The Queen of Spades

You're probably familiar with Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky thanks to the memorable score he created for The Nutcracker ballet, but his talents were also showcased in a series of operas. The Lyric Opera presents one of his final operas, The Queen of Spades, which tells the romantic tale of a solider whose obsession with playing cards begins to take a toll on his relationship with the woman he loves. Clocking in at three hours and 45 minutes, it's a lengthy opera, but the Lyric's production includes two intermissions if you need to stretch your legs.