Lyric Opera of Chicago launches its 2025/26 Season in unforgettable style with two of Broadway’s most luminous, Tony Award-winning stars: Brian Stokes Mitchell & Laura Benanti in Concert, for one night only on Friday, October 10 at 7:00 p.m. Joined by the renowned Lyric Opera Orchestra and led by conductor Rob Fisher, the pair will take the iconic Lyric stage for the Lyric Opening Concert — a sweeping evening of Broadway showstoppers, jazz standards, and beloved classics from the Great American Songbook.
This landmark performance marks the Lyric debuts of both Mitchell and Benanti — two powerhouse performers who last shared the Broadway stage in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Known for their commanding vocals, effortless charm, and emotional depth, they bring decades of experience and charisma to Chicago’s largest stage for a dazzling start to the season.
Dubbed “the last leading man” by The New York Times, Brian Stokes Mitchell is one of Broadway’s most accomplished and dynamic performers. He won a Tony Award for Kiss Me, Kate and earned nominations for his powerful performances in Ragtime, King Hedley II, and Man of La Mancha. His rich baritone and commanding presence have made him a favorite of major symphony orchestras around the world, from Carnegie Hall to the Kennedy Center. On screen, he has appeared in The Good Fight, Mr. Robot, and Madam Secretary, and voiced “Through Heaven’s Eyes” in The Prince of Egypt. Also a skilled arranger and producer, he has released acclaimed solo albums including Simply Broadway and Plays With Music.
Laura Benanti, a Tony Award winner and five-time nominee, makes her Lyric debut as one of Broadway’s most luminous stars. She first took Broadway by storm at just 18 as Maria in The Sound of Music and has since starred in ten more Broadway productions — including Gypsy (Tony Award), She Loves Me, Into the Woods, Nine (opposite Antonio Banderas), My Fair Lady, and Steve Martin’s Meteor Shower. On screen, she has had recurring roles in HBO’s The Gilded Age, Younger, Elsbeth, and Life & Beth, among many others. She will soon be seen as a series regular in Mayor of Kingstown and in the film Everything’s Going to Be Great alongside Bryan Cranston and Allison Janney. Her solo comedy show Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares — a New York Times Critic’s Pick — recently played to sold-out crowds at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and in London. It is now streaming on Audible.
Rob Fisher, an Emmy and Grammy nominee, returns to Lyric Opera of Chicago following his acclaimed work conducting Lyric’s 2014 production of The Sound of Music. A leading figure in American musical theater, he was the founding music director of the Tony Award-winning Encores! series and has led major orchestras across the U.S. On Broadway, he served as score supervisor and arranger for An American in Paris and Anything Goes, and continues as music supervisor for Chicago: The Musical. He has conducted concert stagings of Carousel, My Fair Lady, and Sweeney Todd, and collaborated with top artists including Renée Fleming, Kristin Chenoweth, and Patti LuPone.
The Lyric Opening Concert is the centerpiece of Lyric’s Season Opening Gala, presented by the Lyric Women’s Board. The Gala is led by Honorary Chair Shirley Welsh Ryan and chaired by Women’s Board member Suzanne Welsh Mulshine, with Karen Z. Gray-Krehbiel serving as president of the Women’s Board. Gala guests will enjoy a red carpet welcome, pre-performance cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, and premium concert seating, followed by an elegant dinner and lively dancing in the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Grand Foyer. This year’s Gala theme — Lyric Lights Up Broadway: A Night of Glamour and Music — promises a glittering evening celebrating the performing arts.
Concert-only tickets for Brian Stokes Mitchell & Laura Benanti in Concert start at $59 and are available at lyricopera.org/opening-concert.
To purchase Gala seating and learn more, visit lyricopera.org/gala.
Lyric’s 2025/26 Season is presented by the Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation.
Lyric's Opening Gala is a project of the Women's Board and is generously sponsored by Patrick G. & Shirley Welsh Ryan, Lisbeth Stiffel, Aon, ITW, Northern Trust, Willkie Farr, Margarita Chavez & Mark Tatro, Karen Z. Gray-Krehbiel & John H. Krehbiel, Jr., Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Rebecca & Lester Knight, Brendan & Suzanne Mulshine, The Negaunee Foundation, Scott & Nancy Santi, Penelope R. Steiner, in honor of Karen Gray Krehbiel, Elizabeth Cole, Caroline & Charlie Huebner, Karen & Neil Kawashima, Philip G. Lumpkin, Susan & Nick Noyes, Make it Better Foundation, Cathy & Bill Osborn, Segal Family Foundation, Miles D. White, Cabrera Capital, Dr. Ross Slotten & Ted A. Grady, Marie Campbell, Mr. & Mrs. Julian Harvey, Annie & Gregory K. Jones, Eilieen Murphy, Sylvia Neil & Dan Fischel, Bonnie Pritchard, Nancy S. Searle in honor of Suzanne Mulshine & Shirley Ryan, Mr. & Mrs. Alejandro Silva, and Roberta L. Washlow & Robert J. Washlow.
Lyric Opera of Chicago thanks its Official Airline, United Airlines, and acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.
About Lyric
Lyric Opera of Chicago is committed to redefining what it means to experience great opera. The company is driven to deliver consistently excellent artistry through innovative, relevant, celebratory programming that engages and energizes new and traditional audiences.
Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO John Mangum and Music Director Enrique Mazzola, Lyric is dedicated to reflecting, and drawing strength from, the diversity of Chicago. Lyric offers, through innovation, collaboration, and evolving learning opportunities, ever-more exciting, accessible, and thought-provoking audience and community experiences. We also stand committed to training the artists of the future, through The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center; and to becoming increasingly diverse across our audiences, staff, programming, and artists — magnifying the welcoming pull of our art form, our company, and our city.
Through the timeless power of voice, the splendor of a great orchestra and chorus, theater, dance, design, and truly magnificent stagecraft, Lyric is devoted to immersing audiences in worlds both familiar and unexpected, creating shared experiences that resonate long after the curtain comes down.
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For more information, visit lyricopera.org.