I've only been to one of their productions, and that was at the Aethaneum, so take this with a grain of salt. The production was good, definitely not very good or great. This company is a helpful launching pad for singers who are working to become full-time professional opera singers. My husband and I saw one of the Handel operas, and the singing, with the exception of the soprano lead, had a ways to go. The acting also wasn't so great - the performers seemed more focused on vocal tehnique. I'm a bit of an opera buff, but my husband isn't, and it was hard for him. Handel opera isn't especially approachable, so that might have been my poor judgment call. We both enjoy the Lyric much more (although he likes to get 40 winks there too). But the Lyric certainly has a larger budget for singers, sets, etc. This is not an inspired regional opera company, but a solid one. read more

I scored dress rehearsal tickets to a few of Chicago Opera Theater's upcoming shows. Last night, my sister and I went to see La Clemenza di Tito. I'm no opera expert, but I can definitely appreciate it. The performance was beautiful. The music was unbelievably powerful and the interpretation somewhat modern (though I'm merely speculating). I'm a photographer, and I found myself in utter awe of the sets and of the lighting. Everything about it was so dramatic and full of contrast and just fit the performance to a T! The Harris theater itself is not at all what I expected. It's very modern, almost cold feeling, with very few embellishments or visual distractions one might expect from a theater. Not saying this is good or bad. Just is. In a sense, I suppose it helped keep the focus where it belongs: on the stage. Overall, a wonderful experiences. Can't wait until the next show! read more

Hmmmmm. I have a hard time with COT since Lyric is right across town. The singing was great, yes, and their Young Artist Program helps many talented up and coming singers get their foot in the door. But the production just seemed like a minor-league version of Lyric. Being in Harris Hall instead of the Civic Opera House didn't help matters. Something was lost for me. Also, I think the cheapest student tix you can get here are way back in the nosebleed section and even at that, are comparable to Lyric. To boot, it's way easier to park right across the river for cheap (meters end at 9) if you're going to Lyric; if I'm going to COT I'm either going to pay through the nose or have to take the train. Meh! Take it or leave it. read more

Was taken by a friend last September to my first opera - at Chicago Opera Theater. Affordable enough on a Wednesday night for us to sit 4 rows from the stage. The talent was marvelous. I understand the Lyric has more hoopla and grand effects - but, to be honest, the stage decor was wonderful and effective - and the excellent acting and singing carried the performance. I think it a great bargain. We had bubbly before the show - and easily found parking on the street at a meter. read more

