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L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O
6
|
November 14 - December 13, 2015
The world has known for more than a century that Franz Lehár’s
The Merry Widow
is one of the greatest operettas ever written.
It’s an absolute masterpiece, brimming over with wonderful melodies and a delightfully sentimental story.
We’re delighted to present
The Merry Widow
to you in Susan Stroman’s spectacular production, first seen at the
Metropolitan Opera last season. For every member of that audience, it was a joyous evening of captivating storytelling and
beautiful music-making.
In any operetta, understanding the text in both dialogue and song can play
a huge role in our enjoyment of the piece as a whole. There’s a good deal of
spoken dialogue in most of the great operettas, including
The Merry Widow
. In
Jeremy Sams’s new version (created especially for this production), we have the
treat of being able to savor the performances of great artists singing
and
speaking
in our own language.
My two remarkable colleagues at Lyric, creative consultant Renée Fleming
and music director Sir Andrew Davis, were integral to the success of this
production at the Met, and it’s wonderful that they’re able to reprise Lehár’s
operetta here in Chicago. Renée’s portrayal of the merry widow herself, Hanna
Glawari, entranced the New York audience with its vitality, wit, and of course,
the extraordinary vocalism that makes all of her portrayals unforgettable.
And how marvelous it is for us to experience Sir Andrew’s astounding stylistic
versatility in a season that includes his performances of not only Viennese
operetta, but also Rossini, Berg, and a world premiere.
Two other remarkable artists are returning to Lyric in this production.
Taking on the title role for the final three performances is Nicole Cabell, one
of the Ryan Opera Center’s most distinguished alumni, a hugely acclaimed
singing actress throughout America and Europe. Singing Count Danilo in all
the
Merry Widow
performances will be the legendary American baritone Thomas
Hampson, whose performances at Lyric in roles of Massenet, Verdi, and Wagner have made him a great Lyric favorite and
an artist we’re thrilled to welcome back this season. Joining Renée, Nicole, and Tom in the important supporting roles are
Michael Spyres (who gave an irresistible performance in our
Fledermaus
two seasons ago) and two marvelous artists in their
Lyric debuts, Heidi Stober and Patrick Carfizzi.
The Merry Widow
is bound to leave you floating on cloud nine, as if you’ve eaten the most delicious dessert. Its warmly
romantic glow and dazzling melodies will, I hope, add greatly to the joy of your holiday season.
Anthony Freud
From the General Director
STEVE LEONARD