So our regulars, our always curious Chicago Opera Theater audience, have voted for Moscow Cheryomushki, Shostakovich's 1959 operetta set in Kruschev's Moscow, which tells the story of a group of friends and acquaintances who have been granted new apartments in a new residential development. Of course this is satire, and hilarious comedy - well we hope so! Anyway there it is - it has been a huge hit from Vienna to Leeds! And it is certainly a change of pace for Chicago and should appeal to a huge new fun loving audience.
And we will be doing it in the superb orchestral arrangement by the CSO's Gerard McBurney - this now is the version which is most widely performed and which has contributed hugely to the new found success for this piece.
Shosty beat R. Strauss' Capriccio into second place, and Mozart's Magic Flute into third. Says a lot about the Chicago Opera Theater audience.
I can not tell you what else we will be doing in 2011 - that is a secret until March next year. But I can assure you that what we will have is a uniquely fascinating season - manna for those really interested in opera, probably poison for the too large number of people who only like the old chestnuts. Even they seem to be getting bored with those. What is to be done?
Photo: Tristram Kenton (Opera North)