Owen Wingrave Chicago Opera Theater is faithful to its slogan: "Opera Less Ordinary". Their last 2009 production, Benjamin Britten's Owen Wingrave is exemplary in that tradition. One is struck almost immediately by the design of COT's production; it's much more elaborate than COT subscribers are accustomed to seeing. Further, set elements move on and off the stage at frequent intervals providing a very fluid setting for the unfolding story. At some points, the movement of some very large set pieces almost seems chaotic. Then, suddenly, the entire scene congeals into a coherent whole with set pieces, singers and actors precisely placed and blocked to advance the story. Another interesting feature of the production is the use of two supernumeraries whose performance is absolutely essential to the telling of the story. The characters are named simply Father and Boy in the program and are played by Blake Montgomery and Mason Baker respectively. They appear immediately as the curtain rises representing ghosts. They have no speaking parts and yet appear repeatedly throughout the opera as Owen Wingrave struggles with his own self-acceptance. They dominate the stage whenever they appear. Britten's music is, after all, 20th Century British; Britten's atonality is not my own first choice for an enjoyable evening of music. It is also very difficult for the singers, who must literally memorize and place every note where it belongs with almost no clues based on traditional musical forms. On the other hand, it's impossible to tell if they've incorrectly sung a passage unless one has a score to reference. Occasionally, Britten resorts to a twelve-tone string, but I couldn't identify a twelve-tone string if my life depended on it, so such compositional gymnastics are wasted on me. In Act II, as Owen comes to terms with himself, Britten switches to lyrical, diatonic style, demonstrating that he actually can write major and minor triads when it suits his purposes. COT is always careful to select superb, rising, young singers for its productions, and Owen Wingrave is no exception. Matt Boehler in the role of Spencer Coyle is especially strong, as is Robin Leggate in the role of Sir Philip Wingrave. Brenda Harris is worthy of mention for both singing and acting the role of Mrs. Julian. Mary Jane Johnson's portrayal of Miss Wingrave also deserves mention. Finally, the story: Director Ken Cazan's program notes call the opera a distinctly anti-war piece. This is true, but only at the most superficial level. It is true that the character Owen Wingrave refuses to follow the family tradition of becoming an officer and soldier, but closer analysis will reveal that Owen is much more complex than a simple pacifist. He is both courageous and strong in his resolve to pursue his own path away from a military career despite his family's nearly brutal insistence that he uphold the family honor and traditions. But at several points he condemns military men and governments who command them and would have them all executed. These are hardly the words of a pacifist and only illustrate the fact that Owen is perfectly willing to inflict death and destruction providing they advance his own agenda. No, this is not about anti-war and pacifism. In the final analysis, Owen Wingrave is about one man's search for, and coming to terms with his own plans for his own destiny in the face of brutal opposition from his family. It explores the notion of duty: what is it and to whom is it owed? What are the consequences of nonconformity? When are we justified in taking control of our own destinies, even when that entails depriving others of real or imagined benefits? The questions raised by the opera are both profound and numerous and in the end, none are answered. There are, after all, no answers to these questions; there are only personal decisions in the context of personal life experiences. Each individual must face these questions, to a greater or lesser degree, and answer them for himself. The production is superb; the opera is superb; the experience made me sit in my seat for nearly five minutes after the rest of the audience had departed, just turning these kinds of thoughts over in my mind. Soon, of course, I realized that I wasn't about to discover answers to these kinds of questions and I left. Highly recommended. read more

The Chicago Opera Theater is the Lyric's little quirky cousin. It's been around for a almost 40 years but in the past decade has moved from the Athenaeum to the Harris Theater at Millenium Park and even more recently acquired the new General Director of Andreas Mitisek, who co-directs this Chicago location with the Long Beach Opera. This opera works off season for the Lyric, so if you're a year round opera fan or a snowbird, you can catch performances from March through September with typically three performances per season. There is a lot to love about this company. The venue is modern at the very north end of Millenium Park, in what amounts to basically an underground arena. It is more intimate than its larger cousin, with excellent sight lines and acoustics. Know that if you park in the Laz Millenium Parking lot and get your ticket validated at a performance, you can get discounted parking as well. The real draw of this company for me, however, is the contemporary slant to the operas and productions. I have seen some of the most interesting shows I've ever imagined there. It's not fat ladies in breast plates singing on Valhalla, mind you, this can be some provocative and spectacularly intelligent stuff. Because these generally lesser known works and contemporary composers have a smaller subscriber/fan base and still high production costs, the bigger cousin pretty much stopped offering anything but popular warhorses or opera-fied versions of classic musicals. COT is not that at all. There is an emphasis on American composers sung in English here; but if you still can't understand, they all include supertitles to guide you through. Amazing performances I've seen in the past here include John Adams' The Flowering Tree, Tod Machover's Death and the Powers, and Philip Glass' The Fall of the House of Usher. Even if they do pick a more conventional opera composer like Handel, Mozart or Rossini, you can bet it will be a work which is rarely performed. Since it will be rarely performed show, the productions tend to be newer as well. This makes the COT a rare gem for Chicagoans who thirst for something fresh. Musical and vocal performances are generally first rate, as is lighting, staging, costuming and even dance. Last night, I enjoyed a new production of Duke Ellington's unfinished opera, Queenie Pie. More of an operetta, the knockout performance of the female lead saved this show. First time subscribers will get a 50% discount on tickets, which pushed me over the edge this year from just cherry picking shows in previous years. There are always all kinds of discounted tickets available, especially for students and young professionals. Check the website to see what kinds of offers are available to take in a surprise, something that will delight, or challenge you. This is opera for art's sake, and if you're in for this, it's the only game in town. read more

