Anthony Freud News

A star-studded array of vocal talent with deep ties to Chicago gathers on stage at Lyric Opera to pay tribute to the city's wide-reaching influence across blues, jazz, rock, folk, hip-hop, gospel, opera and classical music in Great Performances: Chicago Voices, premiering nationwide Friday, August 10 at 10 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) and streaming the following day on pbs.org/gperf and PBS apps. Hosted by four-time Grammy-winning soprano Renée Fleming, the multi-genre concert special features performances by Fleming, Tony-winner Jessie Mueller (Waitress, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Grammy-winning rapper Lupe Fiasco, three-time Grammy-winning folk legend John Prine, Grammy-winning pop and gospel singer Michelle Williams (Destiny's Child), Grammy-winning jazz singer Kurt Elling and many more in a celebration of Chicago's rich and diverse vocal music legacy.

The North American premiere of Timothy Sheader's explosive Olivier Award-winning production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar opens at Lyric tonight, April 27, with performances through May 20 (press opening April 28). Lyric is the only place to experience the grand scale of this acclaimed production in its first staging outside London.

The Women's Board of Lyric Opera of Chicago is pleased to announce the Lyric Opera Wine Auction catalogue is now live for viewing and online bidding online at www.lyricopera.org/wineauction2018. The triennial fundraiser's digital platform offers wine enthusiasts across the globe the ability to access some of the world's most sought-after wines as well as one-of-a-kind travel and dining experiences.

The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago will present its annual Rising Stars in Concert program on Saturday, April 7, at 7:30pm at the Lyric Opera House. The concert will include the talented artists and pianist of the 2017/18 Ensemble performing with members of the acclaimed Lyric Opera Orchestra. 

Artists from the bands Postmodern Jukebox, tUnE-yArDs and Diane Coffee join Broadway and West End talent for Lyric Opera's North American premiere of Timothy Sheader's explosive Olivier Award-winning production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, presented from April 27 to May 20, 2018 at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago (press opening April 28).

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. 

Canadian-American soprano Erin Wall has withdrawn from Faust at Lyric Opera of Chicago to undergo chemotherapy, Anthony Freud, Lyric's general director, president & CEO, announced today. Freud added that her doctors expect a full recovery within a few months, according to her manager. Everyone at Lyric wishes Erin all the best and looks forward to welcoming her back in future seasons. An alumna of Lyric's Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center program (2001-04) with a major international career, Wall has portrayed Marguerite/Faust, Donna Anna/Don Giovanni, Pamina/The Magic Flute, Fiordiligi/Cos fan tutte, Helena/A Midsummer Night's Dream, Konstanze/Die Entf hrung auf dem Serail, and Antonia/Les Contes d'Hoffmann at Lyric.

In the first rock 'n' roll performances of its production history, Lyric Opera of Chicago presents Andrew Lloyd Webber's iconic rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar the North American debut of Timothy Sheader's explosive, high-energy, Olivier Award-winning production from London's Regent's Park Open-Air Theatre, presented April 27-May 20, 2018 at the Lyric Opera House.

Nationally known fundraising professional Elizabeth Hurley will join Lyric Opera of Chicago as its new chief development officer the company announced today. Hurley will be stepping into the role on March 1, 2018.

In September, Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Urban League announced EmpowerYouth! Igniting Creativity through the Arts, a groundbreaking, multi-year partnership that immerses African American youth in the creation of an original opera based on their own life experiences. Collaboratively planned and administered by Lyric Unlimited, Lyric's community engagement and education arm, and the Chicago Urban League's Youth Development Center, EmpowerYouth! is a multidisciplinary afterschool program that will culminate in the presentation of a fully staged, youth-centric opera on May 31 at the Lyric Opera House.

From the composer of Carmen, Lyric Opera of Chicago presents Bizet's The Pearl Fishers. Characterized by tropically hued costumes and colorful sets, this new-to-Chicago production promises high drama and gorgeous music conducted by Sir Andrew Davis and directed by Andrew Sinclair.

Wine Auction 2018, the highly regarded triennial event organized by The Women's Board of Lyric Opera of Chicago, has announced dazzling auction lots as its milestone 30th anniversary nears.

An icy princess is terrified of love. A mysterious prince solves three riddles and melts her heart while breaking another's. Love triumphs, but it's complicated. Starring Amber Wagner, Stefano La Colla, Maria Agresta/Janai Brugger

The Harris Theater for Music and Dance, in association with Lyric Unlimited, has announced the return of Beyond the Aria - the highly acclaimed performance series produced by the Harris Theater which pairs internationally celebrated opera singers of Lyric's mainstage alongside rising stars from The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

The Harris Theater for Music and Dance, in association with Lyric Unlimited, has announced the return of Beyond the Aria - the highly acclaimed performance series produced by the Harris Theater which pairs internationally celebrated opera singers of Lyric's mainstage alongside rising stars from The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Lyric Opera of Chicago will present international singing phenomenon Choir! Choir! Choir! at the Lyric Opera House (20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago) today, October 21 at 8pm.

The Pearl Fishers is coming to the Lyric Opera of Chicago, November 19 - December 10.

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents the harrowing story of a protective father, a lovestruck daughter, a predatory duke, and the terrible consequences of a curse in Verdi's Rigoletto. The new-to-Chicago production stars two world-renowned Ryan Opera Center alumni, Quinn Kelsey and Matthew Polenzani, in the opposing roles of the jester and the duke; and Italian soprano Rosa Feola (familiar to CSO audiences) in her Lyric debut as Gilda.

Here's what you need to know about RIGOLETTO, running at Lyric Opera of Chicago, October 7 - November 3...

Lyric Opera of Chicago has announced that Thirteen Productions LLC for WNET New York has selected the world-renowned opera company's premiere production of the 1774 Paris version of Gluck's Orph e et Eurydice, created by the legendary choreographer John Neumeier and featuring The Joffrey Ballet, to be part of the prestigious Great Performances series on PBS.