By Joseph Cunniff
Following is a look both forward and back to some of the best in Chicago music and theater.
LYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO begins their new season with Verdi’s thrilling “Ernani,” conducted by Enrique Mazzola and with five of today’s top Verdi voices. “Ernani” plays just 5 times: at 7 p.m. September 9 and 16, at 2 p.m. September 21 and 25, and at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1.
The ever-popular “Fiddler on the Roof” plays Sept. 17-October 7. Call (312) 827-5600 or visit lyricopera.org.
CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: Riccardo Muti begins his final season as CSO Music Director by leading the U.S, premiere of “Solemn Pledge” by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor; the Brahms Piano Concerto No.1 with Yefim Bronfman; and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 2, inspired by Ukrainian folk themes. Sept. 22 and 25. For a complete schedule visit cso.org.
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER: In their beautiful setting on Navy Pier, CST is presenting the World Premiere of “The Notebook: A New Musical,” based on the best-selling novel that became the successful movie. Sept.6-Oct.16. https://www.chicagoshakes.com.
BROADWAY IN CHICAGO presents “Anastasia,” the musical about the missing princess of the Romanov empire. Sept. 20-25 at the CBIC Theater, 18 W. Monroe. They are also presenting the popular “Wicked,” the Stephen Schwartz musical about an untold backstory of the witches of Oz. Sept. 28-Dec. 4 at the Nederlander Theater, 24 W. Randolph. Broadwayinchicago.com.
GOODMAN THEATER presents “Clyde’s,” Lynn Nottage’s comedy centering on a quest to create the perfect sandwich. Through Oct. 9 at Goodman, 150 N. Dearborn.goodmantheatre.com
STEPPENWOLF THEATER presents The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washinton” Sept.1-Oct. Oct 9 at Steppenwolf, 1650 N. Halsted, (312) 335-1650. Steppenwolf.org.
WRITER’S THEATER presents the comedy “Tiger Style!” Sept. 29-Oct.30 at Writer’s Theater, 325 Tudor, Glencoe. Writerstheatre.org
WINDY CITY PLAYHOUSE presents “Southern Gothic,” its immersive play in a full-scale 1960s home where four couples celebrate a birthday. Through Nov. 30 at Petterino’s lower level, 150 N. Dearborn (theater entrance on Randolph). Windycityplayhouse.com.
NORTHLIGHT THEATER presents “The Garbologists,” the comedy with an old-school sanitation worker and an Ivy League-educated gut in the cab of a garbage truck. Sept. 1-Oct. 2 at the North Shore Center, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Northlight.org.
BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER presents “My Brother Langston,” about the great poet and civil rights leader, with music from the Harlen Renaissance, through Sept.18. 4450 N. Clark. Blackensemble.org.
TIMELINE THEATER has extended their hit political comedy “Campaigns, Inc.” through Sept. 25. 615 W. Wellington. (773) 281-8463. Timelinetheater.com.
LIFELINE THEATER presents “Miss Holmes Returns,” based on the stories of Arthur Conan Doyle, through Oct. 16. (773) 761-4477. Lifelinetheatr.com.
CITY LIT THEATER presents Noel Coward’s comedy “Hay Fever” through Oct. 9. City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr.citylit.org.
VIOLET SKY THEATER, one of Chicago’s newest theater groups, scored a big success with Tennessee Williams’s “Summer and Smoke,” with excellent acting throughout. They’re planning Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” next. At Invictus Theater, 1105 W. Thorndale. www.violetskytheater.com.
IMMEERSIVE MONET: You can surround yourself with gorgeous paintings by Monet, Renoir, Cassatt, Degas, and more, along with thrilling French music, in “Immersive Monet and the Impressionists” through September 25 at Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago, 108 W. Germania Place. Across the street from the Chicago History Museum at Clark and North. Visit immersivemonet.com.
GRANT PARK MUSIC FESTIVAL RECAP: The final five programs of the summer featured some remarkable concerts. Carlos Kalmar led the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra in a fascinating “Andromede” by the French composer Augusta Holmes, who should be played more often; a darkly dramatic Ravel Concerto for the Left Hand with soloist Andreas Haefliger; and an energized, dramatic “Symphonie fantastique by Berlioz.
Kalmar led a sparkling program of Libby Larsen’s lovely “Deep Summer Music”; a knockout Flite Concerto by Christopher Theofanidis, featuring virtuoso flutist Marina Piccinini; and a stirring Symphony in D by Cesar Franck, honoring the bicentenary of his birth (1822-2022).
Violinist Christian Tetzlaff was the sensational soloist in the Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1, compared to which the rest of the program, the “Dona Nobis Pacem” of Ralph Vaughan Williams, struck this listener as dull.
Kalmar’s program including the winning “Fairy Tale” by Josef Suk (the son-in-law of Dvorak) and a suite from Tchaikovsky’s “The Sleeping Beauty” was most melodic and enjoyable, made more so by the “Festival HD” on the Pritzker Pavilion’s giant screen.
The season’s closing program, Haydn’s “The Creation,” was a success for the Grant Park Chorus, prepared by Michael Black, and the soloists, soprano Maeve Hoglund, tenor Duke Kim, and bass Douglas Williams.
FAVORITES OF THE SEASON: For this listener, they included the recently mentioned Berlioz “Symphonie fantastique” and the Franck Symphony in D, both conducted by Kalmar, and the earlier in the season Benjamin Britten “Spring Symphony,” led by Christopher Bell.
FAVORITE SOLO PERFORMANCES: Violinist Tetzlaff in the Shostakovich wins first prize. Second is a three-way tie among pianist Simon Trpceski for the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2; Andreas Haefliger for the Ravel Piano Concerto for the Left Hand; and the recently mentioned flutist Marina Piccinini, who when took the stage wearing a stunning silver gown, caused my friend Phyllis to remark “She LOOKS like a flute.”
All told, a wonderful season, with often fine weather.