I didn't know about the COT until a friend introduced me to it a few months ago. The COT is hidden underground, just by Millennium Park. The theater is small(er), and has a cold and sterile feel to it when you first walk in... almost like a dungeon. I went to go see "Return of Ulysses" and it was very well done. I have to agree with John, the singing was very good, and I've heard that it is better than the Lyric. Parking is excellent for those driving - the entrance to the theater is steps away from the lot. Give yourself a lot of time so you are not late! Ladies, bring a jacket or a shawl, because the theater gets quite cold. read more

I'm a Chicago native and have always supported Chicago theater. I moved to the east coast 2 years ago and decided that I would treat myself and a friend to the play Queenie Pie at the Chicago Opera Theater on an upcoming visit to Chicago. I just bought tickets today. I was super excited. Less than 12 hours later I get an email stating that the remaining shows had been postponed and rescheduled to new dates. Unfortunately, I am only going to be in town for one week and none of the dates worked for me. Instead of offering a refund, I was asked if I wanted a "credit" for another day or get a tax deductible letter in the mail. If I don't live in Chicago then why would I want a credit for a show that I won't be able to see. I'd have to inconvenience myself more and fly back which is ridiculous. I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and not surprisingly they are not accredited by them nor did they respond to the BBB's request for a mutual resolution. So basically I lost $71 and no one there at the box office or management gives a damn. I will never spend another dime here and its best that you know that they can reschedule at any time, so THEIR screw up costs YOU! TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! Can you say RIP OFF? read more

COT is a perfect complement to the opera scene in Chicago which, like anywhere in the world probably, is dominated by slavery to making money and pleasing the modern aristocracy by mindlessly replaying the same dreadful opera productions over and over and over. Somehow, COT has found a way to survive, albeit with a limited season, by choosing almost exclusively among underplayed or new works. While they don't have the budget of a big company, they do quite a bit with exposing us to things that we couldn't get elsewhere, and even with a rough edge or two this is far of a superior experience to tradition. The Harris is a great venue. They attract both local and international talent to do some amazing works, recently Bluebeards Castle, the Chicago premiere (yes before the Met) of Nixon in China and the US premiere of the Flowering Tree, a number of rare Handel works (played disappointingly more "straight" than the tongue in cheek performances with Lyric of Handel), and a rare Shostakovich operetta. Their tight performance schedule is my major gripe, with all the performances in just a couple months in the spring, which makes it hard to see them all. It is an unjust world that doesn't allow a company like this to overcome and overwhelm in popularity the establishment organizations like the Lyric. read more

Chicago's other opera company. This is a good choice for those who cannot afford full Lyric subscriptions and would like a short season (3 operas) with more innovative repertoire. The current regime here started out by avoiding anything from the nineteenth century (focusing on early opera and twentieth century works); but they have branched out into less performed nineteenth century pieces as well. In reent seasons, they have done a lot of Britten, Mozart, Handel and Monteverdi. Productions do not always work but are adventuresome. First rate singing -- often better than what Lyric has to offer. read more

