COSÌ FANTASTIC

This was my third time seeing Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte. The second was Lyric’s 2018 production. While I was concerned about the three-and-a-half-hour runtime on a Sunday afternoon, I need not have worried. I had an absolute blast! The cast was outstanding, both as to their gorgeous singing and their laugh out loud acting. Original Director Michael Cavanaugh kept the atmosphere light and fun, while the design team brought style and panache. And Conductor Enrique Mazzola kept the singers and musicians in time, despite some tricky rhythms. This was easily my favorite Così production yet, and possibly my favorite offering of the season so far.

The company

Così Fan Tutte, ossia La Scuola degli amanti–to give the opera its full title–roughly translates as “Thus Are All Women, or The School of Lovers.” Finished and first performed in 1790, it is one of Mozart’s best-loved comic operas. Utilizing a libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, with whom Mozart also collaborated on Don Giovanni and The Marriage of Figaro, the opera pokes fun at the fickleness of women. The main protagonists are Ferrando and Guglielmo, and the sisters, Dorabella and Fiordiligi, to whom they are betrothed. Their friend Don Alfonso, who calls into question the fidelity of their fiancées, sets events in motion by making a bet. Ferrando and Guglielmo must pretend to go off to war, while disguising themselves and seducing the sisters. Don Alfonso is aided in his scheme by the maid Despina.

Anthony León, Ian Rucker and the CompanyIan Rucker, Rod Gilfry, Anthony León

While Così Fan Tutte offers many of the same misogynistic tropes one finds in other works of the period, it does so with a refreshing amount of good humor. The opening bet almost feels more like a dare than an indictment against all women. Moreover, as Fiordiligi falls in love with her betrothed’s friend Ferrando and Dorabella couples up with Guglielmo, it seems like the men too are betraying their fiancées. The opera’s ending could have been even funnier had the sisters stayed with their new lovers instead of going back to their fiancés.

The Company

Originally a production of San Francisco Opera, this Lyric production resembles the earlier 2018 production in that each is set at a seaside resort. Yet, whereas the earlier one was set in wartime 1914, this one features a peacetime 1930s setting. Erhard Rom’s set and project designs range from an upscale locker room to a veranda replete with swimming pool and lounge chairs. Rom’s opening projections imitate film credits, which help set the stage and tone of what follows. Constance Hoffman’s costume designs range from period-perfect high-waisted swimsuits for the men to quirky, often ridiculous hats and brightly-colored dresses for the women. Cavanaugh keeps the action moving beautifully throughout.

The Company

There is not a weak member of this six-person cast, which is helmed by the seasoned performers Rod Gilfry and Ana María Martínez. In 2018, Martínez played Fiordiligi–not one of her best performances. This time she plays Despina with aplomb. Her soprano is beautifully light and clear, while her comic expressions are a delight to behold.

Ian Rucker, Cecilia Molinari, Jacquelyn Stucker, Anthony LeónAna María Martínez

Of the four remaining roles, three are Lyric debuts: American soprano Jacquelyn Stucker as Fiordiligi, Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Molinari as Dorabella, and American tenor Anthony Léon as Ferrando. They are joined by Ryan Opera Center alumnus Ian Rucker as Guglielmo. Last season, Rucker played Schaunard in La Bohème. These are young, good-looking performers with impressive acting skills and gorgeous voices.

Jacquelyn Stucker, Anthony León

Léon’s silky smooth tenor nearly brought me to tears with his stunningly sung aria “Un aura amorosa.” Stucker sings her role’s coloratura passages seemingly without effort. Though Mozart provides each role with opportunities for solo singing, it is the duets and other ensemble singing that really stand out. Stucker, Molinari, Rucker, and Léon blend their voices seamlessly and elegantly, displaying a whole range of emotions, from love to fear.

The Company Jacquelyn Stucker, Anthony León

Così Fan Tutte tends to be melodramatic in a way that borders on silliness, especially during the first act, but this cast and director manage to keep it just within the bounds of credibility. The result is one of the funniest and enjoyable productions of the season. Yet, it is Lyric’s ninth production of Così Fan Tutte. Others, such as Don Giovanni and Le Nozze di Figaro, have had eleven productions. Will Lyric ever program less-popular Mozart operas, such as La Finta Giardiniera, Lucio Silla, and Der Schauspieldirektor?

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photos by Andrew Cioffi

Così Fan Tutte
Lyric Opera of Chicago
Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive
3 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission
ends on February 14, 2026
for tickets, call 312.827.5600 or visit Lyric Opera

for more shows, visit Theatre in Chicago

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