Metal music, characterized by its amplified instrumentation and powerful vocals, is no stranger to evolution. Over the decades, it has branched into numerous sub-genres, each bearing its distinct style, inspiration, and sonic experimentation. As we gear up for the concert premiere of David T. Little's rock-opera Soldier Songs, let's journey through the myriad sub-genres of metal, understanding the roots that have led us to contemporary productions like this rock-opera. 1. Heavy Metal Original and foundational, this genre formed the basis of what metal is today. 3. Death Metal Recognizable for ..read more

Did you know that the The Life and Death(s) of Alan Turing is a production ten years in the making? Read more about the timeline below. 2012: The Life and Death(s) of Alan Turing was first commissioned by the American Lyric Theater in 2012 to commemorate the Turing centennial. 2019: After several workshops at ALT, the company partnered with COT to present a full orchestra workshop in 2019. The response was overwhelming, and COT has been eager to produce the staged premiere ever since. 2022: COT announces the 22/23 season with the world premiere happening in the Spring 2023. March ..read more

Like the three great operas by Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte (Figaro, Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte), Albert Herring is described on its title page as a comic opera. And like those mighty antecedents, it is indeed bursting with scenes of great hilarity, told with the deft and smiling touch of a master craftsman. But, again like those 18th-century giants, there are enormous underlying strains of profound seriousness too: for here we encounter loss, bereavement, bullying, teasing, even physical aggression (corporal punishment), and a fundamental sense of social inequality, with all the unfairnesse ..read more

COT Morse & Genius Music Director Lidiya Yankovskaya The music of Król Roger is surprisingly ahead of its time, sounding more like something written ten years ago than nearly a century. In an era when many composers were exploring serialism and writing music that was rooted in shorter, intellectually-driven structures, Król Roger focuses on long developmental arcs, finding brilliant colors and complexity in its multi-faceted orchestrations, while supporting exceptionally lyrical writing and tonal harmonic structures. Szymanowski builds on Polish musical tradition, but brings it to a new ..read more

This past week we were lucky enough to chat with COT’s resident wig and makeup artist Rebecca A. Scott and ask her a few questions about her career in theatre. Keep reading to learn more about this COT team member! How did you start doing make-up and wigs for theatre? By accident. I have a BFA in theatrical production design and was planning on working in costumes. After a couple of years, I got burned out on wardrobe and was looking to move up to a shop assistant type position. I had applied at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ for the shop assistant job and of course it had just been fi ..read more

Chicago Opera Theater is honored to perform in Chicago Live! an annual two-day performance festival at Navy Pier. We will take to the stage at Sunday, September 25th at 4:30 p.m. Our performance includes an arrangement of songs by our Young Artists. Navy Pier, Chicago’s iconic cultural destination, announced today that it will bring back Chicago Live! as with generous support from the Pritzker Foundation. More than 60 of the city’s top marquee names—a third of which are participating for the first time—will give back-to-back performances from noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24, an ..read more

Our spring double bill with Music of Remembrance brings together two true stories that are profound tributes to the restorative power of memory. The unnamed world premiere was originally a Chicago Tribune article, written and investigated by Howard Reich and is being brought to the stage via composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer. The titled article “Confronting the Ghosts of a Looted Past” details the journey of an ailing Vietnam Veteran, Gerald McDonald, learning that he is the heir to a collection of Nazi-looted art. With borrowed money and limited time, he travels to Prague ..read more

When most people think of America's favorite comfort food, they think of Mac and Cheese. However, the dish's origins are not as simple as one might think. Any Google or YouTube search will reveal that the dish was invented by the third president, Thomas Jefferson. That is, however, not technically correct. The recipe has been consumed in Italy since the 14th-15th centuries. According to the Liber de Coquina cookbook, medieval Italians cooked pasta with grated cheese. You can find variations of the recipe throughout Europe. It wasn't until 1780 that Jefferson encountered the meal on a trip to ..read more

1979 Albert Herring 1979 Albert Herring 1979 Sid and Nancy 1979 Albert Herring 1989 Sid & Nancy 2023 Albert Herring Mood Board Grab your subscription today As promised, here are some additional photos. Unfortunately, we seem to have an abundance of the 1979 production of Albert Herring, but only one press image of Sid and Nancy from the 1989 production.  Fun Facts:  The 1979 show was the Chicago Premiere of Albert Herring. COT reintroduced the production in 1989 for the 15th anniversary season. It will now be re-staged in 2023 to commemorate our 50th anniversary! Al ..read more

As promised, here is more information about our musical partnerships for King Roger. The Apollo Chorus of Chicago is one of the United States and Chicago's oldest volunteer choral societies. Its over 120 auditioned members are men and women of all ages, races, creeds, and occupations united by a shared love of music. After the Chicago Fire, The Chorus was formed to restore civic pride. Since its founding in 1872, Apollo was intended to be an organization that brought singers from various Chicago communities together to form a single ensemble that would carry on beloved traditions while also cr ..read more