My friend discovered an Opera Underground special where we could get specially priced opera tickets for only $40. Since a few of us had been discussing how we'd never been to the opera, we decided to give it a whirl and chose to see the opera "Le Tragedie de Carmen," or just "Carmen," for short. Our tickets included a reception from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at The Gage where for an hour we got tasty appetizers and some drink specials. Opera Underground is some kind of "young professionals club," so I think that's why they had the reception, although we kept to ourselves and I definitely saw old dudes in suits who would be more likely to be in a "grandparents of young professionals club," but whatever. We also didn't participate in their drink specials since it was only one drink that sounded gross and one beer I didn't want. I'd never been to The Gage, and the appetizers were really tasty. I'd like to go back there for dinner. The opera was put on by the Chicago Opera Theater and was performed at the Harris Theater in Millennium Park, right across the street from The Gage. I really did not know what to expect at all of this opera Carmen. When we were seated, I was surprised that our seats were so good. 13 rows from the stage on the main floor, just to the left. Score! I was also surprised, when the opera started, that for the most part the on-stage dress was modern. Carmen was first performed 130+ years ago. For some reason I expected it to be really old timey. Also surprising? The language. I knew that the opera wouldn't be sung in English, so earlier in the day I'd read ahead. I thought, "If this thing isn't in English then I better figure out what it's about so I know what's going on." I found out that the story is based in Seville, Spain, so I thought it'd be in Spanish. Wrong! Georges Bizet, who wrote the opera, was French so the whole thing was in French. Except a few speaking parts, which were in English (?!?). Get this, though, there was a display above the stage that showed English subtitles, so all along we knew what was going on. As for the story, there were copious amounts of all the classics: Sex, fighting, lies, drinking, murder. In the first 10 minutes of the opera a bitch fight broke out. What's not to like? Also, a few people told me beforehand that I'd recognize songs and I scoffed, "I don't know any opera songs!" But you know what? They were right. Carmen has been around for so long that the songs have made it into modern-day commercials and everything. You may recognize the Toreador (Bullfighter) Song. Especially, the middle of it. For sure the overature will sound familiar. I think it's neat that the Opera Underground is trying to make opera more accessible for younger crowds by doing drink specials beforehand, reduced ticket prices, etc. Overall, I thought the opera was a fun night out. Something different to do. Something maybe I'd want to do once a year maybe. I liked it, but not so much I'd want to spend a lot of time and money on it. It's cool to see these old, old stories, though. Stories that millions of people have told and heard for generations. And now that I know these productions are presented more modernly and there are subtitles... it's not as foreign of a concept to grasp. One other note: At the end of the opera, when the actors were taking their bows, the old man next to me and many others in the crowd were yelling "Bravo! Bravo," which at first I was like "what the hell?" but then I realized that if you're going to yell "Bravo!," the opera is the place to do it! Bravo, Carmen, Bravo! read more

i've been to about four COT productions in the past few years, all at the Harris Theater. they have all been post-1800's operas - Britten, Adams, Bartok - so i'm not sure how COT does with the classics. the singing is usually superb, but i've always been the most impressed by their sets. with strategic lighting, the sets have always stunned me with their effectiveness because of how much they've been able to do with little or simple materials and tremendous creativity (e.g. the doors/chambers in Bartok's Bluebeard, and the animals and the tree in Adams' A Flowering Tree). as a classically trained musician, i find it heartening to see COT's efforts and mission to make opera more accessible, engaging, and exploratory for everyone. read more

A really very different experience from the more traditional opera experience, the Chicago opera theater does more intimate, modern types of opera. The theater itself is astonishingly sparse and modern (and underground!), and is actually quite large, so I recommend sitting on the floor level if you can, as even 1st balcony is much higher than I thought it would be. The COT website makes it very easy to buy and pick tickets (if only it were so easy with the Lyric). Excellent all around, although I must admit I prefer the more traditional Lyrics approach, COT does not really try to do the same thing, so they are not in competition so much as in complementary producions. read more

I've been attending COT forever. They not only perform operas that are not in usual repertoire but also provide a venue for both new opera and what some would call "revisionist" opera by creating staging that is modern or alternative. It almost always works. I say "almost" because this year, for the very first time, they did a production of "Don Giovanni" that was a complete miss for me - THE VERY FIRST TIME - as I said. Otherwise, they have all been hits! The other major thing that they do is bring in up-and-coming talent that otherwise might not be seen. A wonderful example for me was Leah Partridge, who I saw for the first time at Florida Grand Opera. When COT brought her in a couple of seasons ago, not only was I excited to hear her again, but told friends that they had to go. I recommend that everyone GO to COT. Better yet, support them with not only donations but buy a season subscription. You will never be sorry. Oh, and parking is really easy. You basically get out of the car in the Monroe garage and walk into the theatre - at a discounted cost to boot. read more

La clemenza di Tito is stunning. The staging, the singing, the orchestra, the music. It's relevant to audiences today which I think is vital--just because something was written 200 years ago doesn't mean it has to be staged like it is 200 years ago. That is so BOR ING. I can't wait to see what Chicago Opera Theater does next. read more

I've gone to "Tito" now 3 times, sat in three different places in the house, and have had three entirely different experiences - ALL GOOD. COT's strength comes from repertoire choice as well as its execution - 18th or 21st century it matters not. Lets hope the Carmen and Owen Wingrave - which hit the stage over the next two weeks are just as delightful and full of surprise! read more

