The Barber of Seville: From the General Director
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DEAR FRIENDS:
It’s a genuine pleasure to welcome you to the first production of our 25/26 Season, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville.
Whether you are a long-time or a first-time operagoer, you know The Barber of Seville from its many pop culture appearances, including Bugs Bunny, Mrs. Doubtfire, and even The Simpsons. It has been a hit since its second performance in 1816 – the premiere was marred by protests from a rival composer’s fans! – and it has been a mainstay on opera stages for over 200 years.
Why? The music is virtuosic, written in the bel canto style, which translated literally means “beautiful singing.” The comedy is timeless. We can still relate to the characters. And it’s a romance complete with a damsel in distress, except, as it happens, the damsel doesn’t need much help.
It has been 10 years since Opera Omaha last produced The Barber of Seville, and we are thrilled with our starry cast led by Alexander Birch Elliott, Minghao Liu, and Daniela Mack, under the direction of Stephen Lawless and musical leadership of Gary Thor Wedow. Even if you have seen The Barber of Seville before, you will never see this cast of illustrious artists perform together again. In this way, every production is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
As the only opera company in the state of Nebraska, we balance each season with a blend of audience favorites, rarely performed works, and new operas that together span hundreds of years of composition and cultural influence. This season, we will feature operas written between 1744-2016, and we will bring to life comedy, tragedy, and everything in between.
Our next opera is Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah with performances on January 30 and February 1. This quintessential American opera follows the title character, a young woman coming of age in rural Tennessee, as she navigates small-town social politics, gossip, and the attention of Reverend Blitch. World-renowned soprano Patricia Racette directs.
On March 13, Harry Bicket and The English Concert return for a one-night-only performance of Handel’s Hercules. Their performance of Giulio Cesare was the hit of last season. Tickets are already going fast!
Later in March, we will feature three-time GRAMMY Award-winning bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green, known for his stirring performances at the Metropolitan Opera in Terence Blanchard’s Champion, at our annual gala. If you are not familiar with his story, I encourage you to learn more about Ryan Speedo Green’s inspiring life, and join us for the gala on Friday, March 27 at Steelhouse Omaha.
Our busy spring continues with a collaboration with our beloved musical partners, the Omaha Symphony, in a concert presentation of Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle at the Holland Center on April 24 and 25. Artist David Murakami will cast the Holland Center in immersive projections of light and shadow, and conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya will lead both halves of the program, which also includes Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, the “Fate Symphony.”
Then, in June, we will produce the second installment of our Family Opera Series: UnShakeable by composer Joe Illick and librettist Andrea Fellows Fineberg. This modern Shakespeare love story is perfect for audiences of all ages, and we will offer four performances, including a relaxed performance, from June 5-7 at the Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center in Council Bluffs.
We hope you will join us for as many performances as you are able. It is our mission to bring joy and creativity to your life, and to make Omaha an even more wonderful place to live.
With gratitude,