“Dutchman,” “Jenůfa” and “Aida” on tap in Lyric Opera’s 2023-24 season

Tue Mar 14, 2023 at 2:05 pm

By Lawrence A. Johnson

MIchelle Bradley sings the title role in Verdi’s Aida in Lyric Opera’s 2023-24 season. Photo: by Edward Wilensky/San Diego Opera

The Lyric Opera of Chicago will present six operas in the 2023-24 season—one more than the current season but still down from the eight productions that have been its core for decades.

Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman (Der fliegende Holländer) opens the season September 23. Tomasz Konieczny stars in the haunted title role with Tamara Wilson as Senta and Robert Watson as Erik. Enrique Mazzola conducts with a Christopher Alden staging.

Donizetti’s The Daughter of the Regiment (La fille du régiment) the first of two buffa comedies, follows November 4-25. Lisette Oropesa makes her belated company debut as Marie with Lawrence Brownlee as Tonio, Ronnita Miller as the Marquise and Alessandro Corbelli as Sulpice. Conductor Speranza Scappucci makes her Lyric Opera debut.

Jakob Hrůša, a popular CSO guest conductor, will make his Lyric debut leading performances of Leoš Janáček’s Jenůfa (November 12-26). Lise Davidsen stars in the title role with Nina Stemme as her mother (the Kostelnička) and Pavel Černoch and Richard Trey Smagur as Laca and Števa, the brothers who are rivals for Jenůfa’s affections. 

Rossini’s La Cenerentola (Cinderella) opens the new year (January 21-February 10, 2024). Vasilisa Berzhanskaya in the title role and Jack Swanson as Prince Ramiro will make their Lyric debuts. Alessandro Corbelli, Joshua Hopkins and Nicholas Newton fill out the cast with Yi-Chen Li conducting.

Terence Blanchard’s Champion follows (January 27-February 11) in its company debut with Eric Owens, Justin Austin, Whitney Morrison, Martin Luther Clark and Paul Groves with Mazzola conducting.

The season closes with Verdi’s Aida (March 9-April 7) with Michelle Bradley in the title role, Russell Thomas as Radames, and Jamie Barton as Amneris. Mazzola conducts. 

Mazzola will also lead a performance of Mozart’s Requiem (March 22 and 24) and there will be a season-opening gala with Audra McDonald October 6.

Subscriptions are now on sale. Visit lyricopera.org or call 312-827-5600. 

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5 Responses to ““Dutchman,” “Jenůfa” and “Aida” on tap in Lyric Opera’s 2023-24 season”

  1. Posted Mar 14, 2023 at 2:50 pm by GCMP

    Really, another David Alden? Will it have polar bears? Although they might make more sense in Flying Dutchman than in The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny.

  2. Posted Mar 14, 2023 at 2:52 pm by GCMP

    And no musical? Will they add that later? The Mozart Requiem seems like a fill-in for something that fell through.

  3. Posted Mar 14, 2023 at 9:30 pm by Marv

    Sounds like a fantastic season! It’s great to see how Lyric continues to take artistic chances on newer piece while delivering on the favorites. I’m particular excited to see stars like Oropesa and Davidsen joining the roster!

  4. Posted Mar 15, 2023 at 11:47 am by Victor T.

    @GCMP

    I was at the event and Freud mentioned that he is negotiating with at least 2 rights holders for the Musical. As the production lead time for those is smaller; he didn’t want to get tied into one, if another better one becomes available. I am sure they will have the musical add-on; as it makes a lot of money for the company.

    I feel they are still recovering financially from the cancellation of the Ring Cycle and the 2020-21 season.

  5. Posted Mar 15, 2023 at 3:25 pm by Stephen

    A real improvement over the current season. The November operas — Fille du Regiment and Jenufa — are truly cast with world class singers and the opportunity to hear Hrusa in Janacek is extremely exciting. There is no one better in the world for that music and it is likely to be as good an evening of opera as Chicago has had for a long time with a great cast and engaged conductor.

    The rest of the season is less than thrilling and the thought of Bradley and Thomas in Aida does not get my heart racing. At least Jamie Barton should be exciting. Not so sure about Mazzola conducting given his mediocre work so far. The combo of Oropesa and Brownlee is more than promising as she is simply fabulous and the two together should be dynamite.

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