Artwork: Opera Festival of Chicago
Windy City opera lovers may have noticed a philosophical sea change at Opera Festival of Chicago recently.
Since their inception in 2021, the festival has made good on a stated mission of “presenting world-class productions of rarely performed Italian opera masterworks” and has mounted invigorating stagings of such mouth-watering rarities as Verdi’s “Il Corsaro,” Pizzetti’s “Murder in the Cathedral” and Italo Montemezzi’s “L’amore dei tre re.”
Recently however, the company has complemented these infrequently encountered offerings with cogent mountings of some among the most well-known pieces in the operatic canon. Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci” closed out the 2025 season, while 2026 will see a pairing of Francesco Cilea’s seldom heard “Adriana Lecouvreur” with what is arguably the most beloved opera of all: Puccini’s “La Boheme,” in a season thematically dubbed “Bohemian Tragedy.”
Per the festival’s general director Sasha Gerritson, this shift was quite intentional. “When I came on three years ago,” Gerritson explains, “I told my colleagues that we were going to end up alone in a room doing only rare masterpieces. While seasoned opera fans love the opportunity to experience a rare piece, most of the world goes ‘I never heard of that show, I’m not going.’ We need to bring people in through the great works that are well known. Then we hope they will stick around to see the more unusual pieces.”
“Boheme” and “Adriana” would appear to be an unusually appropriate pairing for this experiment. Written about five years apart, the operas are stylistic cousins, are both set in Paris in the mid-nineteenth century, and both examine the condition of disparate creative artists within the Parisian milieu.
“La Boheme” hardly needs an introduction. The opera’s tale of passionate young love amidst the crushing poverty experienced by a group of aspiring artists has thrilled audiences for well over a century. The work is often considered an ideal introduction to the art form with its romantic characters and beautiful melodies. At this time, “Boheme” is the most frequently performed opera at the Metropolitan Opera, clocking in 1,430 performances to date.
General Director Sasha Gerritson/Photo: Opera Festival of Chicago
“Adriana Lecouvreur” presents artistic existence through a rather different, and more cynical lens. The work explores the life of the titular French actress, who enjoys great professional success but is plagued by a string of frustrations in her love life. Although the piece is infrequently staged, the title role has become a favorite with mature sopranos who bring a wealth of career experience to this fascinating character.
“These operas are two sides of the same coin,” Gerritson observes. “We are contrasting the guys who are struggling artists but in the throes of young love, with the life of an actress who has lots of money but cannot find the love she needs. Both are set in the same location and period, but with very different emotional templates.
“This struggle of being an artist transcends even into today’s world,” Gerritson points out. “Very often artists are so connected to their art that their personal happiness suffers.”
That contemporary relevance is exactly what Gerritson is banking on. “I want people to know that opera is accessible,” she enthuses. “It’s not some crazy art form from an older time. These themes of poverty, and distress, and artistry, are so connected to today’s realities.
“My hope is that people who are not usually opera goers will come and see how important it is to experience this level of artistry–because opera can really speak to the soul.”
Opera Festival of Chicago’s “La Boheme” opens on June 26, July 1, 5 at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie and continues there in repertory with “Adriana Lecouvreur” on June 28 and July 3. Tickets available here.
