Lyric Opera 2024-2025 Issue 7 - La bohème

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 8 From the General Director and the Chair There are few greater thrills in the world of opera than a production of Puccini’s La Bohème . It’s a work that offers up a little bit of everything — fun, intimacy, spectacle, and, ultimately, tragedy. This production, originally conceived by legendary Hollywood director Herbert Ross ( The Turning Point , Footloose , Steel Magnolias ) and directed here in its Lyric debut by Melanie Bacaling, has it all. We welcome friends old and new as our lead quartet. International star Ailyn Pérez, our Mimì, last charmed Lyric audiences as Adina in The Elixir of Love in the 2021/22 Season. Our Musetta is Gabriella Reyes, who was here that same season as Rosalba in Florencia en al Amazonas . Her Marcello is truly a member of the Lyric family —Grammy-winning baritone Will Liverman. An alum of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, he has sung more than a dozen roles here over the past decade, most recently Mike in The Factotum , for which he was also co-creator. And making his long-awaited Lyric debut as Rodolfo is the Samoan tenor Pene Pati, who joins us fresh off a star turn as the Duke in Rigoletto at the Metropolitan Opera. We can bring spectacular productions and wonderful casts like this to Lyric because of your continued support. Whether you are here for the rst time or as a long-time Lyric patron, you have our deepest thanks. Enjoy the performance! JOHN MANGUM General Director, President & CEO, The Women’s Board Endowed Chair Kyle Flubacker All this season, we have been marking the 50th anniversary of the Ryan Opera Center, Lyric’s renowned artist- development program. Thanks to the generosity of its naming sponsors, the inimitable Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan, the enthusiastic support of numerous donors, and the dedication and commitment of its board and staff, over the decades the Ryan Opera Center has launched dozens of important and successful careers in opera. This splendid production of La Bohème is just another example of its ongoing signi cance and impact. Along with Will Liverman, we have alumnus Levi Hernandez, playing Benoit and Alcindoro. Levi was a nalist in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition in 2002. Starting with his Lyric debut in the 2003/04 Season, Levi has sung 11 roles with us, most recently Alvaro/ Florencia en el Amazonas (2021/22), and he continues to enjoy a brilliant career on stages across the country. And nally, this La Bohème features two current talents in the Ryan Opera Center Ensemble — Ian Rucker, who performed with distinction in both Champion and Jen ˚ufa last season, as well as Travon D. Walker, who dazzled us earlier this season as the Son in Blue and as the rst prisoner in Fidelio . These singers exemplify the excellence of the Ryan Opera Center and demonstrate Lyric’s ongoing commitment to the bright future of our art form. We hope you will join us in a celebration of these talents, and many more, when the Ryan Opera Center Ensemble performs in our annual Rising Stars concert on April 25. Meanwhile, thank you for being here — and enjoy the show! SYLVIA NEIL Chair of the Board Todd Rosenberg Welcome to Lyric!