Lyric Opera of Chicago Review

The show, the actors, the staff, and the overall production quality were very professional. It was my first time here for a show and it left a good impression. I couldn't get over the talent of the actors, especially the young children in the show. The interior of the building was beautiful and I just wanted to walk around and explore. Also, whatever brand the cookies were that were sold at the concession stands was phenomenal. Grab one during intermission.

Don Giovanni was excellent!!! The commandatore scene gives me goosebumps, I'll remember it for quite a while. Madama Butterfly was also dramatic

The Lyric Opera of Chicago has always been my favorite venue to see shows that range from
Opera favorites to Broadway musicals. Recently, I saw West Side Story on stage here and it was fantastic! The performances of the actors was beyond anything I've ever seen in a musical. I highly recommend seeing a performance at the Lyric Opera to any tourist of Chicago or local, because it is an unforgettable experience!

This one is a treasure of Chicago city, it incredibly nice venue. I come here a lot of times and every time it takes my breath away , spectacular scene setting and opera singers have super voices that come with notes from their hearts. Staff is so professional and nice, they greeting you with famous Chicago warm smile. I love to dress up and come with my close friend and enjoy their performance. Again you have to visit that one for sure especially if you visiting our area you would be so happy, it gives you best memories. Thank you the staff and actors

Was able to sit on the main floor. The opera was sung in Italian, but they provided enough translation for me to follow the action.

Beautiful theater. Very classy. Comfortable seats in the balcony

Great seats first floor but a little claustrophobic for me. Drinks are price well.

Stunning performance of Madame Butterfly in a gorgeous classic theater!

My husband and I love the Lyric Opera of Chicago. We were season ticket holders until our move took us away from Chicago and we REALLY miss it. This is where my husband found he really did enjoy the opera and now knows what "World-Class" means in the opera world. One of our last performances was hearing Renee Fleming and now she is the Creative Consultant along side Sir Andrew Davis. Brilliant!

Loved this place and a great way to change things up!

An amazing place. It was amazingly beautiful. If you have the money and the time I recommend you go see an Opera. I would hope everyone would go at least once in their life. I would say go early and get to the restrooms fast. It helps you know what you need to be prepared for when you need to go. Also when you enter have your ticket ready. Also they will search your bags so be prepared. The place is beautiful. Make sure you bring extra cash for the snakes and drinks.

I am a subscriber for more than ten years. The Opera House is a great facility. The productions can be hit or miss. They seem to be more interested in getting hot directors and productions, rather than top singers. The quality of the subscriber relationship is going down too. I know many long time subscribers who have stopped due to bad customer service.

BTAIM, this is still a world class Opera House. You just put up with some odd productions to get something sublime once in a while. La Boheme this year. Lucia recently. Plus not many Opera houses can put on a Ring cycle.

You takes the good with the bad. Overall I am glad we're fortunate enough to have something like this. I miss Bill Mason.

Going to the Lyric is always a good experience.

A few comments on logistics

Valet Parking is $30 and you may wait 15 minutes ++ to get your car after the show (unless you dash out before the curtain call). The are nearby garages as an option

Taxi line after the opera is well organized and a good option

Drinks served in the lobby pre-show; also during intermission(s). Drinks also served on 2nd floor outside the boxes

Casual food available pre-show on lower level

Also a dining room if you make a reservation. Limited menu and good quality.

Really no dress code. Wear whatever you're willing to be seen wearing in public.

Doors to the seats open 30 minutes prior to show time. Only important to know if you're in a box where it is open seating and first-come first-served

What a beautiful Opera House. A very fun experience. Also, it seemed very accessible to me. People dressed up, people with casual clothes. They show the translation of foreign language operas in a small box, which can help to follow the plot. And most importantly: Amazing performances on the stage!!!

World class theater and production. Take the taxi line out if you don't want a headache at the end of the night.

Had a wonderful experience (and pretty good seats) for Straight No Chaser today.

We saw Straight No Chaser. Besides the great show, the architecture is really cool to look at.

The performances are powerful and flawless in the fantastic theater.

To get the full Lyric Opera experience, come dressed in jackets, ties, and gowns. Allow 15 min for a coat check (always check your coat if you can) and double that when collecting your coats after the performance. Also allow 15 min to get a drink before the performance and remember to have them put it in a paper cup, then go find a lid for it - when you get the lids, bring some back for the others still in line so that they can make it into the auditorum before the doors get closed.

