56. THIRST
Rick Valicenti and his team at Thirst have been involved in designing the commemorative poster for the Lyric Opera of Chicago each season since 1989. Elegant and without pretension, the 2005–06 poster flatters the character of the opera.

“Simple and sexy,” Valicenti says best defines his approach to poster design, and this example is no exception. “Der Rosenkavalier (The Knight of the Rose, Strauss’ fifth opera) has a silver rose as its iconic centerpiece,” says Valicenti. Inviting Victor Skrebneski to photograph a silver rose was the concept of Susan Mathieson- Mayer, the Lyric’s enlightened marketer. Printing a white rose on the new ESSE pearlized silver belonged to Thirst. Replete with opulence and emotion, the opera as it lives must manage the voluptuous traditions upon which it is fortified without falling into stereotype. “The 21st-century single-stroke contour line calligraphy seemed delicate without the cliché,” says Valicenti. “Finding the right passionate blood-red color, along with finding the right balance between legibility and pure decorative aura was challenging.”

As Lyric Opera posters go, this one is the diva of late, earning the highest compliments. “It has been perhaps the most desired of recent season posters,” says Valicenti.
Dana Rouse