I grew up in a tiny rural town in Northern Michigan, and while I've lived in Chicago for almost ten years, there's still a small town girl inside of me that continually marvels at the panoply of events and opportunities available on any given night in the city. The Lyric Opera has always held a particular allure for me. Perhaps its because of the all the Romantic Era novels I read in college in which the opera always seemed the focal point of the social world--a place to see and be seen--that I've always thought of the opera as the pinnacle of a fancy evening out.
I've always wanted to see a well-known, well-loved opera, so when we heard that the Lyric Opera was staging Carmen this winter we jumped at the chance to see the show.