| Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Invisible City of Kitezh, Catán’s Il Postino, and Kamala Sankaram’s Taking Up Serpents |
CHICAGO, IL – May 20, 2020 – “Coming off its finest season in a decade… Chicago Opera Theater may be entering a golden age in its history,” writes Chicago Classical Review. This resurgence of artistic quality and audacious programming has been driven by the company’s Orli and Bill Staley Music Director Lidiya Yankovskaya and Stefan Edlis and Gael Neeson General Director Ashley Magnus, who announced the 2020/21 season on Wednesday evening via a digital reveal on Facebook and YouTube. “The 21st century has redefined American opera through an exceptional creative surge,” said Yankovskaya. “COT is quickly establishing our place at the vanguard of this movement. In our 20/21 season, we uphold our commitment to presenting new work of many different voices, subjects, styles, and languages, alongside masterworks that have yet to be heard in Chicago.” Under the award-winning leadership of Magnus and Yankovskaya, COT will present three Chicago premieres: • The Invisible City of Kitezh – considered by Rimsky-Korsakov to be his finest masterpiece, Kitezh explores remarkably timely themes: a society coming together to fight off a threat while debating personal sacrifice for others • Taking Up Serpents – new production of Kamala Sankaram and Jerre Dye’s chamber opera, following the daughter of a Pentecostal snake handler in the American South; first COT mainstage by female composer • Il Postino – Daniel Catán’s Spanish-language account of the personal postman to exiled Chilean poet Pablo Neruda; based on the Oscar-winning film of the same name |
