2016| 17 SEASON Book and Lyrics by ALAN JAY LERNER Music by FREDERICK LOEWE Adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s play and Gabriel Pascal’s motion picture Pygmalion L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O Table of Contents M A R IE-N O ËLLE R O B ER T / T H ÉÂ T R E D U C H Â T ELET IN THIS ISSUE My Fair Lady – pp. 23-43 6 From the General Director 12 2017/18 – Season of Delight, 32 Musical Notes and Chairman Season of Discovery 35 Director’s Note 8 Board of Directors 17 Tonight’s Performance 36 After the Curtain Falls 9 Women’s Board/Guild Board/Chapters’ 19 Cast 38 Aria Society Executive Board/Young Professionals/ 20 Synopsis 47 Breaking New Ground Ryan Opera Center Board 21 Musical Numbers/Orchestra 10 Administration/Administrative Staff/ 48 Look to the Future 22 Artist Profiles Production and Technical Staff 49 Major Contributors – Special Events and Project Support ALL ABOUT LYRIC’S 2017-18 SEASON pp. 14-20 51 Lyric Unlimited Contributors RA 53 Ryan Opera Center Contributors E P O E 54 Planned Giving: The Overture Society L L HVI 55 Commemorative Gifts AS L/N 56 Corporate Partnerships E M M 57 Matching Gifts, Special Thanks and U D H Acknowledgements E E R 58 Annual Individual and Foundation Support 64 Facilities and Services/Theater Staff 2 | April - May, 2017 L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O www.performancemedia.us | 847-770-4620 3453 Commercial Avenue, Northbrook, IL 60062 Gail McGrath Publisher & President Sheldon Levin Publisher & Director of Finance A. J. Levin Director of Operations Executive Editor Account Managers Lisa Middleton Rand Brichta - Arnie Hoffman - Greg Pigott Southeast Michael Hedge 847-770-4643 Editor Southwest Betsy Gugick & Associates 972-387-1347 Roger Pines East Coast Manzo Media Group 610-527-7047 Associate Editor Marketing and Sales Consultant David L. Strouse, Ltd. 847-835-5197 Magda Krance Cathy Kiepura Graphic Designer Lory Richards Graphic Designer Administrative Offices: Joy Morawez - Josie Negron Accounting 20 North Wacker Drive Willie Smith Supervisor Operations Suite 860 Earl Love Operations Chicago, Illinois 60606 Wilfredo Silva Operations Steve Dunn Web & Internet Development On the cover: You can view this program on your mobile device at performancemedia.us. Lisa O’Hare as Eliza Doolittle and Richard E. Grant as Henry Higgins For advertising information call 847-770-4620. To see our Terms and Conditions relating to advertising orders, visit our website at www.performancemedia.us. All contents copyrighted. All rights reserved. Photo: Nothing may be reproduced in any manner without written permission. © 2017 Todd Rosenberg Performance Media & Gail McGrath & Associates, Inc. is a Woman Owned Business ““““““WWWWWWoooooouuuuuullllllddddddnnnnnn’’’’’’tttttt IIIIIItttttt BBBBBBeeeeee LLLLLLoooooovvvvvveeeeeerrrrrrllllllyyyyyy??????”””””” Todd Rosenberg Noëlle Robert and Marie Photos by: The Sound of Music My Fair Lady Carousel WWiitthh yyoouurr ssuuppppoorrtt ooff tthhee LLyyrriicc OOppeerraa MMuussiiccaall TThheeaatteerr EEnnddoowwmmeenntt FFuunndd,, we’ll be able to continue giving you the great musicals you love. If you love Lyric Opera’s musical theater, if you and your family have enjoyed the performances we’ve off ered, consider making a gift to the Lyric Opera Musical Theater Endowment Fund. Your gift will ensure that we’ll be able to continue to give you and future generations the musicals you love, in the Lyric tradition of quality and excellence you've come to expect. Establish a Lyric Opera Musical Theater Endowment Fund in your name, in the name of a loved one, or in honor of an esteemed friend or colleague. You may create your fund with any of the following gifts: Outright cash gift Outright stock gift A pledge over a period of years A deferred gift in your estate plan For information, please contact Jonathan Siner, Lyric’s Senior Director of Planned Giving, at (312) 827-5677 or [email protected]. 