BTSCELEBS

Who doesn’t love miniatures?

The Lyric Opera of Chicago will feature the exquisite work of Italian visual artist and set designer Paolo Ventura this week. “Carousel” director/choreographer Rob Ashford fell in love with his work six years ago and was determined to have him design the stage for the beloved Rogers and Hammerstein’s musical.

Below is an excerpt from the official press release about “Creating Carousel”:

“’Part of it was set around a circus, a carnival. It was so moving and so beautiful and I was so captivated by it. I said, ‘If I ever do Carousel, that is the person who must design it.’ Then when Anthony [Freud, Lyric’s general director] approached me about it I said, ‘Can you get this guy?’ We made an all-out effort and we succeeded. We’re very excited to work together, to have Paolo make his theater and opera debut with Carousel in Chicago.”

Ventura accepted the invitation enthusiastically. ‘My work was already theatrical,’ noted the artist. ‘I was just making theater on my table, so to have the chance to work on a much bigger scale really excited me. I immediately built the caravan, which became the key for the entire show.’ That piece will be part of the Opera Club exhibition at Lyric.”

The very special exhibit will feature eight set-design paintings, several mid-scale scenic elements that were part of the original design presentation, a video interview with Ventura, 28 costume-design drawings from the production by Catherine Zuber and so much more. The exhibit is FREE for all of the musical’s ticket holders. It opens the same day “Carousel” does at the Lyric (April 10). It will continue through May 3.

Have fun if you decide to check it out, and tell them BTSCelebs sent you.

A Special Thanks to The Silverman Group and Lyric Opera Of Chicago for the press release.