Family Friendly Classic THE MAGIC FLUTE Gets All-New Lyric Opera Production

This family friendly tale of a prince searching for a captive princess is filled with a cast of enchanting make-believe characters, a menacing dragon and a trio of delightful "Genies," portrayed by Chicago child actors Casey Lyons, Parker Scribner and Asher Alcantara.

Revel in a combination of heartwarming comedy and true heroism, and the unparalleled genius and beauty of Mozart's music, in this introduction to opera for all ages!

The Magic Flute opens on Saturday, December 10, with 11 performances through January 27 at Lyric's Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Tickets start at $20 for children and $34 for adults, and are available now at lyricopera.org/flute or at 312-827-5600.

Prince Tamino (Andrew Staples Dec. 10-Jan. 8; Matthew Polenzani Jan. 12-27) and birdcatcher Papageno (Adam Plachetka) go in search of captive princess Pamina (Christiane Karg) in Mozart's The Magic Flute. The music enthralls, whether in the high-flying revenge aria of Pamina's ruthless mother, the Queen of the Night (Kathryn Lewek) or in the bass depths of the Queen's nemesis Sarastro (Christof Fischesser).

Rory Macdonald conducts and Neil Armfield directs. The new production is designed by Dale Ferguson with lighting design by Damien Cooper. Michael Black is chorus master and Denni Sayers choreographs.

Lyric Opera of Chicago's mission is to express and promote the life-changing, transformational, revelatory power of great opera. Lyric exists to provide a broad, deep, and relevant cultural service to Chicago and the nation, and to advance the development of the art form.

Founded in 1954, Lyric is dedicated to producing and performing consistently thrilling, entertaining, and thought-provoking opera with a balanced repertoire of core classics, lesser-known masterpieces, and new works; to creating an innovative and wide-ranging program of community engagement and educational activities; and to developing exceptional emerging operatic talent.

Under the leadership of general director Anthony Freud, music director Sir Andrew Davis, and creative consultant Renée Fleming, Lyric strives to become The Great North American Opera Company for the 21st century: a globally significant arts organization embodying the core values of excellence, relevance, and fiscal responsibility.

To learn more about Lyric's new season, go to lyricopera.org. You can also join the conversation with @LyricOpera on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.