Landmark Don Giovanni at Lyric Opera of Chicago

Mozart’s Don Giovanni opera is considered one of the greatest ever written.  It contains comedy, tragedy, a moral lesson, and exquisitely beautiful music. It’s an opera to contemplate right now when our most powerful leaders bear a strong resemblance to Don Giovanni, the character who believes rules and social norms are for others. The message of this work of art is that the bill always comes due, and in this opera, the denouement may metaphorically signal the upcoming midterms. The Don in this case is sucked into hell. 

But the Lyric production is not just glorious and well played: next weekend they will add American Sign Language on October 18th to an opera in a foreign language, the first major opera company in the US to do so, and it's part of a vast commitment to making opera accessible.  The Lyric added Auracast assisted listening technology for all performances of Don Giovanni, allowing wearers of hearing aids to have sound directly in their hearing aids and cochlear implants. The October 18th performance will also feature a pre show touch tour backstage where people with visual disabilities can touch props and costumes for a tactile experience of the opera, and the well known audio describer Martin Wilde will describe the opera through earpieces.  Audience members can also request to borrow a Sound Shirt which allows one to experience the sounds physically. For more information on this groundbreaking accessible performance go to https://www.lyricopera.org/lyric-lately/mozart-without-barriers/

The opera itself is deeply moving and masterfully presented. Director Robert Falls created a stylish production set in 1920’s Spain. Conductor and Lyric Music Director Enrique Mazzola brings this most beautiful Mozart score to vibrant and memorable fullness.  The scenic design by Walt Spangler is sweeping and iconic.  Ana Kuzmanic’s costumes are gorgeous.  But it’s the majestic and self absorbed Don Giovanni brought to us by bass-baritone Christian Van Horn, a Chicago fan favorite, that makes this a must see event. He is sexy, he is powerful, his voice is beguiling, and he is narcissistic and cruel.  He kills with impunity and no regrets.  And David Leigh’s Commendatore tips him straight to where he can no longer harm anyone, and his torment will be eternal. The women of Don Giovanni are fascinating characters on their own merits, and this production gathers a stellar group of sopranos (Mané Galoyan as the grieving Donna Anna, Nina Solodovnikova as the long suffering Donna Elvira, and Anna El-Kashem as the Right of the Lord prize Zerlina)  to struggle with this alluring monster of a character. Trigger warning: one of the ways Don Giovanni gets what he wants is through rape.  His wealth and status assures he does not suffer consequences for his behavior- at least not until the stirring finale. 

I have a deep love for and history with  this opera.  I saw it on its 230th anniversary at its birthplace in Prague.  I wrote a feminist POV one act by his victims for the 1994 Don Juan project at the Bailiwick Theatre.  I own a costume from a German production. This is a not to be missed production of a truly great work of art– you will find so many treasures in this production. 

Don Giovanni is playing 10/13, 10/15, 10/18/ 10/2, 10/24, 10/30 and 10/1 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, 20 N. Wacker Drive in Chicago, Illinois. For information and tickets go to https://www.lyricopera.org/shows/upcoming/2026-27/don-giovanni/

For  reviews go to https://www.theatreinchicago.com/