A host of opera and musical theatre stars assembled online September 13 for Lyric Opera of Chicago's For the Love of Lyric, a virtual concert to take place in lieu of the traditional Opening Night Opera Ball in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Check out the full stream above.
Highlights throughout the evening included Tony Award winner Heather Headley offering impassioned renditions of Finian's Rainbow's "Look to the Rainbow," The Lion King's "Shadowland," and "Home" from The Wiz; Renée Felming and Julia Bullock dueting virtually on Le Nozze di Figaro's "Sull'aria"; and J'Nai Bridges and members of Chicago Children's Choir coming together for the Sesame Street tune "Sing"; as well as opera and musical theatre repertoire favorites from soprano Ailyn Pérez and bass Soloman Howard. Doug Peck served as music director.
"Lyric’s Opening Night Opera Ball has long been a signature project of Lyric’s Women’s Board," General Director Anthony Freud said earlier. "Even before we began to imagine the extent of public health limits on events and performances, the Women’s Board was hard at work rethinking what our season-opening event could and should be. Now, with further evolution and much hard work, we are proud to present For the Love of Lyric—a very special concert presentation available to the largest possible audience via streaming."
As previously announced, Lyric will remain dark through 2020. The company intends to reopen in January 2021 with the Chicago premiere of Blue, by Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson.