More performances. More venues. More opera.
Opera Omaha's 25/26
The Barber of Seville
Media Contact:
Kyle Thomas, Director of Marketing and Communications
(402) 346-7372 X300
OPERA OMAHA ANNOUNCES 25/26 SEASON
Omaha, NE ---
Opera Omaha has announced its 25/26 Season, which expands its programming to include more productions and venues.
"We are thrilled to unveil a season that includes audience favorites, rarely performed works, the continuation of the Family Opera Series, and internationally celebrated artists such as Daniela Mack, Ryan McKinny, Stephen Lawless, Patricia Racette, and Harry Bicket,” says Opera Omaha General Director, Allison Swenson.
"There is something for everyone at every age with more performances in more venues. Our mission is to inspire audiences and add to Omaha's great cultural vibrancy, and the 25/26 Season promises to deliver in abundance.”
Opening the season in October will be Rossini's legendary, THE BARBER OF SEVILLE, a wild ride where schemes unfurl, passions flare, and chaos occasionally reigns. Figaro, the mischievous barber, is at the center of it all, pulling strings and outwitting anyone who thwarts his plans to help Count Almaviva win Rosina's heart. From fiery verbal duels to hilarious deceptions, The Barber of Seville is a spirited romp starring Rossini's lively score and iconic arias.
Internationally acclaimed director Stephen Lawless leads Opera Omaha favorite Alexander Birch Elliott (Eugene Onegin, Così fan tutte) as Figaro, celebrated mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack (Ainadamar, Metropolitan Opera) in her Opera Omaha debut as Rosina, and rising star Minghao Liu as Count Almaviva.
The season continues in January with a production of Carlisle Floyd's SUSANNAH, which explores the destructive effects of false accusations and the cruelty of mob mentality. Set in a stark Tennessee town, a young woman is targeted by suspicion and gossip that mounts in intensity. The music is
undeniably American and inspired by familiar folk melodies that underscore the opera's setting.
Directed by renowned soprano Patricia Racette in her Opera Omaha debut, Susannah will mark the kick-off of The Carlisle Floyd Foundation's international centennial celebration of the composer's birth.
In the spring, The English Concert, the world's preeminent Baroque orchestra, returns to Omaha for one night only to present HERCULES Handel's masterpiece reminds us that the devastating consequences of mistrust can bring even the mightiest to their knees.
The English Concert and conductor Harry Bicket will present a semi-staged opera as part of their 3-stop American tour.
In April, Opera Omaha and the Omaha Symphony join forces to co-produce BLUEBEARD'S CASTLE, where every shadow hides a secret, and every door unlocks a new terror. Bartók's psychological thriller unfolds as Judith, newly wed to the enigmatic Bluebeard, dares to open his castle's forbidden doors, drawing her ever closer to a horrifying secret.
Russian American conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya takes the baton, with bass-baritone Ryan McKinney as Bluebeard and mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung as Judith, set against immersive projections by David Murakami.
Opera Omaha's Family Opera Series continues with UNSHAKEABLE. Twenty years after a mysterious virus has left its survivors plagued by memory loss, Wyatt and Meridian reunite in a desolate theater. Desperately searching for a spark of their forgotten past, they grapple with fragments of memories and emotions that linger just out of reach, using the only common language they can find: Shakespeare. This one-act opera is suitable for audiences of all ages.
Season tickets for Opera Omaha's 25/26 Season are available now at www.TicketOmaha.com or by calling Opera Omaha at (402) 34OPERA (346-7372).
THE BARBER OF SEVILLE
Friday, October 24 | 7:30 PM
Sunday, October 26 | 2:00 PM
Orpheum Theater
Composed by Gioachino Rossini
Libretto by Cesare Sterbini
CAST
Figaro | Alexander Birch Elliot
Rosina | Daniela Mack*
Count Almaviva | Minghao Liu*
Conductor | Gary Thor Wedow
Director | Stephen Lawless*
SUSANNAH
Friday, January 30 | 7:30 PM
Sunday, February 1 | 2:00 PM
Orpheum Theater
Music and Libretto by Carlisle Floyd
CAST
Susannah | Caitlin Lynch*
Olin Blitch | Andrew Potter
Little Bat | Christian Sanders*
Sam | Robert Stahley*
Principal Guest Conductor | Steven White
Director | Patricia Racette*
HERCULES
Friday, March 13 | 7:30 PM
Orpheum Theater
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Libretto by Thomas Broughton
Presented by The English Concert
Dejanira | Ann Hallenberg*
Hercules | William Guanbo Su*
Iole | Hilary Cronin*
Lichas | Hugh Cutting*
Conductor | Harry Bicket
BLUEBEARD'S CASTLE
Friday, April 24 | 7:30PM
Saturday, April 25 | 7:30PM
Holland Performing Arts Center
Composed by Béla Bartók
Libretto by Béla Balázs
A co-production of Opera Omaha and the Omaha Symphony
CAST
Bluebeard | Ryan McKinny*
Judith | Michelle DeYoung*
Conductor | Lidiya Yankovskaya*
Projection Design | David Murakami*
UNSHAKEABLE
Friday, June 5 | 7:00PM
Saturday, June 6 | 2:00PM
Saturday, June 6 | 7:00PM
Sunday, June 7 | 2:00PM
Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center
Composed by Joseph Illick
Libretto by Andrea Fellows Fineberg
* Opera Omaha Mainstage Debut
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ABOUT OPERA OMAHA
Opera Omaha is a growth-minded, high energy, and innovative company with a demanding mission: producing opera performances in multiple formats and styles and co-creating artist-led programs for a variety of community service organizations. We believe the power of opera is transformational, and as a result supports the creation of an inventive, creative, empathetic, and inclusive community that inspires joy, self-discovery, kinder discourse, and opportunity for all.
Visit www.operaomaha.org for more information.
For press inquiries and media assistance, please contact:
Kyle Thomas
Director of Marketing and Communications
(402) 346-7372 X300
TICKETS AND INFORMATION
Season tickets for Opera Omaha's 25/26 season are available now.
Visit www.TicketOmaha.com to purchase or call Opera Omaha at (402) 34OPERA (346-7372).
Attachments
CONTACT: Kyle Thomas
Opera Omaha
4023467372
