Soprano Jessica Rivera to portray Kitty Oppenheimer

Lyric Opera of Chicago announced today—and it's still listed as TBA on Lyric's website—that soprano Jessica Rivera, of Ainadamar fame, will sing the role of Kitty Oppenheimer in next season's production of John Adams' Doctor Atomic. The role was written for Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, sung at the premiere by Kristine Jepson, and has been rumored that it would be sung by Audra McDonald at the Met. Rivera will be in Chicago prior to the December opening to sing Poulenc's Gloria with the Chicago Symphony and Bernard Haitink in November.