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Opera Omaha
Who doesn't want to be "in demand"? Being in demand is a goal for every artist or performer I know. It's wonderful to produce great work, create fantastic art, and to enjoy your life's work, but being in demand is what pays the bills. Cammy Watkins, Opera Omaha's Production Coordinator and chorus member, is in demand.
Cammy's day-to-day responsibilities with Opera Omaha include managing the young professional's group, Bravo Club, making contractual and travel arrangements for local and visiting artists, and providing invaluable management support to the production department in many other ways. When she is not facilitating great opera from the administrative and production side of the scene, she is on stage performing. 2012 marks Cammy's 8th year as a member of the Opera Omaha chorus. She also performs with the Omaha Symphony as part of their annual Christmas with the Symphony production. In addition to all of that, she regularly performs as a soloist at church.
If you are fortunate enough to be a teacher bringing kids to the Omaha Symphony's Carnegie Hall LINK UP event this week on Wednesday, March 14 or Thursday, March 15, you can see Cammy perform live at the Holland Performing Arts Center. If not, you can see her as part of the Opera Omaha chorus in our April 13 and 15 production of Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado. Don't miss seeing this vibrant and talented Omaha native in action. Cammy Watkins is in demand. Get your tickets today!
To purchase tickets to Opera Omaha's production of The Mikado, go online at Ticket Omaha or call 402-345-0606. More information about the Omaha Symphony's Carnegie Hall LINK UP event is below. Registration is closed for that event.
 Photo by Jim Scholz: Cammy Watkins in The Abduction from the Seraglio
This information and more is found here: [www.omahasymphony.org]
CARNEGIE HALL Link Up The Orchestra Moves!Grades 4-6Wednesday, March 14, 2012 - 9:45 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.ANDThursday, March 15, 2012 - 10:00 a.m. (Additional performance due to popular demand!)
Come to PlayBlue DanubeWilliam TellCan - CanLoudSimple Melody
Holland Performing Arts Center$5.00 per recorder student (includes student book, recorder, and concert!)FREE for strings students
The Omaha Symphony is once again proud to partner with Carnegie Hall to present The Orchestra Moves! Students will discover musical movement by exploring the way composers use motif, melodic direction, and dynamics, all while learning to read music and play instruments. Designed for students learning to play the soprano recorder and stringed instruments, Link Up is a supplementary curriculum that culminates with your students performing live with the Omaha Symphony Orchestra.
Repertoire includes Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, Strauss's The Blue Danube, Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Toreador from Bizet's Carmen and more.  More... »
Singing the title role in Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado, is the incredible bass-baritone, Kevin Short. Mr. Short most recently graced the Orpheum stage for Opera Omaha in our 2010 production of The Marriage of Figaro and our 2008 production of Aida. On April 8, 2008, Omaha World Herald reviewer John Pitcher praised Mr. Short's interpretation and performance of Ramfis in Aida as "burnished and unfailingly sensitive". Join us on April 13 or April 15 to hear the marvelous Kevin Short sing The Mikado in a style that will differ, but be no less musically fantastic, than his performance in Aida.