Then enjoy a great show!

The building is beautiful and the shows presented here are phenomenal.

It's grand opera at its best. World class productions and fabulous singers.

My sons high school graduation was held here June 2018. The view point was horrible..to far away for decent pictures..and the sound was not great either. Needless to say I was not a fan. However, the staff on site was friendly, personable and efficient. The one ladies room I visited was clean. So there's that. Perhaps for another type of event it would be OK. The place itself is absolutely gorgeous inside.

Always first-rate in every way -- performances, opera house, staff, etc. Enjoyable from start to finish.

Chicago's Lyric Opera is among the world's top opera houses. It opened in 1929, on the heels of the Great Crash. But, like Chicago itself, the Lyric is a survivor. In spite of its less than auspicious beginnings it has grown to become what it is today, a first class opera house that attracks operatic stars and audiences from around the world. The building itself, with its beautiful art nouveau entrance hall is a piece of art in itself well worth a visit. On days of performances there are refreshment stands in the lobby where a patron can buy anything from coffee to champagne. And there are plenty of sparkling clean washrooms when that need arises. Although the theater itself is hughe, the acoustics are wonderful and one does not miss a sigh of a dying heroe, or a tone of any aria. The staff and "angel" volunteers assist with every need and are extremely attentive to patrons who are elderly or have to use wheelchairs, crutches or walkers. With a beautiful ambience, world renown artists and always courteous assistant staff, how could this be less than a 5 star experience.

This is how you run a service entertainment business. If you are a fan of opera, you can do no better than Lyric. I know there are so many critics out there but I am referring to their customer service. There are only two approaches, "How can we help you? What would you like?"

Need to change? no problem! Want to try another seat for a different experience? no problem!. Got sick and don't want to infect a few hundred patrons? no problem! Need help figuring out what you want to see? no problem! Pederson Room can be hit or miss, but customer service is excellent. Yes, it is expensive but still cheaper than NYC.

Going to the Lyric was an amazing experience that everyone should do at least once. I saw Madam Butterfly at a Sunday matinee. To make a great day out of going to the opera, I recommend going to The Signature Room for brunch. We used spot hero to park near the restaurant and then took an Uber to the Lyric which allowed us to get out of there quickly after the show ended and avoid fighting with all of the other cars trying to leave. Before the show starts, visit The Pederson Room on the first floor of the opera house. We sat at the bar and enjoyed a bottle of wine (they have small plates too). What you don't finish will be placed back out for you during intermission at your same seats. The bartender was very entertaining and welcoming. Overall this was one of the best days I've had in the city!

Beautiful theatre. Great value during Chicago Theatre Week. Opera was amazing. There is hope for humanity!

Beautiful theatre with an amazing performance of West Side Story. Students : they have a discount program!!! Use it!

Have attended two dress rehearsals recently. What a treat! Every aspect is wonderful - the singing, of course, the staging, the costumes and more.

Very beautiful interior. The seating, however, is not designed in the most optimal way. The seats in the main floor section are placed right behind each other, which limits the visibility to the stage. The balconies are better in that aspect, but farther from the stage. Otherwise, great experience there.

We went to see "Jesus Christ Superstar" Performance was great.

One of the best Opera houses I have visited. The production of every Opera I have seen here always leaves me gasping in awe. The building itself is fascinating, well worth a look at the outside, especially from the other side of the river, as it resembles a chair.

Love the operas and shows here. Not a bad seat in the house and productions are wonderful!

Enjoyed the Westside Story and delightful venue with lots of historic perspectives.

Beautiful architecture. Easy to locate in Chicago. Walking or cab.

Beautiful building, excellent performance, very helpful friendly staff.

Excellent performance of Jesus Christ Superstar. Also Saw Carousel a couple of years ago and several operas every year. only but the best performances every time

Incredible experience!! My husband and I seen Elektra on Valentine's Day and it was superb. The building is breathtaking and as classy as can be. Thank you

First live opera experience, "The Barber of Seville" was enjoyable, funny, long. As with most theater experiences if someone taller than you sits directly in front of your seat it becomes a tragedy. Recommend visiting at least once. Was great to be able to attend with a student discount.

