Weekend Passport: ‘Turandot’
By Julian Hayda, Jerome McDonnellWeekend Passport: ‘Turandot’
By Julian Hayda, Jerome McDonnellWeekend Passport is Worldview’s regular Friday segment which takes you around the world without leaving Chicago. Our next destination is Iran, with a few stops in China and Italy.
Global citizen Nari Safavi just returned from Iran, the country of his birth. One of his favorite operas is based on an ancient Persian epic, and he’s made it home just in time to catch one of the final Chicago performances at Lyric Opera.
Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot tells the story of a prince who falls in love with a powerful princess named Turandot. Before he can marry her, he must answer three riddles correctly or face death. One character, Liu, is played by Chicago-area native Janai Brugger. She joins Worldview to discuss the opera and what it’s like to sing in Chicago’s legendary Civic Opera House. Safavi also shares other suggestions for an international good time this weekend.