Review: Semele

Brian Dickie

Opera Omaha's Semele production opened last night to a full house and an enthusiastic reception from the amazing audience that this company and city have managed to assemble for something that would not normally be regarded as mainstream operatic repertoire - certainly outside the world's major metropolitan areas. So here is evidence of extremely successful audience cultivation and development.

Of course it helps to have an absolute gem of a theatre which is a pleasure to visit by any standards. This is the Creighton Orpheum, maintained in beautiful condition and with generous public spaces and a fine acoustic. Whilst in an ideal world it is on the large side, especially for repertoire of this kind, it is an enormously attractive auditorium on which much love and care has been lavished, as well as cash from this extraordinary community in Omaha.