Overview

• The U.S. premiere runs Sept. 18–28 at Chicago’s Lyric Opera House, presenting a danced reinterpretation of Bizet’s score.
• Live music is performed by the Lyric Opera Orchestra under Joffrey music director Scott Speck with Martin Yates’s orchestration.
• Victoria Jaiani leads a shared cast in the title role, with Alberto Velazquez as Don José and Dylan Gutierrez as Escamillo singled out for impact.
• Design by Jon Bausor with lighting by James Farncombe builds a gritty, 1930s-inflected Seville with pointed political context.
• Early notices are favorable—Chicago Tribune at 3.5 stars—citing a powerful climactic pas de deux and strong ensemble work, with critiques of near-three-hour length and occasional staging or costume choices.