 Photo by Jim Scholz: Kevin Short as Bartolo in The Marriage of Figaro
 Photo by Jim Scholz: Kevin Short as Ramfis and Opera Omaha chorus members in Aida
Mr. Short's biography and information about past and upcoming performances is found here: [kevinshort.net]
Bass-Baritone Kevin Short
Versatile bass-baritone Kevin Short is thrilling audiences around the globe in a wide range of repertoire ranging from Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail and Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea, to Verdi's Attila and Don Carlos, and Bizet's Carmen. North AmericaIn North America Kevin has performed multiple roles with the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Washington Opera, Seattle Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Canadian Opera Company, Vancouver Opera, Edmonton Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Sarasota Opera, Opera Pacific, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Indianapolis Opera, Utan Symphony, Opera de las Americas, Opera Memphis, Berkshire Opera Company, Nashville Opera, Opera Omaha, Opera Birmingham, New Jersey Opera Festival, Kentucky Opera and the Opera Theatre of St. Louis to name but a sample of the many companies where he's performed. EuropeMaking Switzerland his home now for a number of years, Kevin is also coming to the attention of European theaters and has performed at Paris' Opera Comique, Theatre Caen, Grand Theatre du Luxembourg Oper der Stadt Koln, Staatstheater Stuttgart, Theater Aachen, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Theater Basel, Theater Bern, Theater St. Gallen, and Teatro Nacional di São Carlos in such roles as Attila, Philippe in Don Carlos, Leporello in Don Giovanni, Mephistopheles in Faust, Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Escamillo in Carmen, Nick Shadow in The Rake's Progress, Figaro and Il Conte in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Porgy in Porgy and Bess. FestivalsImportant festivals with which Kevin has performed include the Bregenzer Festspiele, Baden - Baden, Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, Montpellier, France; Sarasota Opera Winter Festival, the Saito Kinen festival in Matsumoto, Japan, and festivals in Beijing, China; Hanoi, Vietnam; and Granada, Valencia, and Santiago de Compostela, Spain. ConcertsKevin also enjoys an active concert schedule and has worked with important orchestras in the U.S.and around the world including the Boston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, National Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Detroit Symphony, the New York Pops Orchestra, and the Opera Orchestra of New York. In Europe and Asia, he has performed with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Filharmonisch Orkest, Swiss and Italian RAI Orchestra, Radio France Orchestra, Parma Reggio Emilia Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic, Hiroshima Symphony, and the Winter Olympics Festival Orchestra for the opening ceremonies of the winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. His vast concert repertoire include works by Bach and Beethoven and continue to the late 20th century, including Verdi's Requiem and Mendelssohn's Elijah. TrainingKevin received his training at Morgan State University, B.S., the Curtis Institute of Music, M.M., and the Juilliard School of Music Opera Center. While attending these institutions he was a prize winner in numerous competitions, but a few highlights include the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the International Competition for Verdian Voices, the Rosa Ponselle International Vocal Competition, the Bruce Yarnell Competition for Basses and Baritones, the Opera America Competition, the Leiderkranz Competition, and received awards and grants from the Sullivan Foundation, the Shoshana Foundation, and Opera Index.
For tickets to The Mikado contact Ticket Omaha at 402-345-0606, Opera Omaha at 402-346-4398, or go online at www.ticketomaha.com.  More... »
The Wednesday installment of our Meet the Artist series presents you with a two-for-one preview of the professionals behind the set and lighting design for The Mikado. Set Designer, Peter Dean Beck and Lighting Designer, Donald Thomas are today's featured artists. Any staged production relies on the expertise, professionalism, and skill of the people working backstage. The magnificent performances of the actors onstage are only part of the show. The set and lighting create the mood and place of a performance and allow the actors to perform safely and to their full potential.
Enjoy reading about our featured artists, Peter Dean Beck and Donald Thomas.
Beck's biography and photos of his past work are found here: http://home.earthlink.net/~peedeebee/id3.html.
"PETER DEAN BECK has designed scenery and/or lighting for over two hundred fifty productions around the country. Among his opera credits are Falstaff, Turandot, Manon, Don Giovanni, Madama Butterfly, Hansel and Gretel, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Romeo et Juliette for such companies as Atlanta Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Virginia Opera, and Chautauqua Opera. He has designed productions of Andrea Chenier, L'Italiana in Algeri, Macbeth, Elektra, and Tristan and Isolde for Hawaii Opera Theatre, where he has been principal designer for twenty-five seasons. He has also been designing opera productions for the University of Colorado for sixteen seasons. His other musical theater credits include West Side Story, Guys and Dolls, Candide, The King and I, and Fiddler on the Roof. He designed The Indigo Girls Project for Atlanta Ballet and Nutcracker for Ballet Hawaii. He designed a double bill of le Rossignol and Cavalleria Rusticana for Sakai City Opera in Japan and lit Cav/Pag in Macao and Don Carlo in Hong Kong."
