A THIRD TIME IS TOO
MUCH FOR THIS DON

A superb cast cannot disguise the problems
in Robert Falls’ revival of Mozart’s opera, whose
treatment of sexual violence feels increasingly dated

This Robert Falls-directed production of Don Giovanni was the first opera I reviewed upon my arrival in Chicago in 2014. I mostly loved it that time, though I loved it much less during its second outing in 2019. By then I had become much more sensitized to sexual violence against women as a result of the #MeToo movement. Reproducing this same production yet again in 2026, without change, seems not only lazy but problematic. It’s not enough that Don Giovanni is a core, historical part of Lyric’s repertoire and that it sells tickets. As Lyric did with Puccini’s Madama Butterfly last year, Don Giovanni needs careful rethinking and a new approach.

Don Giovanni is the last in Lyric’s planned trilogy of Mozart operas with librettos by Lorenzo da Ponte—the others were The Marriage of Figaro (2024) and Così fan tutte (2025). Hopefully, Lyric can now move on to some Mozart operas that have not been performed recently or as often: La clemenza di Tito (1989 and 2014) and Die Entführung aus dem Serail (1984 and 2009). Early works like La finta giardiniera, Mitridate, and La finta semplice have never been performed at Lyric.

Centering on the legendary Don Juan, who first appeared in Tirso de Molina’s 1630 play El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra (The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest), the opera sees its eponymous antihero cavorting with six different women. Three are sung roles: Donna Anna, who is raped by Don Giovanni, who afterward murders her father; Donna Elvira, who has a kind of love-hate relationship with Don Giovanni; and Zerlina, seduced by him on her wedding night. They are joined by three actresses (in roles created by the director): Donna Elvira’s maidservant and two sex workers. By the second and final act, all three named women are looking to get their revenge on Don Giovanni, joined by Donna Anna’s fiancé Don Ottavio and Zerlina’s husband Masetto. In the end, our antihero goes to hell and everyone rejoices.

Designated as a dramma giocoso (comic drama), it’s hard to know how seriously to take Don Giovanni. Much of it is undoubtedly funny, especially the comic relief provided by Don Giovanni’s manservant Leporello and by the mercurial Donna Elvira. Yet, it often feels wrong to laugh at many of the jokes because it would seem to make light of the antihero’s sexual transgressions. And yet, when characters vow revenge, as Don Ottavio and Masetto do, it feels caricatured. There’s just something extremely unsettling about the whole setup.

As with Lyric’s two previous productions of Don Giovanni, this one has a brilliant cast—the best one yet, in my opinion. Lyric veteran Christian Van Horn plays the titular role with charisma and suavitas. General Director John Mangum announced on opening night that this would be Van Horn’s 150th performance at Lyric. It was also his 20th role. Van Horn is like a fine wine that gets better with age. He’s perhaps too likable for a villain. Kyle Ketelsen will take over the role for the last two performances, on October 30 and November 1.

Another Lyric favorite is Lawrence Brownlee, who is somewhat miscast as Don Ottavio. Though Brownlee sings his role’s beloved tenor arias “Dalla sua pace” and “Il mio tesoro” with characteristic finesse, he is better suited to comic roles such as Tonio in The Daughter of the Regiment and Ory in Le Comte Ory. Christopher Humbert, Jr., a recent Ryan Opera Center alum who has filled numerous minor roles on the Lyric stage, here takes his first major role as Masetto. He is a rising star to watch!

Don Giovanni’s three heroine sopranos boast an abundance of talent, youth, and beauty. Mané Galoyan (seen two seasons ago at Lyric as Gilda in Rigoletto) plays the wronged woman Donna Anna with fire and fury and not an ounce of victimhood. Her voice is clear and piercing in the best possible way. Without a hint of shrillness, it searingly soars above her fellow sopranos with power and persuasion.

Making her Lyric debut as Donna Elvira, Nina Solodovnikova shows versatility in both her singing and acting, switching at a moment’s notice between heartbroken and lovesick. And this is beautifully expressed in her vocal range, which easily moves from lissome to lyrical to lashing. Anna El-Khashem also makes her Lyric debut, as Zerlina. She imbues her role’s famous aria “Vedrai carino” with extraordinary tenderness and sensitivity. They are joined by the equally impressive Tommaso Barea as Leporello and David Leigh as Commendatore, also appearing at Lyric for the first time. I hope to see more of each in the near future.

Director Robert Falls’ interpretation of Mozart’s opera has not aged well. His transposition of its early modern setting into the 1920s is no longer fresh or novel. In fact, apart from Don Giovanni’s and Donna Elvira’s garish wardrobe, Ana Kuzmanic’s costume designs look rather traditional. Same for Walt Spangler’s sets. I suspect that Don Giovanni needs a more incisive, contemporary treatment that likens the titular antihero less to Charlie Sheen or Hugh Hefner than to Jeffrey Epstein and the Tate brothers. Nevertheless, if you can ride out the production’s moral opacity, then this Don Giovanni can be thoroughly enjoyed for its delightful score.

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photos by Cory Weaver/Lyric Opera of Chicago

Don Giovanni
Lyric Opera of Chicago
Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive in Chicago
in Italian with English surtitles
3 hours and 25 minutes with intermission
ends on November 1, 2026
for tickets, call 312.827.5600 or visit Lyric Opera

for more shows, visit Theatre in Chicago

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