Lyric Opera of Chicago
Lyric Opera of Chicago
5
About
Lyric Opera of Chicago amazes, inspires, and engages audiences with powerful live performances that resonate long after the curtain falls.
We strive to advance artistic excellence, to attract new audiences, to engage and inspire diverse communities with the power of opera and compelling storytelling—and to increase the gravitational pull of our art form, our company, and our city.
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Top ways to experience Lyric Opera of Chicago and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Downtown / The Loop
Often visitors' first stop in Chicago, The Loop is a good starting point to sample the city's energy and flavor. This central business district boasts Michelin-rated restaurants, upscale hotels, premier shopping, and enough arresting architecture to keep your camera busy for hours. You won’t find too many photo galleries of downtown Chicago without a shot of Millennium Park and Cloud Gate (“The Bean”), one of the most iconic landmarks in the city. A stunning skyline coupled with cultural attractions like the Art Institute of Chicago present a Downtown where work and play peacefully coexist.
How to get there
- Washington/Wells • 4 min walk
- Quincy • 6 min walk
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
3,269 within 5 kms
Attractions
583 within 10 kms
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
466 reviews
Excellent
383
Very good
61
Average
15
Poor
3
Terrible
4
Linda M
Guilford, NY80 contributions
Oct. 2023 • Friends
I saw the wonderful ballet , Frankenstein, here and although i had a ticket in an upper balcony, i really enjoyed the ballet and the wonderful view of the hall itself.
Written October 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kim N
1 contribution
Jun. 2023 • Family
The musical was fantastic. However we were left with a negative feeling because of some of the rude staff we encountered at the Lyric Opera House. From not wanted to be bothered with a question to being practically pushed out at the end because they were in a hurry. I’ve never had an experience at a theater like that before.
Written June 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sheila L
Crystal Lake520 contributions
Mar. 2022
This past March I took a friend to the opera with me to see Tosca. We had a great time experiencing box seats for the first time! I highly recommend the box seats, and would purchase them again because of the excellent view and privacy. Totally worth the price! We also enjoyed dinner after the Sunday matinee at the Florian in the opera house. That was also an enjoyable experience.
Written December 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Natalie S
Colorado Springs, United States25 contributions
Dec. 2022
What a fabulous venue to experience The Nutcracker! Such a beautiful place and the staff was amazing. It was a very special evening for a group of 8 ladies who came to Chicago from all over the country to spend time together.
I'd like to especially thank your usher Cal for his kindness and care. I am type 1 diabetic and needed to exit the ballet to control my blood sugar. Cal was very attentive and kind to me and made sure I was doing okay. He's a caring and kind employee!
I'd like to especially thank your usher Cal for his kindness and care. I am type 1 diabetic and needed to exit the ballet to control my blood sugar. Cal was very attentive and kind to me and made sure I was doing okay. He's a caring and kind employee!
Written December 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anita L
Endicott, NY62 contributions
Jun. 2022 • Friends
The feeling of awe as we stepped into this ancient monument capped off our wonderful first trip to Greece. There was such a connection to our ancestors stepping into their theater and sitting with so many others preparing to watch something we might not understand, but to sit under the stars absorbing the atmosphere was phenomenal.
Written June 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
joeF_10
Media, PA357 contributions
Oct. 2021
First of all I want to commend the staff for running a well organized, safe and friendly operation. The opera was one of our main reasons for visiting Chicago. We first saw L'Elisir d'Amore which was staged really well and was done in a humorous fashion without overdoing it. The singers were good but nothing out of the ordinary. The second day, we saw Macbeth which was directed by McVicar and was great on every level. The setting, while not traditional, evoked the feelings of terror which are one of the themes of the opera. The singers, especially Sandra Radvanovsky, were terrific....the cast in our view was superior to the Macbeth we had seen at the Met in New York. The orchestra and conductor were of the finest quality.
Written October 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MickyG
104 contributions
Feb. 2020 • Couples
Beautiful building & decor. Madame Butterfly was spellbinding. Recommend the pre- order for intermission refreshments. We were able to enjoy a leisurely glass of wine without waiting in line with this service. Was worried about what to wear but there was a wide range of fashion so just go & enjoy.
Written February 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen T
1 contribution
Feb. 2020 • Friends
Tonight we were at Chicago Lyric Opera... One of my favorite Operas ” Queen of Spades ” was playing...
All I can say is - voices were fantastic , but that's where my praises would stop.
As for production itself: costumes and staging - it was absolutely horrifying and unacceptable ....Its very unfortunate and disappointing that liberal/ ”progressive” narratives have been pushed throughout everything in our Civil Society, including Performing Arts today , no matter whether it's belongs there or not! For example : neither Alexander Pushkin or Peter Tchaikovsky would have appreciate their drama being butchered and turned in to a cheap entertainment, where a dramatic music has no connection to a play itself : - a gay man dressed and act as a pervert dancing with cheap suggestive overtones in front of a few dozens of half naked men somewhere in the dirty shack ( supposedly casino ) on top of a dirty Gambling table... , or, instead of a ghost of a queen appearing before Gherman at night in his dream , as the story suggests, a ridiculous Giant Skeleton lays down in bed with Gherman hugging him.... As we all know :..Opera is a combination of a story/play set on music, sometimes with ballet, but all in harmony and correlation with the Historical Era of the masterpiece required. In this Case - it's an Era of an early 19th century, 1830th... Furthermore, neither Pushkin or later Tchaikovsky , had any intention to turn their particular Masterpieces in to a Comedy!!! Pushkin’s Story is a drama, about greed, love and misfortune, and Tchaikovsky have respectfully followed just that, accenting the Eternal ill of the Human Race...
The New Production we’ve just seen wasn’t innovative nor creative!
