Don Giovanni Returns to the Lyric

Don Giovanni – Lyric Opera of Chicago

The classic opera, last performed at the Lyric in their 2014/15 season, returns to Chicago this fall.

Don Giovanni is no Don Juan. Far from some charming rogue, we meet him in the opening attempting to rape a woman and killing her father when he attempts to intervene. And this, believe it or not, is a comedy. Punctuating the dark moments are scenes of Giovanni’s butler, Leporello listing his employer’s conquests or getting roped into a case of mistaken identity. It’s a tonal shift that can seem strange to modern eyes. The Lyric’s production doesn’t attempt to paper over that contrast, and in the hands of a talented cast, the show remains beautiful and compelling.

The cast across the board was excellent, but I want to heap particular praise on Amanda Majeski as Donna Elvira and Yuri Fang Zerlina. In addition to being phenomenal singers, they both infused their characters with several layers. Far from being passive characters tossed about by the men in their lives, they portrayed complicated characters part of the action, not just responding to it. Rachel Willis-Sørensen was also amazing and heartbreaking as Donna Anna, seeking justice for herself and her father.

The staging is comparatively sparse given other operas I’ve seen at the Lyric, though it serves the show. The sets are mostly, a few buildings for the characters homes and a hotel as backdrops. Their scale and angle makes them loom over the action, creating an almost claustrophobic sense, despite the size of the stage. The sets underscore the coming sense of doom for Giovanni.

Given that I’m still fairly new to opera myself, I feel like my reviews end up being an assessment for fellow neophytes. I can happily say that the show is lush and dramatic, but still accessible. Don Giovanni is a classic performed hundreds of years later for a reason, and the Lyric’s new production in a fine example of why.

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Kevin Curran

Presented November 14 – December 8 by the Lyric Opera of Chicago at the Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago.

Tickets are available in person at the box office, by calling 312-827-5600 or by visiting www.lyricopera.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found at www.theatreinchicago.com.