CHICAGO (10/7/2026) — Lyric Opera of Chicago presents Donizetti’s dazzling comedy Don Pasquale, on stage November 12–27, 2026, returning to Lyric for the first time in over a decade. Filled with romantic plot twists, cunning schemes, and exuberant melodies, the production transports audiences to the glamorous rococo setting of 19th-century Rome. Conducting the Lyric Opera Orchestra in this lively production is Lyric Music Director Enrique Mazzola, joined by director Mariame Clément — the same creative pairing behind the staging’s original run at Glyndebourne in 2011. The stellar ensemble features Misha Kiria in the title role, Ying Fang as Norina, Alberto Robert as Ernesto, and Ryan Opera Center alumnus Ian Rucker as Dr. Malatesta. Sydney Mancasola sings the role of Norina at the November 27 performance.
When love, money, and family collide. Based on a libretto by Giovanni Ruffini and Donizetti, Don Pasquale follows a wealthy, aging, and headstrong bachelor determined to control his nephew Ernesto’s future. When Ernesto refuses to marry the affluent woman his uncle has chosen for him, preferring the spirited young widow Norina, Don Pasquale angrily threatens to disinherit him. Insistent on securing his family legacy and fortune, he decides to find a new heir by marrying and starting a family of his own. But his friend and physician, the wily Dr. Malatesta, has other ideas. Together with Norina, he hatches a ruse: Malatesta presents Don Pasquale with his supposedly demure “sister” — Norina in disguise — and a sham wedding follows. No sooner is the contract signed than the meek bride turns into a fiery, free-spending force of nature, setting off a whirlwind of disguises, misunderstandings, and comical confrontations. As the deception grows increasingly complex, Don Pasquale finds himself caught in a tangled web of trickery he never could have seen coming.
The voices behind Don Pasquale’s mischief-makers. Known for his precise musicality, commanding stage presence, and animated characterization, Georgian baritone Misha Kiria lends his versatility as a comic and dramatic baritone to the title role, in his Lyric debut. A graduate of the Accademia Teatro alla Scala in Milan and the Tbilisi State Conservatoire, Kiria gained international recognition in the title role of Verdi’s Falstaff at the Verdi Opera Festival at Teatro Regio di Parma, and is particularly acclaimed for his performances in the Italian repertoire, including Dr. Bartolo in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, Don Magnifico in Rossini’s La Cenerentola, and Dulcamara in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore. His international engagements have included Teatro alla Scala, Teatro Real in Madrid, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Vienna State Opera, Bavarian State Opera, and the Salzburg Festival.
Soprano Ying Fang, celebrated for her expressiveness, pure voice, and interpretive depth, channels her radiant artistry into her role debut as Norina. Fang was last seen at Lyric as Susanna in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro during the 2024/25 Season, and made her Lyric debut as Zerlina in the composer’s Don Giovanni in the 2019/20 Season. She is distinctly praised for her performances in Mozart repertoire, including Pamina in The Magic Flute and Ilia in Idomeneo. Her recent engagements have included London’s Royal Ballet and Opera, the Bavarian State Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera, as well as appearances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Vienna Philharmonic. Originally from Ningbo, China, Fang is a graduate of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and The Juilliard School, and is a former member of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.
Soprano Sydney Mancasola sings the role of Norina at the November 27 performance. She made her Lyric debut in the 2024/25 Season as Marzelline in Beethoven’s Fidelio and appeared in the 2025/26 Season’s world-premiere performances of Billy Corgan’s A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness, which she also performed on its European tour this September. A former member of the ensemble at Oper Frankfurt, Mancasola’s recent appearances include Adina in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore at the Opéra national de Paris, Pamina in Mozart’s The Magic Flute at the Metropolitan Opera, and Bess in Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s Breaking the Waves at the Adelaide Festival Centre and the Edinburgh International Festival, a role she has also performed at LA Opera. This season, she makes her company debut at Opernhaus Zürich as Adele in J. Strauss’s Die Fledermaus and returns to LA Opera as Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro.
Tenor Alberto Robert offers his bright voice and vocal agility to the role of Ernesto, in his Lyric debut. A native of Celaya, Mexico, he has earned recognition in several prestigious competitions, including the Opera Competition of the Conservatory of Music of Celaya, the Linus Lerner International Singing Competition, and the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, where he received an Encouragement Award in 2021. His repertoire includes Count Almaviva in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, Don Curzio in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, and Belfiore in Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims. A former member of the Opera Studio of the Stuttgart Opera, Robert has performed throughout Germany and Mexico, establishing himself as a rising tenor in the opera world.
Baritone Ian Rucker returns to Lyric as Dr. Malatesta. A former Ensemble member of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, Rucker draws on his experience across opera and musical theater for the role of the charming and clever physician who helps carry out the cunning scheme central to the comedy. He was most recently seen at Lyric as Guglielmo in Mozart’s Così fan tutte during the 2025/26 Season. Following his debut as Raimbaud in Le Comte Ory in the 2022/23 Season, his other Lyric appearances include Moralès in Bizet’s Carmen in the 2022/23 Season, the Foreman in Janáček’s Jenůfa in the 2023/24 Season, and Schaunard in Puccini’s La Bohème in the 2024/25 Season. Since completing his three seasons with the Ryan Opera Center, Rucker has performed throughout the United States and Europe, including a celebrated debut at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in France, where he originated the title role in The Story of Billy Budd, Sailor, a new opera by composer Oliver Leith and director Ted Huffman. He has been nominated for Rising Star of the Year at the 2026 International Opera Awards, and will make his Metropolitan Opera debut later this season as William Dale in Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell’s Silent Night.
