This program will be held in person at the Newberry.
Chicago Opera Theater will present the Chicago debut of Dmitri Shostakovich’s absurdist masterpiece The Nose in December 2023, in a new production directed by Francesca Zambello.
Join us for this Close-Up event for an insider’s peek at the opera, its source materials, and artistic production. COT singers will perform musical excerpts from the opera.
Based on a satirical short story by Nikolai Gogol by the same name, The Nose follows a man who wakes one morning to discover that his nose has not only taken on a life of its own but has become a high-ranking government official. We follow Kovalyov as he chases his nose through the streets of Saint Petersburg in a hilarious series of events, encountering many quirky characters along the way. This electric and amusing work addresses such modern issues as class inequality, the frustration of dealing with bureaucracy, and abuse of power.
- Panelists: Lawrence Edelson, Lidiya Yankovskaya, and Francesca Zambello
- Musical selections performed by artists from COT’s The Nose
This program is cosponsored by Chicago Opera Theater. The Nose, conducted by Lidiya Yankovskaya and directed by Francesca Zambello, will appear at the Harris Theater on Friday, December 8, and Sunday, December 10.
Speaker
Lawrence Edelson, General Director of Chicago Opera Theater, is highly respected not only as a critically acclaimed stage director, but also as a visionary company leader who has created programs in the areas of artist mentorship and new works development that have served as models of innovation for opera companies around the country. He is also the founder of American Lyric Theater in New York.
Lidiya Yankovskaya, Elizabeth Morse and Genius Music Director of Chicago Opera Theater, has conducted more than 40 world premieres, including 17 operas, and her strength as a visionary collaborator has guided new perspectives on staged and symphonic repertoire from Carmen and Queen of Spades to Price and Prokofiev. At COT she has spearheaded the commissioning of 12 new operas, advancing the work of female composers and creators of color.
Francesca Zambello, Director of COT's production of The Nose, is an internationally recognized director of opera and theater. Her home is New York City but her work has graced stages worldwide, including Teatro alla Scala, the Bolshoi, Covent Garden, English National Opera, the Munich Staatsoper, Paris Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Cost and Registration
This program is free and open to all. Advance registration required.
Please note a reception featuring light refreshments will be held in the lobby from 6:00-6:30.
Registration opens October 1.
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