Art, Architecture, and the Lyric Opera Chicago: A Weekend in the Windy City
It’s a straight shot from ABQ to Midway Airport on a non-stop Southwest Airlines flight. For an additional $2.50 you can ride the CTA directly to the Loop. A group of us recently went to the Windy City to cheer for Jack Swanson, former Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Singer, who was making his debut in the role of Remiro in Lyric’s production of Rossini’s Cenerentola. The entire trip was delightful. Remarkably, the early-February weather in Chicago was no colder than the same period in Santa Fe—not one snowflake to be seen and temps in the 40s.
Lyric Opera of Chicago boasts the second largest opera house in the United States, with seating capacity of 3,563. Like many buildings in downtown Chicago, AKA “The Loop,” it is a beautiful example of late-1920s Art Deco design. The lobby has an impressive ceiling and light fixtures, and the auditorium follows suit. Even the end cap on each row of seats is ultra stylish.
The cast for Cenerentola was outstanding and the orchestra, under the direction of Yi-Chen Lin, was excellent. In addition to Jack Swanson’s wonderful performance, we saw Joshua Hopkins as Dandini; he was just as charming and vocally impressive in that role as he was playing Figaro in Santa Fe’s production of Barber of Seville in 2022. A young Russian mezzo named Vasilisa Berzhanskaya turned in a stunning performance as Angelina and Alessandro Corbelli proved that he still has what it takes in his rendition of Don Magnifico.
Chicago Lyric used a production of Cenerentola designed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, first staged in 1969 at the San Francisco Opera. Some 55 years later, it is still charming. The sets use an illustrated black-and-white approach and the costumes are very colorful. (Jack Swanson told us that Lyric’s Costume Shop built new costumes for the production, based on original designs. A vintage version of one of the stepsister’s costumes was on display near the bar.)
There are so many things to see in Chicago. The Art Institute has a stunning collection. The Chicago Symphony, quiet while we were visiting, is world renowned. Many Broadway shows start in Chicago, and the city is home to distinguished theatre companies such as Steppenwolf and Second City.
If you enjoy looking at architecture, Chicago is one of the best cities in the world. The Chicago Architecture Center offers excellent walking tours. We enjoyed one that featured stained glass and mosaic murals by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Though not available in winter months, the Architecture Center’s river boat tour is outstanding. If you are in town between mid-March and late November, don’t miss it.
From deep dish pizza to fine dining, there is no shortage of great restaurants. We especially enjoyed dinners at 312 and at Le Venteux. Eataly’s La Pizza & La Pasta was so good that we went twice in the course of two days!
Most of us stayed at the Hampton Inn North Loop, just south of the Chicago River and less than one block from Michigan Avenue. Its lobby is one of the interiors featured on the Architecture Center’s Art Deco walking tour. It was reasonably priced, clean and quiet, and desk staff were very helpful. It is an easy walk to the CTA’s elevated train that runs around the Loop and has lines reaching both major airports. It took approximately 20 minutes to walk to the Lyric Opera from the hotel.