The assembled vocal talent, drawn mostly from the casts of Lyric’s new production of Tchaikovsky’s “The Queen of Spades” (opening Sept. 23) and John Harbison’s “The Great Gatsby,” will include Elizabeth Futral, Jerry Hadley, Bo Skovhus, Vladimir Galouzine, Katarina Dalayman, Felicity Palmer, Nikolai Putilin, Nancy Maultsby, Erin Wood, Russell Braun and Michael Hendrick.
The Metropolitan Opera has a long and noble tradition of giving free performances in New York City parks, but no such tradition exists at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Not until now, that is.
Two weeks before the Lyric launches its 46th season, the company will field 11 singers from its current roster in its first-ever free concert Saturday at the Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park.
With artistic director emeritus Bruno Bartoletti leading the Lyric Opera Orchestra, the program will hold arias, ensembles and orchestral selections by Bizet, Saint-Saens, Puccini and Verdi. The assembled vocal talent, drawn mostly from the casts of Lyric’s new production of Tchaikovsky’s “The Queen of Spades” (opening Sept. 23) and John Harbison’s “The Great Gatsby,” will include Elizabeth Futral, Jerry Hadley, Bo Skovhus, Vladimir Galouzine, Katarina Dalayman, Felicity Palmer, Nikolai Putilin, Nancy Maultsby, Erin Wood, Russell Braun and Michael Hendrick.
The concept owes its impetus to Mayor Richard Daley, who has long urged Lyric to present a free, “hands across the community” event of this type. A grant from the Recording Industries Music Performance Trust Funds, arranged by the Chicago Federation of Musicians (Local 10-208 of the American Federation of Musicians), helped turn the mayoral dream into reality.
This post-season Grant Park event is presented in cooperation with the Grant Park Music Festival, Mayor’s Office of Special Events and Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.
Lyric Opera concert, 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park, at Columbus Drive and Jackson Boulevard; 312-332-2244.
The Chicago Tribune
— John von Rhein
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2000-09-03/news/0009030074_1_bruno-bartoletti-michael-hendrick-petrillo-music-shell