A company of soldiers in gray stands together on a background of an oversized map on the right. One soldier is held back by two others, while another older soldier stands looking away at the far right. A young woman in gray trousers, dirty white tank top, and suspenders is also stretched between an older woman and an older man, both in civilian garb, who seem to be restraining her.
The company of The Daughter of the Regiment at Lyric Opera Credit: Michael Brosilow

Opera seasons are usually planned far in advance, so there was no way for the folks in charge of scheduling at Lyric to predict that not one but two actual wars would be raging when the curtain went up on their second production of the season, Gaetano Donizetti’s 1840 comic work, The Daughter of the Regiment.

Donizetti, an Italian, was living in Paris and writing for French audiences when he composed this bel canto cream puff. It tells the story of an abandoned newborn girl adopted and raised by a regiment of Napoleon’s victorious army—and therefore obligated to marry one of them rather than the Tyrolean civilian she falls for—and pokes fun at both the military and the aristocracy. But the satire is mild, the humor forgiving, and the often militaristic score includes a rousing song that would go on to function as an unofficial French national anthem. The predictably happy ending is a salute to the might and glory of France.

The Daughter of the Regiment
Through 11/25: Fri 11/10 7 PM, Tues 11/14 7 PM, Thu 11/16 2 PM, Sun 11/19 2 PM, Wed 11/22 2 PM,  Sat 11/25 7:30 PM; audio description, touch tour, and SoundShirts available Thu 11/16; Lyric Opera, 20 N. Wacker, 312-827-5600; lyricopera.org, $41-$339

Richly cast, it shouldn’t be missed, but—especially in this well-traveled Laurent Pelly production, which moves the time period up to the early 20th century—it’s difficult to view scenes in which soldiers aim rifles at citizens or a tank rolls onto the stage without being reminded of the actual carnage we’ve been witnessing daily on our phones and television screens. The opening set (designed by Chantal Thomas), with furniture piled helter-skelter and civilians attempting to flee wartime chaos, immediately brings it to mind.

Audience members who can get past that will be treated to a mother lode of broad comedy and virtuosic singing, including tenor Lawrence Brownlee as the love interest, Tonio, hitting (count ’em) nine high Cs in a single aria, and a rollicking performance by soprano Lisette Oropesa as the heroine, Maria, in a Lyric debut that suggests a mash-up of Carol Burnett and Lily Pons. Ronnita Miller brings her rich mezzo-soprano to the role of Maria’s aristocratic “aunt,” the Marquise of Berkenfield, and baritone Alessandro Corbelli is the bumbling sergeant, Sulpice. The Lyric Opera orchestra and chorus (the latter happily much on view) are as excellent as ever, under the baton of debuting guest conductor Speranza Scappucci.