CHICAGO (6/14/23) — Single tickets go on sale tomorrow — Thursday, June 15 at 10 a.m. CT — for Lyric Opera of Chicago’s compelling 2023/24 Season, which takes audiences on a global tour of opera with musical events in six different languages. Until now, Lyric’s much-anticipated new season was only available by subscription; recent seasons have seen incredible demand for single tickets. Featured in the new season are large-scale productions of classic operatic dramas and comedies, the Lyric premiere of an acclaimed contemporary opera by Terence Blanchard, and other special events, including a one-night-only performance by a Broadway legend.
"I am excited for audiences to discover Lyric’s thoughtfully designed new season, in which we will continue to offer fresh contemporary perspectives that point to the future of opera, bring some of the best singers in the world to Chicago, and present exciting and thought-provoking grand-scale productions," says Anthony Freud, Lyric’s general director, president & CEO. "Opera is best experienced live, and I invite everyone to experience the visceral thrill of gathering together in the Lyric Opera House for one of our captivating performances."
Single tickets are available tomorrow — Thursday, June 15, at 10 a.m. CT — online at lyricopera.org, by calling Lyric Audience Services at 312.827.5600, or by visiting the Box Office at the Lyric Opera House from 12 to 5 p.m. CT. Discounts are still available for subscription packages and groups of 10 or more. Good seats remain for all performances, but limited availability is anticipated for many dates.
Charismatic music director Enrique Mazzola conducts three operas in the 2023/24 Season, each with a momentous "first." The season-opening performances of Wagner’s ghostly thriller The Flying Dutchman mark Mazzola’s first Wagner opera at Lyric. The Lyric premiere of Terence Blanchard and Michael Cristofer’s Champion, an acclaimed co-production with the Metropolitan Opera about the life of boxer Emile Griffith, will be Mazzola’s first contemporary opera at Lyric. And Verdi’s epic love story and political drama Aida is an audience favorite that Mazzola will be conducting for the very first time in his storied career. Mazzola also conducts two performances of Mozart’s Requiem, a beloved masterpiece that puts the Lyric Opera Chorus and Orchestra center stage.
Other classics in the season include Donizetti’s The Daughter of the Regiment, one of opera’s most delightful comedies which is back on the Lyric stage for the first time in 50 years; Janáček’s Jenůfa, an intense drama conducted by Jakub Hrůša, the music director designate of London’s Royal Opera House; and Rossini’s Cinderella, the witty and heartwarming comedy based on the familiar fairy tale, but with a few new twists.
To commemorate the 2023/24 Season, musical theater’s biggest star will headline Lyric’s Season Opening Gala: An Evening with Audra McDonald.
For a free preview of the energy Mazzola will bring to the 2023/24 Season, and to hear artists from The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center sing selections from the new season, come to Sunday in the Park with Lyric on Sunday, August 20, 2023, at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park.
For more information about Lyric’s 2023/24 Season and to purchase tickets, visit lyricopera.org.
