Lyric Opera at Millennium Park

Chicago really is a fantastic city.  I LOVE Millennium Park with its many many free concerts, dance shows, operas, and festivals.  Tonight I went to Stars of Lyric Opera.  Basically, they do a selection of all the best songs with all their best singers, in the park, for free.  The place was packed!

My favourites of the night were Mozart's Don Giovanni act one aria "Madamina", sang by Kyle Ketelsen - I loved the humour, and Puccini's Madam Butterfly (my favourite opera) art two aria: the famous "Un bel di" sang by Ana Maria Martinez as Cio-Cio San.  Oh my gosh, Martinez was AMAZING.  I cried (but not a lot, because that would be embarrassing).  I remember crying the first time I heard it with my Grade 10 English teacher, Mrs. Waber, when she took us to see my very first live opera.  Every time I hear the aria, I can just see the red (fabric symbolizing blood) spill over the stage in my mind.  The best part:  Lyric Opera has $20 student tickets!!  Hopefully some of my classmates are into opera and we can go together during the season.  And if not, I'll just have to go by myself! 

Needless to say, another fantastic night in Chicago.  Tomorrow morning I have brunch with some of my classmates.  I think Sunday brunches are going to be a thing for us this coming year.  Orientation is on Monday, and I can't wait to start!  We got our advisor assignments and class schedules a couple of days ago.  I've made contact with the faculty advisor for my scholarship project, too.  This is like slowly watching your dream being realized.  Totally cool!