CHICAGO (11/6/2026) — Lyric Opera of Chicago’s popular Movie Nights at Lyric series returns in the 2026/27 Season with presentations of two iconic movies accompanied by the lush sounds of the Lyric Opera Orchestra. From families to cinephiles, the series is the perfect introduction to a live performance for audiences of all ages, with Disney’s Encanto in Concert Live to Film on November 28 and 29, followed by Amadeus LIVE on January 15 and 16.
Launched in the 2024/25 Season with a sold-out presentation of Singin’ in the Rain, the Movie Nights at Lyric series has presented a variety of delightful, family-friendly performances of superb live music and classic films. The popular series continues to evolve its offerings, with Amadeus LIVE marking the first time the power of the Lyric Opera Chorus will join the lush sounds of the Lyric Opera Orchestra for Movie Nights at Lyric.
Encanto in Concert Live to Film
November 28 & 29, 2026
Bring the whole familia. The first Movie Nights at Lyric title of the 2026/27 Season welcomes audiences to the family Madrigal as Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Encanto is brought to life in the opera house. Encanto tells the tale of an extraordinary family who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia in a magical house within a vibrant town that’s situated in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift from super strength to the power to heal — every child except one: Mirabel. But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she — the only ordinary Madrigal — just might be her exceptional family’s last hope.
Released in 2021, the film features eight original songs by Academy Award-nominated, Tony and Grammy-winning songwriter and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, with an original score by Academy Award-nominated composer Germaine Franco. Music from Encanto swept the Visual Media categories at the 65th Grammy Awards, winning Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, and Song Written for Visual Media for “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.”
The music of the Madrigals meets the power of the orchestra. The Lyric Opera Orchestra brings Encanto to life in this live-to-film concert, performing the complete score in sync with the movie on the big screen. From “The Family Madrigal” to “Surface Pressure,” every rhythm, harmony, and swell of strings comes straight from the stage. It’s the music your family plays on repeat, now played by one of the world’s great opera orchestras.
Chilean-born conductor Gonzalo Farias, Associate Conductor of the Houston Symphony, leads the Lyric Opera Orchestra in these unforgettable performances. Farias made his Lyric debut conducting Disney’s Coco in Concert Live to Film in the 2025/26 Season. A passionate educator and advocate for musical storytelling that builds community, Farias has previously held conducting posts with the Kansas City Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, and Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and served as Music Director of the Joliet Symphony Orchestra. His work has also been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts and the League of American Orchestras.
Disney’s Encanto in Concert Live to Film will be performed at the Lyric Opera House on Saturday, November 28, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, November 29, at 2:00 p.m. In addition to projected Spanish titles at both performances, the Sunday matinee will feature American Sign Language interpretation and SoundShirt accessibility services.
Tickets to Disney’s Encanto in Concert Live to Film start at $39. For tickets and more information, visit lyricopera.org/Encanto.
Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts.
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Amadeus LIVE
January 15 & 16, 2027
A genius, a grudge, and a glorious soundtrack. Movie Nights at Lyric continue in the new year with the chance to see the sumptuous period epic Amadeus on the big screen accompanied by Lyric’s full musical forces. Winner of eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Actor, Director, and Adapted Screenplay, Miloš Forman’s Amadeus has always been about the music. Now you can hear that music performed live.
Adapted from Peter Shaffer’s original stage play, the 1984 film tells the story of Vienna court composer Antonio Salieri and the envy that consumes him upon discovering that the divine musical gifts he has so longed for all his life have been bestowed on a bawdy and impish young composer, Mozart. Salieri’s envy fuels his plot to destroy the man, while all the while he is unable to tear himself away from the genius of Mozart's music.
Full orchestra. Full chorus. Full drama. Amadeus LIVE features Mozart's most celebrated works performed live in-sync by a full orchestra and chorus. Amadeus LIVE marks the first time the Lyric Opera Chorus, led by Chorus Director Michael Black, participates in Movie Nights at Lyric, joining the Lyric Opera Orchestra to perform alongside the award-winning film. Audiences will watch as the riveting story of Salieri and Mozart unfolds on screen as Lyric’s full orchestra and chorus bring the film’s extraordinary music to glorious life.
Conductor Brett Mitchell will make his Lyric debut conducting the Lyric Opera Orchestra in Amadeus LIVE. An accomplished pianist and Steinway Artist, Mitchell is celebrated for his original solo transcriptions of iconic film scores and his work conducting live-to-picture performances of more than two dozen films. Music Director of the Pasadena Symphony and Artistic Director & Conductor of Oregon’s Sunriver Music Festival, Mitchell leads orchestras across the United States and internationally. He made his New York Philharmonic subscription debut in 2025, stepping in to conduct acclaimed performances at David Geffen Hall. Mitchell previously served as Music Director of the Colorado Symphony and Associate Conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra, and has appeared with many of the nation’s leading orchestras.
Amadeus LIVE will be performed at the Lyric Opera House on Friday, January 15 at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, January 16 at 2:00 p.m. Both performances will feature projected English titles, and the Friday performance will also offer American Sign Language interpretation and SoundShirt accessibility services.
Tickets to Amadeus LIVE start at $39. For tickets and more information, visit lyricopera.org/Amadeus.
Amadeus film licensed by The Saul Zaentz Company.
Amadeus LIVE is a production of Avex Classics International.