It should be only described as disrespectful , ignorant and obnoxious, with utter disregard for wishes and intentions of Two Historical Icons who wrote this timeless masterpieces !
I have to confess :Entire experience was very upsetting...to see our Beloved and deeply Revered Classics to be mocked and made fun off by pandering staging directors and producers!!! Shameful and insulting!!!
All I can say is - voices were fantastic , but that's where my praises would stop.
As for production itself: costumes and staging - it was absolutely horrifying and unacceptable ....Its very unfortunate and disappointing that liberal/ ”progressive” narratives have been pushed throughout everything in our Civil Society, including Performing Arts today , no matter whether it's belongs there or not! For example : neither Alexander Pushkin or Peter Tchaikovsky would have appreciate their drama being butchered and turned in to a cheap entertainment, where a dramatic music has no connection to a play itself : - a gay man dressed and act as a pervert dancing with cheap suggestive overtones in front of a few dozens of half naked men somewhere in the dirty shack ( supposedly casino ) on top of a dirty Gambling table... , or, instead of a ghost of a queen appearing before Gherman at night in his dream , as the story suggests, a ridiculous Giant Skeleton lays down in bed with Gherman hugging him.... As we all know :..Opera is a combination of a story/play set on music, sometimes with ballet, but all in harmony and correlation with the Historical Era of the masterpiece required. In this Case - it's an Era of an early 19th century, 1830th... Furthermore, neither Pushkin or later Tchaikovsky , had any intention to turn their particular Masterpieces in to a Comedy!!! Pushkin’s Story is a drama, about greed, love and misfortune, and Tchaikovsky have respectfully followed just that, accenting the Eternal ill of the Human Race...
The New Production we’ve just seen wasn’t innovative nor creative!
It should be only described as disrespectful , ignorant and obnoxious, with utter disregard for wishes and intentions of Two Historical Icons who wrote this timeless masterpieces !
I have to confess :Entire experience was very upsetting...to see our Beloved and deeply Revered Classics to be mocked and made fun off by pandering staging directors and producers!!! Shameful and insulting!!!
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kjk977
Palos Park, Illinois2 contributions
Dec. 2019 • Family
We loved it! This was a Christmas gift for our daughter and son-in-law. It was our first visit with them to Lyric.
Written January 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
batfamily10
Normal, IL4 contributions
Dec. 2019
If you have the opportunity to get tickets to a performance at the Lyric Opera, do it! The talent is world class. We have not seen a bad production. The theater is beautiful. The staff is friendly and helpful. My husband thought he would hate it. Commented to me that he likes hard rock and punk and this isn't his thing. Well, one performance and he is hooked. He looks forward to every matinee we schedule.
Written December 9, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mepedernera
Cordoba, Argentina190 contributions
Hola quisiera saber si hay visitas (backtage) en Español ?
shallow_shoals
Chicago, IL24,630 contributions
Welcome to TA rip off warning. You seem to be a niche reporter.
You did NOT purchase from Lyric Opera if you used a broker. The Lyric sells its own tickets in-house. If a subscriber turns in their tickets for a performance, the box office - AT THE LYRIC - will resell them at no extra charge to anyone. Please be careful of clicking on a scalper's page. In this case you used a Ticket-master secondary market seller which is under the pseudonym of Ticket Fulfillment. Lyric Opera does not have, never has had, a contract with TM. Go only to the lyric's web site.
marjoriez366
40 contributions
I was the out of town guest for the person who purchased the ticket.
Chris M
Naperville, IL2 contributions
where are the best seats for a concert performance
Leslie W
Chicago, IL17 contributions
Depends on personal preference. Sound is excellent everywhere.If you want to see faces, you have to be on the main floor near the front or use opera glasses. On the main floor, do not get too close. If you have long legs or are a short person who cannot see over others, row AA is nice as there is a space in front of it. My personal favorites are the back box seats. They are more pricey, but in the winter you can hang your coat...easy egress...close to washrooms and beverages. I have also been in the balconies...be forewarned that if you have vertigo, the highest balcony can be a bit dicey. Also if you are short, your view might be impeded a bit by the railing if you are high up in the first row or two. One friend loves the highest balcony front area because he can see into the pit. If you want to see the whole stage for choreography, you need to be up a bit.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listingLYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Lyric Opera of Chicago
- According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Lyric Opera of Chicago:
- 45-Minute Chicago River Architecture Tour from Magnificent Mile (From C$36.69)
- 90-Minute Chicago River Architecture Tour (From C$57.08)
- Big Bus Chicago Hop-On Hop-Off Tour (From C$66.04)
- Premier Chicago River Dinner Cruise (From C$228.76)
- Chicago Lake Michigan Fireworks Cruise (From C$67.95)
- Hotels near Lyric Opera of Chicago:
- (0.16 km) Hyatt Place Chicago / Downtown - The Loop
- (0.19 km) La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Chicago Downtown
- (0.42 km) Residence Inn by Marriott Chicago Downtown/Loop
- (0.24 km) Manilow Suites at 215 West
- (0.47 km) Kimpton Gray Hotel
- Restaurants near Lyric Opera of Chicago:
- (0.05 km) The Sarah and Peer Pedersen Room
- (0.05 km) The Eastman Egg Company
- (0.06 km) The Florian at Lyric Opera
- (0.14 km) Rivers Restaurant
- (0.16 km) Naf Naf Grill
- Attractions near Lyric Opera of Chicago:
- (0.01 km) The Lyric Opera House
- (0.06 km) PROFi DRIVER Chicago, Illinois, United States
- (0.08 km) Chicago Pizza Tours
- (0.18 km) Chicago Riverwalk
- (0.08 km) Chicago Prohibition Tours