4 | April - May, 2017 L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O From the General Director and the Chairman Welcome to Lyric Opera of Chicago’s presentation of one of the most enthralling ST E V E masterpieces in musical-theater history. LE O N A Ever since Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe’s My Fair Lady took RD Broadway by storm in 1956, it has retained its hold on audiences worldwide. From “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?” and “I Could Have Danced All Night” to “On the Street Where You Live” and “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face,” the melodies are irresistible, while the lyrics wonderfully enhance the characters cre- ated by George Bernard Shaw. That’s the miracle of My Fair Lady, and its greatest achievement: it remains so true to its source (Shaw’s own screen adapta- tion of his glorious play Pygmalion) that we don’t even notice where Shaw ends and Lerner and Loewe begin. We’re producing My Fair Lady on the grand scale that it deserves, with sumptuous contributions from chorus and orchestra under David Chase, as well Anthony Freud as Lynne Page’s delightful choreography and elegant designs by Tim Hatley (sets) T O D D and Anthony Powell (costumes). The production originated at one of Europe’s R O S E N most musically and theatrically adventurous houses, Paris’s Théâtre du Châtelet. BE R G Its internationally celebrated director, Robert Carsen, has triumphed repeatedly at Lyric, including our revival of Eugene Onegin earlier this season. All of us at Lyric are thrilled by the cast, led by the charismatic Richard E. Grant (whom many of you will remember from his role in Downton Abbey) and the dazzling Lisa O’Hare. Many of you are experiencing a Lyric performance for the very first time. We invite you to return next season, since tremendous excitement is awaiting you. Beginning on page 14 of this program, you’ll find a feature article that will tell you all about what we’re planning as we aim to be the great North American opera company of the 21st century. Thank you for joining us. Have a wonderful time at My Fair Lady! David T. Ormesher Anthony Freud, David T. Ormesher, General Director Chairman 6 | April - May, 2017 L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s Life Directors The Honorable Bruce Rauner W. James Farrell Kenneth R. Norgan The Honorable Rahm Emanuel Edgar Foster Daniels Mark E. Ferguson Sharon F. Oberlander Honorary Chairmen Richard J. Franke Michael W. Ferro, Jr. * John W. Oleniczak of the Board Edgar D. Jannotta Matthew A. Fisher Olufunmilayo I. Olopade, M.D. Edgar D. Jannotta George E. Johnson * Renée Fleming * David T. Ormesher Co-Chairman Emeritus Robert H. Malott * Sonia Florian * William A. Osborn Allan B. Muchin Co-Chairman Emeritus James J. O’Connor Mike Foley Matthew J. Parr David T. Ormesher Gordon Segal * Anthony Freud * Jane DiRenzo Pigott Chairman of the Board Robert E. Wood II Kristine R. Garrett Jose Luis Prado Lester Crown Ronald J. Gidwitz Don M. Randel Chairman of the Directors * Ruth Ann M. Gillis * Anne N. Reyes Executive Committee Katherine A. Abelson * Brent W. Gledhill J. Christopher Reyes Anthony Freud * Whitney W. Addington, M.D. Ethel C. Gofen Thomas A. Reynolds III General Director, President & CEO * James L. Alexander * Howard L. Gottlieb † William C. Richardson, Ph.D. Sir Andrew Davis John P. Amboian Melvin Gray Collin E. Roche Vice Chair Paul F. Anderson Maria C. Green Ricardo Rosenkranz Renée Fleming Larry A. Barden * Dietrich M. Gross Edward B. Rouse Vice Chair * Julie Baskes Mary Pat Hay Joseph O. Rubinelli, Jr. James L. Alexander James N. Bay, Jr. Carrie J. Hightman * Shirley Welsh Ryan Vice Chair Melvin R. Berlin Elliot E. Hirsch * E. Scott Santi Shirley Welsh Ryan Vice Chair Gilda R. Buchbinder Eric L. Hirschfield Claudia M. Saran William C. Vance Allan E. Bulley, III * J. Thomas Hurvis Rodd M. Schreiber Vice Chair John E. Butler Gregory K. Jones * Jana R. Schreuder Donna Van Eekeren * Marion A. Cameron † Stephen A. Kaplan Marsha Serlin Secretary * Paul J. Carbone Kip Kelley II * Brenda M. Shapiro Paul J. Carbone David W. Carpenter * Nancy W. Knowles * Eric S. Smith Treasurer Timothy L. Christen † Fred A. Krehbiel Sarah Billinghurst Solomon Mary Ladish Selander Richard W. Colburn * Josef Lakonishok Pam F. Szokol Assistant Secretary Michael P. Cole † Robert W. Lane Franco Tedeschi Roberta Lane Assistant Treasurer Vinay Couto * James W. Mabie Mark A. Thierer * John V. Crowe * Craig C. Martin Cherryl T. Thomas * Lester Crown Robert J. McCullen * William C. Vance Marsha Cruzan Blythe J. McGarvie * Donna Van Eekeren * Andrew Davis Andrew J. McKenna Mark Wagner † Gerald Dorros Frank B. Modruson Roberta L. Washlow Alexandra Dousmanis-Curtis Robert S. Morrison Miles D. White Ann M. Drake * Allan B. Muchin Dan Draper * Linda K. Myers William Mason Allan Drebin Jeffrey C. Neal General Director Emeritus John D. Edelman Amélie Négrier-Oyarzabal * Indicates member of the Stefan T. Edlis Sylvia Neil Executive Committee Lois Eisen † John D. Nichols † Indicates National Director 8 | April - May, 2017