AND ACCESS (IDEA) COMMITTEE, FOR INSTANCE. I think what Lyric has done in this area is one of our most profoundly important accomplishments. If you look at last year, if you look at what our productions were, who our artists were, who our conductors were, if you look at our Board and our staff and compare them to the past, we can be very proud of our recent achievements in IDEA. I don’t mean we can rest on our laurels. But I’m a great believer that you can’t move forward unless you feel proud of what you’ve already accomplished, and remain aggressive in your commitment to achieve much more. EVEN IF IT ISN’T ALWAYS EASY TO QUANTIFY. Accomplishment doesn’t happen in a straight line up. The Tetons, where my family spends a lot of time, are mountains that go straight up from the valley oor. But that’s why they’re a national park, because that is very rare. Our progress is more like ever increasing foothills leading to mountain peaks; while there are ups and downs, they are gradually getting higher and higher and higher. For example, look at our paid internship program, funded by the Elizabeth Morse Genius Trust, that will help develop the diverse opera artists, staffs, and a cionados of the future; look at the work we do with the Chicago Urban League with Chicago youth. You cannot quantify the effects of those programs for many years—they are seeds that will grow. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU’RE SAYING OUR COMPASS IS POINTING IN A GOOD DIRECTION. Our compass is pointing in a good direction because there’s a deep commitment to keep pointing in that direction. As seen with productions like Fire and Factotum , opera is moving beyond its white European roots to include whole new populations of artists and audiences. Which does not mean to say that our historic repertoire is losing its relevance. Look at the success of last year’s traditional Tosca , a production that featured two black artists in the leading roles. Read the program notes written by the great philosopher Martha C. Nussbaum about feminism and Carmen . Whether in thought or deed, whether with traditional or new productions, whether with artists or staff, or vendors, we are focused on inclusion. And that is progress. YOU SEEM TO BE TALKING ABOUT A LARGE-SCALE TRANSFORMATION. We are looking at every single component of our organization—every aspect, from behind the stage to the audience, to the staff, to the board, to the artists, to the conductors, to the librettists, to the composers, to the conductors, to whom we are training at the Ryan Opera Center. Even vendors—it’s everything from cleaning services to investment companies. It is developing new orbits of customers and communities. Initial strides are often the hardest. With the leadership of our past and present IDEA board committee chairs, Jane Pigott, Eric Smith, and now Brenda Robinson, we’re developing a deeper understanding of how inclusion is accomplished. And we’re committed. Because that is the future. Todd Rosenberg