Bizet's little gem has had a resurgence of popularity the past few years. I've seen productions in Santa Fe, Dallas, the Met (on HD) and now Chicago presents it. Matthew Polenzani and Marius Kwiecen have the big duet, and Marina Rebeka is the chaste priestess who has fallen in love.

Lyric Opera of Chicago partnered with the Joffrey Ballet for the Paris (tenor) version of Gluck's opera.

This production began at the Santa Fe Opera in 2006, directed by Laurent Kelly and starring Joyce DiDonato. The rest of the cast has changed over the years but it has become a true "signature role" for Ms. DiDonato. The sets were designed by Barbara de Limburgh and have come to the larger stages of the world over the last 12 years without losing their sense of the original fairy tale.

The Count's son Rodolfo knows the secret of how the Count killed his predecessor with the help of Wurm. Miller and Luisa are caught in the crossfire.