Lyric's 2018/19 Season | Images Included Below FROM: Lisa Middleton Vice President, Marketing and Communications Thrilling music, powerhouse international casts, company premieres, and stirring new productions to experience in MEDIA INQUIRIES: Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2018/19 Season Lyric Opera of Chicago Holly H. Gilson La bohème, Idomeneo, Siegfried, [email protected] 312-827-5939 Il trovatore, Cendrillon, Elektra, Magda Krance La traviata, Ariodante, and An American Dream [email protected] 312-827-5924 Next season also includes a new coproduction and Lyric premiere of Kamaria Morris [email protected] West Side Story, 312-827-5928 plus special performances: The Silverman Group, Inc. Elizabeth Neukirch Anna Netrebko in Recital and [email protected] The Renée Fleming 25th Anniversary Concert and Gala Subscriptions to Lyric’s 64th Season on sale Wednesday, February 7 at 10am New in 2018/19: Weeknight (Monday - Friday) performances to start at 7pm CHICAGO (2/6/18; updated 7/13/18) – A season filled with unforgettable music, thrilling singers from around the world, and stirring new productions goes on sale via subscription Wednesday, February 7 at 10am. Seven new and new-to-Chicago productions, including four Lyric premieres, will engage and entertain audiences from October 2018 through June 2019. New and renewing subscribers have first access to the best seats at the best prices – and for the first time, Lyric is making it possible to purchase customized subscriptions that combine remaining performances of the current 2017/18 Season and performances in the new 2018/19 Season. General Director Anthony Freud and Music Director Sir Andrew Davis announced today the repertoire and casting for the company’s 2018/19 Season – the fourth season that they have fully planned together. "I know we say this each year, but it’s true – we are very excited about next season,” said Freud. “Audiences will experience a tremendous variety of musical and theatrical styles. We will present fresh interpretations of familiar works, as well as an opportunity to experience works we have never performed before.” Freud noted that “several outstanding international artists will make their Lyric debuts in new and new-to-Chicago productions, alongside many fantastic artists who are well known to Lyric audiences. Continuing our new Ring with Siegfried will be a major highlight. Cendrillon, Ariodante, and West Side Story will be seen on our stage for the very first time, along with the Lyric Unlimited premiere of the chamber opera An American Dream at the Harris Theater.” “This season’s repertoire includes three of the most deservedly popular Italian operas.” said Davis. “I think La Scala West (as Lyric was once known) was due for an overdose and I suspect there are many in our audience who will agree. And alongside them we have both Wagner AND Strauss and three rarities – in which I include Mozart’s Idomeneo – that will astonish and delight.” The pleasures of familiar melodies permeate the 2018/19 Season. Even opera and musical novices will enjoy the frisson of recognition when they hear Rodolfo’s aria “Che gelida manina” in La bohème, the “Anvil Chorus” in Il trovatore, Violetta and Alfredo’s duet “Libiamo” in La traviata, and Tony and Maria’s soaring “Tonight” in West Side Story. “In planning our latest season,” Freud said, “we have assembled a truly exceptional roster of well-known singers returning to Lyric, including Maria Agresta, Jamie Barton, Janai Brugger, Alice Coote, Iestyn Davies, Danielle de Niese, Christine Goerke, Kyle Ketelsen, Zeljko Lučić, Michaela Martens, Eric Owens, Matthew Polenzani, Albina Shagimuratova, Heidi Stober, Russell Thomas, Elza van den Heever, Erin Wall, and Samuel Youn.” Davis noted that “it’s quite a coup to have Alice Coote starring in not one but two company premieres at Lyric next season – Cendrillon and Ariodante. I am tickled pink about this because she’s one of my favorite people!” “We are also immensely excited to welcome a dazzling array of thrilling artists who will make their Lyric debuts,” Freud continued. “We are pleased to welcome to the Lyric stage for the first time Giorgio Berrugi, Angela Brower, Michael Fabiano, Burkhard Fritz, Matthias Klink, Iain Patterson, George Petean, Brenda Rae, Siobhan Stagg, Nina Stemme, Roberto Tagliavini, and Tamara Wilson.” “The company debut of Nina Stemme is a special milestone,” said Davis. “We have long sought to engage this outstanding dramatic soprano, and her portrayal of Elektra, one of her signature roles, is something no one should miss.” Sir Andrew Davis will conduct three operas here next season, beginning with Mozart’s Idomeneo (seen previously at Lyric in 1997 and 1977). He will also return to lead the highly-anticipated continuation of Wagner’s Ring cycle, Siegfried; and the company premiere of Massenet’s Cendrillon. Lyric’s roster of guest conductors for the 2018/19 Season includes Domingo Hindoyan (debut, La bohème), Marco Armiliato (Il trovatore), Donald Runnicles (debut, Elektra), Michael Christie (debut, La traviata), and Harry Bicket (Ariodante). The 2018/19 Season’s operas will be staged by internationally acclaimed and award-winning directors including Richard Jones (La bohème and Ariodante), David Pountney (Siegfried), Laurent Pelly (Cendrillon), and Arin Arbus (La traviata), along with productions originally directed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle (Idomeneo) and Sir David McVicar (Il trovatore and Elektra). When Lyric first presented Idomeneo in 1977, it was in a different production directed and designed by Ponnelle for the Cologne Opera. The production he created for the Metropolitan Opera will be seen at Lyric for the first time next season. Lyric Unlimited will present the Midwest premiere of An American Dream, by composer Jack Perla and librettist Jessica Murphy Moo. Inspired by World War II-era events, the chamber opera earned national critical acclaim in its world premiere at Seattle Opera in 2015. Sung in English, An American Dream will have two performances at the Harris Theater in March 2019. Following the operas of the 2018/19 Season, Lyric will present a new coproduction of West Side Story May 3 – June 2, 2019. Francesca Zambello will direct this Lyric premiere, with set designs by Peter J. Davison, costume designs by Jessica Jahn, original choreography by Jerome Robbins, and lighting design by Mark McCullough. (The conductor, choreographer, and cast will be announced at a later date.) Members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus will participate in performing this 20th-century masterpiece with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and book by Arthur Laurents. Two of the world’s most renowned sopranos will offer thrilling special performances for Lyric audiences: On December 2, 2018, Lyric will present Anna Netrebko in Recital. The internationally celebrated Russian soprano (who triumphed at Lyric in the 2013 production of La bohème) will perform some of her favorite repertoire with renowned pianist Malcolm Martineau. On March 23, 2019, Lyric will present The Renée Fleming 25th Anniversary Concert and Gala to celebrate the anniversary of her Lyric debut and all that has followed. Fleming has starred in ten different operas at Lyric; she has given three dazzling concerts with the Lyric Opera Orchestra and a duo recital; she has been featured in Lyric’s 50th and 60th anniversary gala concerts; and she was named Lyric’s first creative consultant in 2010. Fleming herself will take part in a spectacular evening of music highlighting the operas she has performed at Lyric. She will be joined by several special guest artists (to be announced at a later date) and the Lyric Opera Orchestra. Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2018/19 Season New Coproduction La bohème by Giacomo Puccini (1858 – 1924) 11 performances, Oct. 6 - 20, 2018; Jan. 10 - 25, 2019 Sung in Italian with projected English translations Why have audiences have been falling in love with La bohème for more than 100 years? Because, in the most captivating music Puccini ever composed, he shows us exactly what love is about. Mimì and Rodolfo are young lovers we all understand, and when they suffer, our hearts break for them. Their romance ultimately leads to tragedy, but along the way are treasured moments of pure ecstasy. We get to know this endearing pair and their Bohemian friends, and we totally connect with their feelings. La bohème remains forever youthful, eternally fresh. Mimì Conductor Maria Agresta Domingo Hindoyan* Rodolfo Director Michael Fabiano* Richard Jones Musetta Designer Danielle de Niese Stewart Laing* Marcello Lighting Designer Zachary Nelson Mimi Jordan Sherin Colline Chorus Master Adrian Sâmpetrean Michael Black Benoît & Alcindoro Jake Gardner *Lyric debut Anthony Freud: “Perhaps the most adored opera of all, the music of La bohème is incredibly beautiful from start to finish. It’s an eternally youthful work, with a freshness that invigorates as well as a deep expressiveness that touches hearts. Our wonderful cast will bring this great masterpiece to extraordinarily vivid life. By being faithful to music and text, Richard Jones’s marvelous production takes us into the heart of this most romantic of all operas.” Sir Andrew Davis: “The conductor and orchestra of La bohème must feel totally connected to the stage in order to respond to the tricky pacing of the conversational passages in the score. And of course in the more touching scenes, the orchestra needs to plumb great depths of emotion. Domingo Hindoyan is on the cusp of a very important career, and we’re thrilled to have him debut at Lyric on the podium for this spectacular production." A coproduction of Lyric Opera of Chicago, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, and Teatro Real Madrid. New Lyric Opera coproduction of Puccini’s La bohème generously made possible by the Abbott Fund, Liz Stiffel, The Michael and Susan Avramovich Charitable Trust, Howard L. Gottlieb and Barbara G.