He has clearly thought the work anew and it shows.

It is fluent and logical and the Personenregie is exceptionally detailed. On the whole his staging works extremely well. How did he fare in a work that has defeated so many? Robert Falls is recognized as one of the finest theatre directors in the US but he has directed very little opera. I’ve seen some awful stagings (Zambello), some highly successful ones that bring the work to life (Bieito) and some that just tried too hard (the recent Holten at the Royal Opera). It is a great venue and certainly deserves a place on any opera-goer’s plans.Īs I’ve mentioned before, Don Giovanni is a director’s graveyard. If visiting, I do recommend passing by earlier on the day of the performance to pick up tickets as, when I arrived, there was a very long line for the box office.

Prices are certainly reasonable for this part of the world and the quality of the casting and performances is invariably very high. In common with North American houses generally, much emphasis is made on selling subscriptions but individual tickets do go on sale around the start of August. Sightlines are great from all seats and the acoustic seems to work well, certainly from where I was sitting. Opened in 1929 and fully refurbished in 1996, it is a handsome theatre indeed. This was my first visit to the Chicago Lyric Opera and to Chicago and both are definitely worth visiting.

Chicago Lyric Opera Chorus, Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra / Andrew Davis.Ĭhicago Lyric Opera, Chicago.

Lyric opera chicago don giovanni