Lyric Opera 2024-2025 Issue 8 - The Listeners

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 70 Welcome to Our House Sheran Goodspeed Keyton, Director of Civic Engagement at Lyric, has a warning for anyone who is coming to the opera house for the Explore Your Lyric event on April 26. “There’s no way you can do it all,” she says. “I’m hoping that families will sit down together ahead of time and really build their own adventure.” It’s wise counsel. When the opera house opens its doors that day, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the offerings are so plentiful that the three hours are sure to fly by. Formerly known as Family Day , the event began in 2018, and returned the next year to great success (meaning not only great attendance, but a great time for close to 1,000 guests). The pandemic interrupted the activity — but it returns this spring full of innovative and engaging activities that go beyond basic enjoyment. “We were always going to have our expert Lyric makeup artists on hand to do face painting,” Keyton notes. “But by adding display copies of the drawings that makeup designers submit to directors, people will see how things evolve from concept to sketch to a full face of makeup. Even though our face painting will include flowers and butterflies and stuff like that, it will be connecting the two in a fun and educational way.” That’s a big part of the magic: parents and children get an up-close look at the expertise required to bring grand opera to life. It’s an ideal entryway for guests of all ages to understand and relate to the many elements of opera — the kind of connection that can create fans for life. Conceived and produced by Lyric Unlimited staff, and activated with the help of numerous volunteers from Bank of America, the main sponsor, Explore Your Lyric is a day meant to pull back the curtain and foster appreciation of our grand art form. Of course, the best thing to experience in the opera house is live performance, and this year the centerpiece element will be two performances of Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl in the World , a story about facing your fears, learning new things, and the power of friendship. This season, the production has toured the city as the main offering of Lyric Unlimited’s Opera in the Neighborhood s initiative, which provides complimentary performances to school groups, close to where they live and attend class. The 40-minute youth opera will be presented twice, at 11:15 a.m and 1:15 p.m. Based on the acclaimed book by author and illustrator Laurence Anholt, the story follows the real-life friendship of Mariana, a young girl living in the heart of Mexico City, and Frida Kahlo, the famed artist. When Mariana plucks up her courage to meet Frida, a friendship blossoms between them. As well as a chance to meet Kahlo’s husband, the painter Diego Rivera, the charming show also features a singing parrot, dog, and monkey. Explore Your Lyric will bring families close to where the art happens,and there’s a photo booth! On April 26, Lyric will swing its doors wide open for Explore Your Lyric , an afternoon of smart fun for opera fans (and not-yet fans) of all ages. Photo Credit here All photos Todd Rosenberg