Opera and Dance Reviews

**** Highly Recommended  Nobody is better at contemporary jazz than Giordano Dance Chicago.  Their winter engagement, SOARING, Life, Light, and Legacy, was dedicated to Nan Giordano’s son Keenan Giordano Casey and it was nothing short of spectacular.  The program included three brand new pieces, the reprise of 2024’s Red and Black, and two pieces from the Giordano repertoire.  The Giordano dancers – who are dancing in every piece – are so strong, so talented, so creative, they are awesome!  4 BIG Spotlights

****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED  While there is no denying that Puccini's "La Boheme" is one of -- if not the -- world's most beloved and popular operas, Lyric Opera of Chicago took a bit of an artistic gamble when they announced that they would be presenting "La Boheme" during their 2024/2025 season for an astounding ten performances. Just to give you some idea of how gargantuan that number of performances is, most individual operas presented by Lyric Opera each season are scheduled for no more than the standard five performances (sometimes that number can go as high as six if it is a specialized work or one that features a highly-coveted new rising star or one who is already established as a superstar in the international opera world). The risk on Lyric's part has paid off quite handsomely with this gorgeous production which feels as fresh and vital as it must have felt immediately upon its premiere in 1896. 4 BIG SPOTLIGHTS

**** Recommended  It was an absolute pleasure to see Hubbard Street Dance Chicago performing their Season 47: Winter Series at the Harris Theatre.  The three-part program (with two intermissions) featured pieces choreographed by Ohad Naharin, FLOCK: Alice Klock & Florian Lochner, James Gregg and Johan Inger. I was in awe of the grace and strength displayed by the entire ensemble. 4 Spotlights!

One glorious example of an artist who is clearly comfortable on any stage and having added yet another statistical feat (Donizetti's "The Three Queens") to an already impressive resume, Berwyn's very own favorite diva Sondra Radvanovsky returns to Lyric Opera of Chicago in a very limited engagement to perform, in concert with musical support from the Lyric orchestra, "The Puccini Heroines."  4 SPOTLIGHTS