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The Benjamin Britten opera, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” not only comprises marvelous music for exceptional singers, children’s chorus and orchestra, it also includes the substantial spoken role of Puck, servant to the fairy king Oberon and engine of the many amusing mix-ups that drive the plot. In Lyric Opera’s new production running Friday, Nov. 5, to Tuesday, Nov. 23, in the Civic Opera House, actor Esteban Andres Cruz, a Berwyn native, will portray the impish fairy who puts magical drops into the wrong characters’ eyes and gives one character, the weaver Bottom, the head of an ass.
This is Cruz’s first stage role at Lyric. He previously played a vital offstage role with the world-renowned opera company, working in Lyric’s ticket department (2001-06), including two years as group sales manager. During his five-year tenure, he pursued his passion for acting after hours with several local theater companies; when he left his position at Lyric, it was in order to work exclusively as an actor.
In 2009, Cruz won a Jeff Award as best actor in a principal role for his portrayal of Angel Cruz in “Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train’ at Raven Theatre, his first leading role in Chicago. Earlier this year, he portrayed Pablo Gonzalez in the much-acclaimed production of “A Streetcar Named Desire” at Writers’ Theatre, directed by David Cromer. He can be seen currently in a commercial for Southwest Airlines that airs during professional and college football games. In 2011, he will be seen as Pepe Perez in the movie “A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas.”
Cruz has appeared in stage productions of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Apollo Theatre as Flute/Thisbe, and at The House Theatre as Peaseblossom and choreographic collaborator. He also has portrayed several leading and supporting Shakespeare roles in “Romeo and Juliet,” “The Comedy of Errors,” “Macbeth,” “Julius Caesar” and “The Merchant of Venice” with various Chicago companies.
Cruz was born in Berwyn and raised in Cicero. He earned a bachelor’s degree in rhetoric from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and received theater, improvisation and dance training with company members of Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre, Annoyance Theatre, ImprovOlympics and Salt Creek Ballet, among others.
For more information, visit www.lyricopera.org.
The Benjamin Britten opera, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” not only comprises marvelous music for exceptional singers, children’s chorus and orchestra, it also includes the substantial spoken role of Puck, servant to the fairy king Oberon and engine of the many amusing mix-ups that drive the plot. In Lyric Opera’s new production running Friday, Nov. 5, to Tuesday, Nov. 23, in the Civic Opera House, actor Esteban Andres Cruz, a Berwyn native, will portray the impish fairy who puts magical drops into the wrong characters’ eyes and gives one character, the weaver Bottom, the head of an ass.
This is Cruz’s first stage role at Lyric. He previously played a vital offstage role with the world-renowned opera company, working in Lyric’s ticket department (2001-06), including two years as group sales manager. During his five-year tenure, he pursued his passion for acting after hours with several local theater companies; when he left his position at Lyric, it was in order to work exclusively as an actor.
In 2009, Cruz won a Jeff Award as best actor in a principal role for his portrayal of Angel Cruz in “Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train’ at Raven Theatre, his first leading role in Chicago. Earlier this year, he portrayed Pablo Gonzalez in the much-acclaimed production of “A Streetcar Named Desire” at Writers’ Theatre, directed by David Cromer. He can be seen currently in a commercial for Southwest Airlines that airs during professional and college football games. In 2011, he will be seen as Pepe Perez in the movie “A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas.”
Cruz has appeared in stage productions of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Apollo Theatre as Flute/Thisbe, and at The House Theatre as Peaseblossom and choreographic collaborator. He also has portrayed several leading and supporting Shakespeare roles in “Romeo and Juliet,” “The Comedy of Errors,” “Macbeth,” “Julius Caesar” and “The Merchant of Venice” with various Chicago companies.
Cruz was born in Berwyn and raised in Cicero. He earned a bachelor’s degree in rhetoric from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and received theater, improvisation and dance training with company members of Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre, Annoyance Theatre, ImprovOlympics and Salt Creek Ballet, among others.
For more information, visit www.lyricopera.org.
