Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...Under the baton of Eun Sun Kim, you can hear that guiding optimism coming from the pit. And, of course, Puccini baked it into all his operas. Consider the presence here of the voices of children, first as an architecturally constrained group of choristers, played by members of the Chicago Children's Choir, and then emergent as the lonely dawn sound of a young shepherd greeting the new day. As I listened to young Liam Brandfonbrener sing on Saturday, I kept thinking of that little Ukrainian girl in a bunker, singing "Let it Go," as the world only hopes she eventually can. Once outside."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...One of the evening's most memorable moments came before the production even began. Anthony Freud, Lyric's president, general director and chief executive officer, took the stage to profess the international company's solidarity with the people of Ukraine and to announce an opening performance of the country's national anthem."
Chicago On the Aisle - Highly Recommended
"...There is much to admire in Lyric’s grand mounting of this vintage Jean-Pierre Ponnelle production, starring American soprano Michelle Bradley in her Lyric debut as the charismatic diva, Argentine baritone Fabián Veloz as her conniving nemesis Scarpia and American tenor Russell Thomas as Cavaradossi. The production is a lavish classic that first appeared on the San Francisco Opera stage in 1972. It has since played around the world and is now under the stewardship of the San Diego Opera. Performances at the Lyric continue through April 10."
Stage and Cinema - Somewhat Recommended
"...Ms. Muller's direction is fine, but not particularly interesting. By contrast, John Caird's direction in Lyric's last Tosca production (2015) was much more original, if less than faithful to his source material. Though Muller doesn't obscure the story, she doesn't particularly illuminate it either, preferring to keep much of the action offstage. She goes all in for processions and ritual, especially of the ecclesiastical and martial kind, but fails to get the details right. Even the pacing isn't quite right, but that could be due to the acting."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...Tosca is one of the world's most performed and best-beloved operas. Having premiered in 1900, it comes from the tail-end of opera's classic age, and is one of the operas that most closely matches contemporary dramatic tastes. It is also one of the shows the Lyric Opera of Chicago originally built its reputation on, so it's a natural choice for the Lyric's first post-pandemic season. The production is not new, although it is new to Chicago, and under the steady hands of director Louisa Muller and conductor Eun Sun Kim, it does a solid, straight-forward job of telling the story of one of the stage's greatest heroines, whose name, Floria Tosca, has become a synonym for drama itself."
WTTW - Recommended
"...The production, efficiently directed by Louisa Muller, featured solid supporting performances by bass-baritone Alan Higgs as the sacristan (overseer of the church), and tenor Rodell Rosel as Spoletta, captain of the riflemen. And along the way there was a brief, but as always splendid contribution by the Chicago Children's Choir led by Josephine Lee."
Third Coast Review - Highly Recommended
"...The voices! Soprano Michelle Bradley, making her Lyric Opera of Chicago debut in the title role of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca, and tenor Russell Thomas as her doomed lover Cavaradossi filled the spacious Lyric Opera House with their powerful singing during Saturday’s opening night performance. Fabián Veloz, another Lyric first-timer, brought baritone darkness to his role as Baron Scarpia, one of opera’s most vicious villains. Louisa Muller directed this stellar production."
Chicago On Stage - Highly Recommended
"...With the Lyric’s Tosca, Muller and Sun Kim, Bradley and Thomas, Veloz and Ponnelle find the balance between the story and music, the passion and political intrigue, the sweet love story and melodramatic tragedy. The result? As with any great opera, the whole of Tosca’s total is far greater than the sum of its parts."
Picture This Post - Highly Recommended
"...It’s a story of perfection from A – Z. No jazz improv here— every aspect of the production has been as thought out and perfected as Puccini’s score and the divo and diva training that goes into making the music happen."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...This is a sumptuous and traditional production of “Tosca” visually, a reminder of what an opulent art form opera was in the days when every inch of a cavernous stage would be filled with a three-dimensional, captivating set, in this case designed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle. The evening began with the Lyric Opera Chorus offering a heartfelt rendition of the Ukrainian National Anthem."