Wonderful place. Ordered drinks for intermission. Parking nearby.

Great performances good security, amazing scenary and comfortable seating.

Would have been nice to have allowed a visitor to look around a bit.

A most beautiful theater. Contemporized productions are disappointing recently.

Love the music and the show, seats where a little hard though.

Susanne McKinney is looking for her Son Johnathan Taylor Biller please help
Thank you

Great interior and spacious, amazing acoustics and view of the stage no matter how far away you are. Just got finished seeing West Side Story and had an excellent time. They do have intermission and snacks and all served (just the standard stuff)

Very impressive and historical landmark to visit.
The whole event is pretty well organized - lines may seem long for the show and coat checking, but they are handled professionally and quickly.
Staff is also very nice and polite.
Word of advice - students can get 20$ tickets for really good sits (picture is the view from my sit which I got as a student).

Long time subscriber always a great experience everyone should try going to the opera

Great theater. However, it's interior was expected to be more impressive. But great opera house!

The classic art deco opera house in Chicago. Beautiful! In between the opera seasons they occasionally stage a production of a Broadway Musical. Today's performance of West Side Story was superb.

JC Superstar was amazing! Loved every second and did not want it to end.

The Lyric Opera of Chicago played host to a majestic night of the stars and celebrity chefs at the 2018 JAMES BEARD AWARDS. This event is the equivalent of the Academy Awards for those of us professionals working in the Culinary Arts & Hospitality Industry. Chicago s Mayor, Rahm Emanuel, extended a warm welcome to the audience while Chef Carla Hall gracefully served as 2018's Master of Ceremonies.

Ms. Hall is a Celebrity Chef, entrepreneur and Co-Host of ABC's 'The Chew.' I made sure she knew how much I admired her journey from being a contestant on the hardest season ever of Bravo's Top Chef to being a co-host on ABC's The Chew. We both laughed at how fast a decade can go whether you're in the spotlight, or not. On this night, she served as a graceful Master of Ceremonies for the James Beard Foundation and brought the same beauty, humor and wittiness to the stage of the #JBFAwards2018 that she did 10 years ago when she won all of our hearts during the thrilling, eighth season of an award-winning, cook-off reality show.

There is a certain magic that happens when we meet our Super Heroes and they share just enough of their time & humanity with us, that we walk away having discovered our own super powers. I'd like to thank Chef Carla Hall for doing just that.

Many Cheers, Chef

Antonio Quintana (@AntonioQ312)
Ignite Hospitality Chicago (@IgniteHospitalityCHI)
- - - - -
#LyricOpera #Chicago #BeardFoundation #JBFA #JamesBeardAwards2018 #CarlaHall #TheChew #ABC #TopChef #BravoTV #AntonioQuintana #AntonioQ312 #IgniteHospitalityCHI #SavoryIntel #IndustryLife312 #YelpChicago #GoogleLocalGuides #Contributor #Foursquare #TripAdvisor #Zomato #GoogleMaps #ChicagoScene #ChiTribDining #Zagat #ChooseChicago

Parking map from suggested parking confusing. Easy to get to if instructions were clearer. Clean, friendly. Fun night.

Wonderful Turandot this afternoon!
Liu superb. Carla a marvelous tenor.
Turandot a lovely soprano, but her evil soul was overplayed. Our lunch in Pederson Room was first rate. We shall return!

My musical home away from home -- superb structure with great lighting and a fabulous interior: old school red plush and gilt! I have never heard a bad production here, and my most recent visit for "Carousel", was superb. Of course, how can you go wrong with Rogers and Hammerstein? And, of course we love our artistic director, Renee Fleming, Chicago's sweetheart!

I love Lyric Opera! The hall is small enough that the view is great even from the very back row in the highest balcony. The quality of the operas is, of course, world class.

No matter how you feel about opera, you must go to see, feel and hear the experience. I will take you far away for a short time

Great experience with great food and drinks at the Graham Room.

One of the finest opera companies in the world, Lyric brings some of the best young talent and innovative productions to Chicago audiences.

Great operas, and they have student discounts too if you subscribe to NEXT. I always love the innovative works through Lyric Unlimited as well. Don t understand Italian? No worries, they have translations projected into a screen above.

Bring a pair of small binoculars, and you will be blown away by the details. Arrive here early, because they are always crowded 15 minutes before a show.