Lyric Opera 2025-2026 Issue 8 - Salome

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 16 It is night. In the banqueting hall, Herod and his second wife, Herodias, entertain guests from Rome, Egypt, and Jerusalem. Outside, Narraboth, the captain of the King’s Guard, stares longingly in at Salome, Herod’s stepdaughter. Herodias’s Page, himself obsessed with Narraboth, tries to distract him, fearing that his infatuation can only bring misfortune. From the depths of an old cistern where he has been imprisoned, the voice of Jochanaan (John the Baptist) is heard by the soldiers who guard him. To them, his prophesies are incomprehensible and they warn a curious Cappadocian servant that it is forbidden for anyone to see him. Salome suddenly appears. Unable to endure the lascivious gaze of her stepfather any longer, she has fled the banquet, longing to bask in the pure rays of the moonshine. Jochanaan’s voice echoes from the cistern, cursing her mother. Salome is intrigued and demands to see him, refusing Herod’s order to return to the table. The soldiers refuse but Salome uses her power over the besotted Narraboth and he orders the prophet to be brought out before her. Jochanaan is dragged out of his prison and rails against the marriage of Herod and Herodias, an incestuous match made possible by the murder of Herod’s brother, Philip, Herodias’s former husband. Salome is appalled but fascinated. Despite the frantic pleas of Narraboth, she conceives a passion for the prophet that quickly turns to an obsession. In turn, she longs to touch his body, run her fingers through his hair and, finally, to kiss his mouth. The distraught Narraboth stabs himself in the heart. Salome does not even notice, so intense is her desire to kiss the prophet. Jochanaan repulses her in disgust and commands her to seek the forgiveness of the Son of Man. Uncomprehending, Salome tries again to kiss him and he curses her before the soldiers throw him back into the cistern. Herod now comes in pursuit of Salome, wife and guests in tow. He slips in Narraboth’s blood — an ill omen that drives the paranoid Tetrarch to distraction. He denies Herodias’s demands to return to the banqueting hall and orders the servants to bring food and wine. He tries to persuade Salome to join him, even offering her own mother’s throne beside him, but she refuses. PRODUCTION SPONSOR Richard O. Ryan Salome is produced by the Royal Ballet and Opera.This production was first seen at the Royal Opera House, London on February 21, 2008. Lyric Opera of Chicago gratefully acknowledges the support of the Irma Parker German Opera Endowed Chair. Additional costumes provided by: Krostyne Studio Lynae Vandermeulen Giliberto Designs San Francisco Opera Austin Pettinger Lyric Opera of Chicago thanks its Official Airline, United Airlines. APPROXIMATE TIMINGS This production will be performed with no intermission. Act 1 1 hour 40 minutes LYRIC’S 2025/26 PRESENTING SEASON SPONSOR: The Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation Synopsis PLACE | The palace of Herod