Amazing opera with gifted younger performers, whose names are seldom familiar to me. Not a lot of cash spent on sets and costumes, but the orchestra is always very well directed and the Harris Theatre has THE BEST acoustics and sight lines. All seats are good. The latest production, Tragédie de Carmen, fulfilled a wish I have had for editing longer operas into more condensed performances. To some extent, this version of Carmen demonstrated the artistic challenges of such editing. Towards the end, another experiment detracted from the overall achievement. This was the brief use of a recording of an instrumental march. Someone in control felt that the live musicians were inadequate, an opinion not shared by the vast majority of the audience. The performers took up the many artistic and musical challenges thrown at them and crafted a strong and moving performance. The other recent productions of the Chicago Opera Theatre have been even more successful artistically, and anyone who has not yet tried them out should treat themselves. I predict you will be back at least once a year. read more

EXCELLENT adaption of Purcell's "The Fairy Queen". Very well organized group with a performance that well exceeded my expectations. The production I attended did have strong adult themes, so be advised when bringing children. If you are a student, take advantage of their student discount. It will save you tons. Also, concessions are cash only. read more

Absolute crap! The music is gorgeous and well sung, but the beauty and profundity of the score is entirely undercut by a production determined to make as little sense as possible and to avoid at all costs doing anything that has anything to do with the text. For some reason, there are contemporary directors, and they seem to infest the COT, who seem to regret that the eighteenth-century every existed and are determined to stamp it out. It is not necessary (and indeed impossible) to recreate an eighteenth-century experience, but to perversely decide to fight with the text is a travesty and the sign of a director who is not only incapable of understanding the piece they are working with, but too lazy to even try. This sort of idiocy ought to be stamped out as soon as possible. I am curious, though, why there is this sudden urge to trash the seventeenth century. What is it about that age that excites contemporary directors to such intense resentment? And why do they insist on trashing operas they loathe instead of moving on to something they may be more or less capable of dealing with. I hope this trend is coming to a close and that COT can finally get over this fad for trash and start dealing sensitively and intelligently with the repertoire they simultaneously revive and destroy. Well worth hearing. Definitely not worth seeing. read more

I also didn' t know about the theatre until I saw a webpage advertising Beatrice et Benedict. The singing was excellent, the performances superb, and the whole production pleased. I especially liked the use of younger singers in the production - the chorus has a few numbers which showed their skills. The production design combined with the singing for the first act finale was fantastic. read more

This was my first time attending COT, and I think I might go back, but I'd have to be sure I knew what I was getting myself into first. I'm surprised that someone listed this as good for kids. The recent production of Don Giovanni was decidedly NOT for anyone under the age of 18. It wasn't so much the sex, and the scantily clad chorus girls, but the violence against one of the main characters that happened in the first 15 minutes of the opera. I don't feel an onstage rape, and molestation does not constitute good opera. And if this was a choice that the Director made, then maybe she should have cleared it with her artists first. I felt very uncomfortable for the woman who played Donna Anna. I want to stack this up to the stage director that was hired for the production, and not to the company itself, but I almost felt like there should have been a disclaimer about the sex and violence. Other productions of Don Giovanni have this as well, but it usually happens offstage, and therefore leaves some things to the imagination (which in my case is usually always more gruesome than anything a director can come up with). The last thing that irked me was the directors choice to take the mystery out of the last scene of the opera. The Zerlina, and the Masetto were FANTASTIC singers, and actors. They seemed to be the most comfortable on stage even with the groping and rolling around on the floor. Jane Glover did a fine job, but I felt like the singers were accompanying the orchestra rather than the other way around (with the exception of Masetto and Zerlina). read more

