Lyric Opera 2025-2026 Issue 9 - Così fan tutte

9 | Lyric Opera of Chicago El último sueño de Frida y Diego brings Kahlo’s work to vivid life on stage. Wagner’s Ring cycle as a site-specific, communal experience. safronia marks the Chicago native’s first foray into opera, penning both the score and the libretto himself. This semi-staged production, directed by Timothy Douglas in his Lyric debut, marks a significant addition to Lyric’s ongoing commitment to new work that reflects the cultural vibrancy of Chicago and the stories of the communities that shape it. Similarly contemporary is Gabriela Lena Frank and Nilo Cruz’s El último sueño de Frida y Diego , which received its premiere in 2022, and will run at Lyric March 21 through April 4, 2026. The work presents an imaginary tale taking place on the Day of the Dead, when Mexican artist Frida Kahlo crosses over from the underworld for 24 short hours with Diego Rivera, who remains in the living world, alone and grieving her loss. The pair’s legendary marriage — and revolutionary art — arrive onstage with vivid colors, surrealist touches, and lush, evocative music sung in Spanish and inspired by Mexican folk music traditions. Lyric’s increasingly popular Live to Film concert series — which this season included the charming Coco — continues April 10 and 11 with Mary Poppins . Audiences will have a chance to see a much younger Dick Van Dyke (who recently marked his 100th birthday) join a high-flying Julie Andrews in this legendary masterpiece. Mangum sees film as a natural cousin to opera rather than a detour from it. In the 19th century, he notes, opera was the medium for epic storytelling; in the 20th, film emerged as the vehicle for those broad narratives. “The 19th century’s operetta, light music, singspiel and the like developed into the musical theater Photo by Cory Weaver / San Francisco Opera