The Robert Carsen staging of Singin’ in the Rain will be Lyric Opera of Chicago’s musical end to the 2020–2021 season. Planned during the regular slate of offerings are the North American premiere of Lessons in Love and Violence, a Sondra Radvanovsky-led Tosca, and more.
The season begins with a Mascagni-Leoncavallo double-bill of Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci (September 17–October 10). Conducted by Carlo Rizzi, the revival of Elijah Moshinsky’s original staging is directed by Robin Tebbutt.
Following that is the North American premiere of Lessons in Love and Violence (September 27–October 9) by George Benjamin and Martin Crimp. Dan Ayling directs the revival of Katie Mitchell’s original staging, with Andrew Davis conducting.
Puccini’s Tosca (November 11–29) stars Met regular Sondra Radvanovsky in the title role. The opera is conducted by Giampaolo Bisanti and directed by Louisa Muller. Later on, Tamara Wilson sings Odaella in Verdi’s Attila (November 15–27), with Enrique Mazzola as conductor and Daniele Abbado directing.
Ringing in 2021 is Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s Proving Up (January 16–23), a co-production with Chicago Shakespeare Theater, conducted by Mazzoli with James Darrah directing. The season continues with Saint-Saëns’s Samson and Delilah (January 23–February 13), conducted by Emmanuel Villaume and directed by Peter McClintock, based on Moshinsky’s original staging.
Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love (January 30–February 13) stars Matthew Polenzani as Nemorino, returning to the Lyric after 2017's Rigoletto. Conducting for the Daniel Slater production is Eun Sun Kim, the recently appointed music director of San Francisco Opera.
Rounding out the season are Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro (March 14–April 11), conducted by Davis and directed by Barbara Gaines; and Stravinsky’s The Rakes Progress, starring Janai Brugger, who recently sang Clara in The Met’s Porgy and Bess. Davis conducts again, with Roy Rallo directing John Cox's original staging.
The postseason offering Singin’ in the Rain (June 6–13) is based on the Théâtre du Châtelet staging, which premiered in Paris in 2014 and saw a revival in 2017. Carsen directs with Stephen Mear as choreographer. The production was at one point slated to play Broadway in an engagement led by Derek Hough.
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For more information about the upcoming season, visit LyricOpera.org.