Chicago Opera Theater emailed me (as a subscriber) asking me to write a review. I'm doing this weirdly--rating highly, but writing truthfully, in pain, because I've enjoyed many productions at COT such that I would hate to sink their endeavor. Yet, I hated their Don Giovanni with such a perfect hatred that I actually left at intermission. It wasn't the grungy sex. It wasn't the "updating" of the old story of Don Juan. Their previous Popea production with the fetching Danielle de Niese was plenty sexy. Their previous Marriage of Figaro seemed to have some purpose in the updating and used the various "classes" of hotel workers and high-roller tenants as modern exemplars of the servants and nobility of the original. But this Don Giovanni was so bad that it started to ruin my love for the music so I had to leave. It's true that Don Giovanni's relationships with women have are not exactly ideal examples of mutual respect and understanding. But the guy must have had some charisma. The opening scene involves Donna Anna having consensual sex on the dance floor with the "Don" at his sex club. Imagine something out of Egoyan's movie "Exotica." So what's the conflict? Did he drag her to a strip club? There is no sense that anything wrong is happening, just sleazy. Her father bursts in, more like Monterone in Rigoletto. He's not defending his daughter or his house. Just a bit our of sorts that his daughter is sexually active. He may even be in the wrong--isn't she an adult? I think the whole concept for this "treatment" of the opera came, I presume, from Leporello's "catalog" aria where he describes the Don's list of sexual conquests. Having lots of scantily clad choristers as props (i.e., sex workers at the club) allowed the aria to be "illustrated" by the various types of women. A hoot, but then the drama is trashed. If the Don is adding sex workers to his list, what's so legendary about that? Can't any slime ball do that? What's the finesse in that? And didn't the Don not only use his charm but his noble rank/riches to attract the women? Why would Evira be jealous? Is there some code of sex-club honor that the Don is breaching? It made one think how easy opera direction is. We could easily have a "Yelp" contest as to how to update Don Giovanni. How about the Don as Bill Clinton? Or Magic Johnson/Wilt Chamberlain? How about Mick Jagger? Or R. Kelly? (It seems likely that this guy got off due to the fact that since he was a world superstar that could make pop-music careers, maybe the family felt he had a Noblesse Oblige right to his goddaughter?) How about the "Donald" as the 'Don"? How simple is all this? But any of these would be better than the Don as a sex club owner and my wife and I were ablr to think them up on the long ride home after our early departure. The Flowering Tree was OK, but a bit slow moving--sort of like Pelleas et Melisande on Xanax. The orchestration was fascinating but the vocal writing was nil. the most memorable character was the woman who mimed the good sister. The Orlando was the best production of the season, but Handelian opera really soars on the basis of the singing and here COT was practically daring to compare itself with the Lyric Opera's Giulio Cesare and the above-mentioned Di Niese who now is a superstar. All those da capo ([back] to the top) arias need a lot of vocal fireworks to keep the attention. The ornaments of the repeats were minimal to my ear thus depriving the virtuosity factor. Still, the Dorinda, Andriana Chuchman, was quite wonderful. Maybe the lesson is that if you know and love the particular opera, beware of COT. They might hit a homer but also might give you one of those Doh! experiences If you're out for a good time, don't know and love opera already, and want to experience opera with the patina of "Now," you're far better spending your money at COT than the astoundingly expensive Lyric since what's the difference? read more

It's hard not to like the COT, but I do agree with other reviewers that the Lyric may be a better fit in terms of style and pocket book. I am a huge supporter and fan of the Young Artist Program, and I am an undying lover of the aesthetic and performative brilliance here. But COT may be worth a city dweller's investment rather than the casual visitor or tourist. read more

I have seen COT productions over many years as a subscriber first with my husband, then with a group. I've loved many of their past productions, but the character of COT has changed over time. "Revisionist" opera is a novelty that wears off fast, and it's not a substitute what I feel COT has always done best: explore early and less known works, and produce operas written in English. "Don Giovanni" was one opera too many starring satin scanties, fore-and-aft cleavage, and contemporary lifestyle from glitzy to tawdry. John Adams' "A Flowering Tree," for which I had high hopes, was simply ill conceived--almost as sadly muddled as Lyric's "Midsummer Marriage," and drably mounted. (Were cast members instructed to bring their own pajamas from home?) But I did think "Orlando" was an excellent production. David Trudgen, the countertenor who sang Medoro, had a wonderful, amazingly supple and unforced voice, and Andriana Chuchman's Dorinda really sparkled. AND the production was pleasing to the eye. I'll certainly return next year, despite what I think of the Harris Theater's Grant-Park-Underground decor and its lack of amenities for the audiences who, after all, do a great deal to support the venue. Hope springs eternal.... read more