kathryn lewek queen of the night lyric opera chicago

As their friends and family battle with one another, Tony and Maria long for “a place for us…somewhere.” Their songs illuminate every scene and permeate our culture, from the romance of “Maria” and “Tonight” to the exuberance of “America” and the humor of “Gee, Officer Krupke.” Add to that the bold, sexy, iconic choreography of Jerome Robbins that smolders and sizzles with energy, and you have a timeless musical theater experience you’ll never forget.

Rory Macdonald led the Lyric Opera Orchestra with tempi that were mostly on the tight side, though I mostly missed the sense of longer rhythmic planning.

Tony and Maria are wide-eyed teenagers from two communities in conflict, who fall in love. Kathryn Lewek sang the Queen of the Night with a vocal force and clarity that could cut diamonds, though some more bodily gesture might have been used for dramatic punctuation. In 2023, Leonard Bernstein’s music and Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics will once again transplant Romeo and Juliet to the backstreets of New York City in this timeless Broadway musical masterpiece. With the lush sound of the Lyric Orchestra playing the original orchestrations and a cast that was called “expansive” by the Chicago Tribune, seeing a Broadway classic this way is a rare treat. In 2019, Lyric’s larger-than-life new production and company premiere of West Side Story took Chicago by storm with sold-out performances.

Kathryn lewek queen of the night lyric opera chicago