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L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O
February 2 - 22, 2019
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What is your role here at Lyric, and
how long have you held the position?
I am a stage manager and this is my 18th
season. I work with directors and creative
teams during the rehearsal process to
establish they have everything they need
for their vision to be realized on stage. I
also run the rehearsals for a handful of
productions each season. In that capacity,
I make sure everyone is in attendance, I
monitor the scenes to track if the singers
have the props they need, I mark the
performers’ entrances and exits from the
stage for followspot purposes, and I take
notes from the directors and designers
on what they might want changed or
adjusted. I distribute those notes to the
necessary parties, all the while ensuring
the production is on track to be ready for
its opening performance.
What led you to work at Lyric?
Music has always been a big part of my
life. My parents put a guitar in my hand when I was five! I was a
Lyric season subscriber during college and would sit in the last row
of the upper balcony thinking, I need to be a part of this somehow.
I loved the spectacle of opera and the way that even in such a vast
theater, directors could create an intimate moment for 3,600 people.
I majored in piano and vocal performance and was working at the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra when I was put in touch with Marina
Vecci, who works in Lyric’s rehearsal department. I was eventually
hired as a rehearsal assistant and learned all about the company, and
how I could contribute with my interest and abilities. at led to
me becoming an assistant stage manager, and then a stage manager a
few years later.
What’s a typical day like for you?
No day is the same for me. In the morning, I might be rehearsing
a huge scene with 90 people on stage, and then running an intimate
scene with two principals later that same day. I could be overseeing a
sitzprobe (seated onstage rehearsal) with a full orchestra and chorus,
and afterwards finalizing paperwork and notes that need to be
disseminated to different members of the company.
What’s the most challenging aspect of your job?
Communication. It’s the job of the stage managers to synthesize
the notes we receive during the rehearsals and get those notes to the
correct people. If a director or designer decides to change even a
tiny detail, that change can affect four or five different departments.
I have to make sure those notes are being communicated accurately
and on deadline, and that everything is
progressing at the same rate.
What keeps you committed to the work
you do?
I see opera as a team sport. Working
backstage at Lyric, I’m surrounded by so
many unsung heroes that are incredibly
talented and passionate about their
craft.
eir commitment and integrity
to creating the best possible work keeps
me moving forward and doing my
best work. Even though we’re not on
stage singing or in the orchestra pit
playing an instrument, that’s still our
work up there and that’s amazing to see.
What’s something about your job that
people might not know?
As stage managers, we know everyone
in the company because that’s a
necessity. We’re familiar with the stage-
hands, dressers, wig and makeup crew,
chorus and orchestra members, plus most of the administrative staff.
My job is one of the few at Lyric that touches every single
department. We also are the ones who work most closely with the
designers, directors, and creative teams, because we are the liaison
between them and the rest of the company.
A favorite Lyric moment?
After 18 seasons, I have a lot of favorites! My most recent happened
during a student matinee performance of
Jesus Christ Superstar.
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show began with the fire curtain down, and the bright light would
slowly start to seep underneath the curtain as it went up. When
the music started and the electric bass began to swell, the entire
audience just erupted in applause and screams. In those moments,
you realize how much of an impact music has on people’s lives.
It was such a diverse audience, and for them to be able to look
at the stage and see an equally diverse cast, with people who
looked like them, I think that made them love it even more. ey
felt represented in the piece and that was an amazing moment.
Beyond opera, what are your other passions?
Because I spend so much time in a dark theater, I enjoy being
outside as much as possible outside of work. My husband
and I have two sons and a rescue dog, and we love being active.
Anything from hiking to swimming to basketball, and everything
in between. Spending time together around a firepit at night
is our idea of fun. We’re an extremely energetic bunch!
BACKSTAGE LIFE :
Rachel Tobias