A Glyndebourne partnership, reunited for Chicago. Lyric Music Director Enrique Mazzola leads Don Pasquale with his signature energy and flair. As a celebrated interpreter of bel canto repertoire, Mazzola is especially well suited to Donizetti’s world — in fact, he first conducted this very production for Glyndebourne in 2011. This season at Lyric, he also conducts Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Haydn’s The Creation, Massenet’s Hérodiade: An Opera in Concert, and Verdi’s La traviata. Beyond his work in Chicago, Maestro Mazzola continues an active international schedule. He made his debut at the Berlin State Opera conducting a new production of Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera, starring Anna Netrebko, Charles Castronovo, and Amartuvshin Enkhbat, who will reunite with Maestro later this season at Lyric in La traviata. Maestro Mazzola also made his debut at the Palais Garnier with the Opéra national de Paris, conducting a sold-out run of Rossini’s La Cenerentola. Later this season, he returns to the Metropolitan Opera to conduct performances of Donizetti's Maria Stuarda. These engagements reflect Maestro’s continued standing on the world’s leading opera stages even as Chicago remains his home base.
Acclaimed director Mariame Clément shapes Don Pasquale with her imaginative approach and internationally acclaimed theatrical vision. With a background in literature and art history, Clément is known for creating productions that are as intellectually rich as they are visually innovative, always finding fresh perspectives and unexpected humanity within classic works. Since making her directing debut in 2004, she has staged productions at some of the world’s leading opera houses and festivals, including the Opéra national de Paris, London’s Royal Ballet and Opera, the Salzburg Festival, Santa Fe Opera, the Berlin State Opera, and Theater an der Wien in Vienna. Her extensive experience with Donizetti includes this very production of Don Pasquale, which she first staged for Glyndebourne in 2011, and a trilogy of the composer’s celebrated “Three Queens” operas — Anna Bolena, Maria Stuarda, and Roberto Devereux — at the Grand Théâtre de Genève.
A creative team that gives Don Pasquale its personality. Set and costume designer Julia Hansen, in her Lyric debut, applies a keen eye for visual storytelling and close attention to detail, using scenery and costume to reveal character and create a world that complements the opera’s playful spirit. Lighting designer Bernd Purkrabek, in his Lyric debut, builds on that visual world with atmospheric, expressive lighting that shifts with the mood and energy of each scene. Chorus Director Michael Black shapes the Lyric Opera Chorus with precision, musicality, and energy, adding depth and momentum to Donizetti’s lively ensemble moments. Together, their work creates a colorful world for this vibrant comedy to unfold.
A comedy filled with charm, mischief, and unexpected lessons. Don Pasquale pairs sparkling vocals, amusing characters, and a story that finds humor in the complications of love, money, and family. With Enrique Mazzola leading the Lyric Opera Orchestra and an exceptional cast and creative team giving Donizetti’s world its full comic sparkle, this production offers an experience that is as musically brilliant as it is hilarious — an excellent fusion of quick-witted comedy, lyrical beauty, and genuine human warmth.
Performance dates: Six chances to see Don Pasquale:
- Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 7 p.m.
- Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 2 p.m.
- Wednesday, November 18, 2026 at 2 p.m.
- Saturday, November 21, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, November 24, 2026 at 7 p.m.
- Friday, November 27, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Language: Sung in Italian with projected English titles.
Running time: 2 hours and 40 minutes, including one intermission.
Pre-performance talks: Ticketholders are invited to a free pre-opera talk by noted opera scholar Dr. Harris Saunders on Don Pasquale’s composition history and social context; the talks begin one hour before each performance in the theater’s Steiner Parquet (the main floor).
Special events: Opera Insights — Musicologist Laura Sauer-Shah will moderate a panel discussion investigating the dynamic relationship between family, inheritance, and love on Monday, October 26. Reception at 6:00 p.m., program at 7:00 p.m. in The William B. and Catherine Graham Room at Lyric.
Artist Talkback — Join us immediately after the performance on Sunday, November 15, for a discussion with the artists from Don Pasquale. Northwestern's Dr. Stephen Alltop will lead this conversation around unmasking the music, the wit, and the timelessness of Don Pasquale.
Accessibility: Audio description, a guided touch tour of the set, and SoundShirts are available at the Sunday, November 15 matinee performance. Braille and large-print programs, high-powered opera glasses, assistive listening devices, and booster seats are available from the theater’s Steiner Parquet coat checks at all performances; new Auracast assistive listening technology is also available at all performances. For more information on these and other accessibility services, visit lyricopera.org/accessibility.
Production history: This production of Don Pasquale premiered at Glyndebourne on October 9, 2011, directed by Mariame Clément and conducted by Enrique Mazzola.
Location: Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois.
For more information and tickets, visit lyricopera.org/donpasquale or call 312.827.5600.
