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This past Saturday night at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, opera superstars Anna Netrebko and Joseph Calleja successfully transformed an otherwise ordinary, four-star La Bohème at the Lyric into an extraordinary, five-star experience.

“Should auld acquaintance be forgot...” Each New Year’s Day, thousands of people join in traditional chorus to this hallowed strain, yet very few are aware of the origin of these beloved lyrics – the pen of Robert Burns.

“Nibble, nibble, like a mouse – who is nibbling at my house?” As a preschooler, I used to giggle with glee when I would hear this quote from the wicked witch in Hansel and Gretel. No doubt the story was dark, yet Eloise Wilkin’s delightful illustrations and the touching message of brother/sister love enticed me to return frequently to this beloved tale during nightly story time.

The human race craves comic relief... a universally accepted fact throughout the entire history of mankind. Comic books, sitcoms, comic theater... all seek to blissfully whisk us out of the doldrums and politics of today’s ever-busy society.

Fabio Biondi and Europa Galante – tour de force superstars in the world of historically-informed performance. Ever since I had first purchased their CD of Vivaldi’s L’Estro Armonico as a youngster, I have been in totally awe of the sheer brilliance of their playing. No longer were the familiar Vivaldi concertos mundane Suzuki student pieces; now they were living, breathing virtuosic showpieces.

“Love conquers all.” Too often this phrase has been repeated, yet too true this statement has proven. Rather than just being a passionate emotion in which desires of the world and flesh prevail, true love is a genuine feeling which trials or extreme evil cannot break, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

“In order to play dance pieces correctly, you must learn to dance it.” Thus spoke my recorder teacher this past Friday. A tall order, considering that Baroque dance has become a specialized and rarely-performed art inaccessible to most people.

“It’s magic!” Whether through Disney cartoons, renowned illusionists, or smartphones, visual magic continues to delight contemporary audiences. Three hundred years ago in 18th-century London, audiences were stunned by Handel’s all-new operatic extravaganza Rinaldo, which not only featured a top-notch cast, but also the latest and greatest special effects.

Orpheus and Euridice – A timeless Greek myth forever ingrained into the classical music repertoire. Since the very beginnings of operatic history, this heartbreaking and beautiful tale has endured numerous adaptions.

In our youth, my brother and I adored Cecil B. DeMille’s epic film The Ten Commandments. Not only did we like the well-written and brilliant take on the beloved biblical story of Moses, but we were also fascinated by the lavish sets and historical aspects of the film.

Two years ago, my voice teacher invited to my very first Messiah performance with the Downers Grove Choral Society, of which he was the director. During the three-hour performance, I vividly recall feeling incredibly uplifted in indescribable spiritual bliss for the whole time I spent in the seat, intensely listening to the historically-informed rendition.

“Once Upon a Time…” No doubt, this has become one of the most familiar lines of childhood. Indeed, what childhood would be complete without fairy tales and fantastical stories of knights, princesses, dragons, and talking animals? Even into adulthood, fantasy and fairy tales continue to capture the imagination of many.

"It was a dark and stormy night …." Chuckling whenever I hear these lines, I can see Charles Schultz’s beloved Snoopy staring intensely at his typewriter, vigorously typing away what he would consider his magnum opus novel.

“Who were these people? How did they think? What would it be like to experience life in their time and gain full insight into their musical minds?” These are some of the main questions I ask when doing research to aid my understanding of historically informed performance in 17th and 18th-century Baroque music.

Mozart’s Requiem – Piety, mythical murder, and mystery. Completed at the time of Mozart’s death and popularized by the 1984 movie Amadeus, this piece has since become the curiosity piece of audiences seeking the signature sensationalism of today’s state-of-the-arts media.

Ahoy there, Mateys – the gang’s all here: Pirates, lovely ladies, bumbling policemen, and a stammering Major General. Yes, my landlubbing and seafaring friends, I am speaking of Gilbert and Sullivan’s eternal classic, “The Pirates of Penzance”, which was given a delightful, fresh, and faithful take by the acclaimed New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players at College of DuPage.

When I was young, I often wondered what it would be like if an angel came down to earth. I mused that, if such an angel came, she would be a pretty, middle-aged lady with a slender figure, blonde hair, and, most importantly, a gorgeous, ethereal voice.

Ancient Greek superheroes – irresistible. Half god, half man, incredible deeds leave Perseus, Theseus, and of course Hercules enough to rival Superman, Spiderman, and The Incredible Hulk. Small wonder then why these demigods and precursor of the modern comic book superhero have captivated the hearts and minds of many of the world’s greatest writers, dramatists and composers.

Until the last decade or so, becoming involved in the historically-informed performance practice (HIPP) movement – which involves performing on instruments of a composer’s historical period – was not so “hip.

“There was love all around / But I never heard it singing / No, I never heard it at all / Till there was you!” I vividly recall when I first heard Shirley Jones sing these touching, heartfelt lines on the beloved motion picture version of Meredith Wilson’s “The Music Man”, when both the devious Professor Harold Hill and the stingy spinster Marion Paroo discover the true meaning of love.

“Off with their heads!” I vividly recall being terrorized as a preschooler hearing Walt Disney’s sadistic, loud-mouthed Queen of Hearts thunder these signature lines. I have since learned that decapitation as capital punishment is not exclusive to the fictional Queen of Hearts of Lewis Carroll and Walt Disney, but rather grim historical reality.

“Hate breeds hate.” I cannot possibly count all the times that I have heard this alarmingly true statement during my entire lifetime be it from my parents, mentors, or other individuals that I have encoutered. Indeed, this statement has proven too true countless times throughout the history of mankind, becoming a perennial favorite theme for artistic works ranging from novels to plays.

Since the summer of 2009, I have had the privilege to study voice under Dr. Robert Holst, assistant professor of music at Lewis University. Dr. Holst is also director of the Downers Grove Choral Society, a highly-regarded community chorus in my area.

Everybody’s favorite bad girl in the world of opera is back again for a spectacular romp of delights, mischief, seduction, and tragic culmination in the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2010 revival of its 1999 production of Bizet’s Carmen.

Baroque nobility dancing the minuet, Polynesian natives performing ritual dances, a crowd of American teens dancing the electric slide at a prom .... what do all of these groups have in common? They are all dancing! Indeed, since the beginnings of recorded history, dance has served as an important cultural expression throughout the world.

Widely acclaimed professional community orchestra New Philharmonic opened its 34th Season with an outstanding, family-friendly concert featuring both overture classics and everyone's favorite musical fairy tale, Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf.