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February 26 - March 20, 2017
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15
A Mozartian Marriage
Alan and I went to Lyric for our very first date. Alan, knowing
music was a shared interest, had gotten us tickets to
The Magic Flute
.
In doing so, he had actually scored a bigger hit than he thought.
Unbeknownst to him, not only had he picked one of my favorite
things to do in Chicago, but also one of two operas that I have loved
since I was a small child. It was the set-up for a perfect first date.
And it was.
I can still remember what it felt like to sit there in the dark,
letting the music flow over us, holding hands and sharing the beauty
and the fun of
The Magic Flute
. I remember thinking that no one had
ever made me feel this way before, and that I wanted the opera to go
on forever.
Although that performance, like all great performances, did have
to end, what began that night at Lyric did not. Two years later, I
walked down the aisle towards him to the sound of
The Magic Flute
.
And now three years after that, our marriage still involves music,
laughter...and going to Lyric.
Toby Schwartz
(Oak Park)
Lyric’s Feast for the Senses
The first opera I saw at Lyric was on a Friday
evening in November 2004. I was so delighted
by the talent, the costumes, and the stage sets
for
Aida
.
During intermission of
Aida
we had a
reservation for refreshments in a lovely room
that had the table all ready and waiting with the
beverage and snack we had chosen earlier. There
was just the right amount of time to enjoy our
treat and return to our seats.
After enjoying the evening so much at Lyric,
I was able to return for a complete backstage tour,
and ever since I have had a complete appreciation
of opera and the amazing performances offered
here in Chicago and at Lyric.
Marjorie Meanger
(St. Charles)
DAN REST
Two years before their wedding, Toby Schwartz and her husband
had their first date at a Lyric performance of
The Magic Flute
.
Pictured in the 2011-12 production are Stéphane Degout as
Papageno and Jennifer Jakob as Papagena.
Aida
, Marjorie Meanger’s first opera
at Lyric; and audiences at backstage
tours, another Lyric activity Marjorie
has also enjoyed.
Adoring Björling
In the ’50s I was attending a performance of
Don Carlo
– maybe the first
time Lyric presented it. Before the performance Danny Newman appeared
to announce that the tenor for the evening, Brian Sullivan, was indisposed
and would be replaced by...Jussi Björling. This is how I got to see the only
performance of
Don Carlo
that Björling ever sang in Chicago. He was
in Chicago to sing in another opera (I don’t remember which one), and
luckily was an available replacement. Rarely have I heard a cast change
announcement generate such applause.
Malcolm Vye
(Winnetka)
The great Swedish tenor Jussi Björling, pictured
in the title role of Verdi’s
Don Carlo
, in which
Malcolm Vye heard him as a last-minute substitute
at Lyric.
SEDGE LEBLANG/METROPOLITAN OPERA ARCHIVES
DAN REST
KYLE FLUBACKER (2)