Forbidden love story 'Aida' takes stage at Lyric Opera of Chicago

CHICAGO - A story of forbidden love in a time of war unfolds at the Lyric Opera of Chicago this Saturday as the Giuseppe Verdi classic "Aida" begins a one-month run.

Aida is considered a grand opera featuring "spectacular costumes, huge scenery, grand scenes like the triumphal march, but also a love story so there are many intimate scenes," said Director Francesca Zambello.

"And the melodies of Verdi's opera are unforgettable. They are captivating. They hit you in the heart as well as just completely feel your soul," she added.

"There will be 120 people on stage, but another 100 people backstage making it work," said Lighting Director Chris Maravich. "There are dressers, there are wig and makeup people, there are stage hands," he explained. Whether it’s a dance scene or Aida’s entrance, there are about 120 individual lighting looks.

By the numbers, Maravich notes there are 250–300 lights, translating to 150,000 watts illuminating the stage. That translates to a lot of activity behind the scenes, particularly on Thursday.

"There's a lot of work that's been going on, so the crew was in all day today. They're doing some final preparations, some touch-up work and we're doing some adjustments to the lighting so that everything's ready for Saturday," said Maravich.

Tickets are available at Lyricopera.org with ten performances scheduled between March 9 and April 7.