CHICAGO (AP) — Natalie Dessay will open the Lyric Opera of Chicago’ 2008-9 season on Sept. 27 in a new staging of Massenet’s “Manon” that also will star Jonas Kaufmann.

Emmanuel Villaume will conduct the David McVicar staging, first created for the English National Opera.

Bizet’s “Les Pecheurs de Perles (The Pearl Fishers)” will open Oct. 6 conducted by John Mauceri and starring Nicole Cabell, Nathan Gunn, and Eric Cutler.

The 80 performances over the six-month season will include a company premiere of George Gershwin’s masterpiece “Porgy and Bess.” Francesca Zambello’s production was originally created for the Washington National Opera.

Lyric will also present “Holly and Ivy,” its first-ever choral concert.

“It will consist of music for the holiday season,” William Mason, the Lyric’s general director, said in a prepared statement of the concert conducted by Donald Nally, Lyric’s chorus master. “Not pop tunes but serious choral repertoire — sacred music, carols, spirituals, and some seasonal favorites, all beautifully performed.”

Mason also said that this, the Lyric’s 54th season, will include nine operas, two of which are new productions and three that are productions new to Chicago.

One of those will be David Hockney production of Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde,” currently being seen at the Los Angeles Opera. In Chicago, it will star Clifton Forbis and Deborah Voigt.

Posted 1/25/2008