The Marriage of Figaro

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16 | September 26 - October 24, 2015
Have you ever wondered how Lyric plans
its seasons? The process is fascinating,
with all the important considerations
examined, tweaked, altered in all sorts of ways,
months – in some cases, years – before you see
the results onstage.
General director Anthony Freud and music
director Sir Andrew Davis are responsible for
planning each season, collaborating in the
planning development process with deputy
general director Drew Landmesser, director of
artistic planning Andreas Melinat, and director
of operations Nick Martin.
In terms of choosing repertoire, “I think
we all have the same idea,” says Davis. “We
want to have a really broad, interesting,
fascinating mix. We’re trying to engage our
audiences on all kinds of levels.” Davis brings
up the example of last season’s The Passenger
as an unknown work for Chicago that Lyric
presented in its Midwest premiere: “This was
a piece that nobody knew, but the buzz about
it internationally was good, it had received
a lot of attention. We felt it was very strong
dramatically and that it would make a very
strong operatic experience – as indeed it was
for everyone who attended the performances.”
When planning a season in any performing-
arts company, but particularly in opera, the
key word is “balance.” The number of Lyric
audience members who hear opera all over the
world is comparatively small, notes Freud, so
“for the majority of our audience, we’re the sole
providers of an operatic diet. It’s an important
part of our responsibility to make sure the diet is
varied enough, both musically and theatrically.”
Most operas programmed at Lyric are
repertoire-driven. “We start with the title
and then plan the specific version of the title
– production and cast – after we’ve decided
in our minds to commit to that title,” Freud
explains. “Occasionally we program a title
because of a particular desire to make a
commitment to a specific artist. For example,
it’s unlikely that we’d plan Otello or Elektra
without also knowing who we had in mind for
the title roles, which are both very hard to cast.
It isn’t logical to decide on Elektra and then
spend the next year thinking who could sing
it!” Although most of the repertoire is difficult
to cast in a big house, when programming, say,
The Marriage of Figaro, the company doesn’t
necessarily need to begin by knowing who will
be offered the leading roles.
Here’s how Lyric plans an
TODD ROSENBERG
TODD ROSENBERG
TODD ROSENBERG
By Roger Pines
Putting
It All
Together