Thomas' biography, photo, and a link to photos of his past work is found here: [www.uzanartists.com]
"One of opera’s leading Lighting Designers, Donald Edmund Thomas has designed productions for companies worldwide including L’Opera de Montreal, Seattle Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Opera de Puerto Rico, Dallas Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Virginia Opera, Opera Pacific, the Florentine Opera in Milwaukee, Baltimore Opera, Opera Carolina, New Orleans Opera, Arizona Opera, Opera Columbus, Fort Worth Opera, Kentucky Opera, Opera Delaware, Toledo Opera and Sarasota Opera. He is the Principal Designer for the Summer Opera Theatre Company (Washington, DC), a position he has held since 1990, designing over 25 productions. He also serves on the Board of Directors of that Company.
In the 2010-2011 season, productions included Carmen at Lyric Opera of Kansas City, La Voix Humaine/I Pagliacci for Opera Cleveland, and Don Giovanni and DiChiera’s Cyrano at Florida Grand Opera. Engagements from the 2009-2010 season included Tosca at Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Otello at Palm Beach Opera, Aida at the Atlanta Opera, and Tosca at Michigan Opera Theatre. In the recent 2008-2009 season, lighting productions included Sweeney Todd with Augusta Opera, Rigoletto and Candide with Toledo Opera, Sleuth, Beehive and Evita at the Maltz-Jupiter Theatre in Florida, Rigoletto with Palm Beach Opera, Il Trovatore with the Atlanta Opera, Tosca with Arizona Opera, and Faust with Madison Opera. In the 2007-2008 season, productions include the world premiere of David DiChiera and Bernard Uzan’s Cyrano with Michigan Opera Theatre and Opera Company of Philadelphia, as well as I Pagliacci for the Seattle Opera, and La Tragedie de Carmen for the Augusta Opera.
His next lighting productions include Carmen at Seattle Opera, Le nozze di Figaro with the Lyric Opera Baltimore, The Mikado at Opera Omaha, Tosca at Fort Worth Opera, and I Pagliacci with Michigan Opera Theatre.
Additional noted productions from recent seasons include La Fanciulla del West and Manon Lescaut at the Seattle Opera, Roméo et Juliette with Michigan Opera Theatre, Carmen with the Virginia Opera, Roméo et Juliette for Atlanta Opera, Le Nozze di Figaro for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Cosi Fan Tutte for Opera Pacific, Aida and Madama Butterfly for Palm Beach Opera, and Faust with Virginia Opera, Toledo Opera, and Palm Beach Opera.
As frequent lighting designer with Florida Grand Opera, Mr. Thomas has designed productions of La Gioconda, Katya Kabanova, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Lucia di Lammermoor, and Cavalleria Rusticana/I Pagliacci. With L’Opera de Montreal he has designed Il Trovatore, Otello, Carmen, La Gioconda, Die Zauberflöte, and Le Nozze di Figaro. Starting in 1992, he has designed over 30 productions for the Baltimore Opera, including Les Pêcheurs des Perles, Norma and Falstaff and the Werner Herzog productions of Tannhauser and Die Zauberflöte. Among the 52 productions he designed for the Florentine Opera since 1985 are Porgy and Bess, Die Fledermaus, La Bohème, Hänsel und Gretel, Abduction from the Seraglio, Eugene Onegin, La Cenerentola, Die Walkure, Elektra, Rigoletto, Der Fliegende Hollander, Turandot, The Consul, The Pirates of Penzance, Carmen and La Fille du Regiment.
Mr. Thomas also works extensively in theater, having designed Alcazar de Paris on Broadway, Fiddler on the Roof for the Theatre Now National Tour, A Moon for the Misbegotten for American Repertory Theatre, Savages for Center Stage Theatre, and The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny for the Yale Repertory Theatre. For the Maltz-Jupiter Theatre in Florida he designed recent productions of Barefoot in the Park, Deathtrap, and Man of La Mancha. He will design their 2008 productions of The Full Monty and Master Class. Mr. Thomas has an MFA from the Yale School of Drama in lighting and scenic design. Examples his work can be seen at www.DonaldThomasLighting.com."
Join us for Opera Omaha's production of Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado on Friday, April 13 at 7:30pm or Sunday, April 15 at 2:00pm to experience the set designed by Peter Dean Beck and the lighting designs of Donald Thomas. Visit www.ticketomaha.com or call 402-346-4398 to reserve your seats today!  More... »
Meet the Artist--Conductor, Stewart Robertson More... »
This is the first in a series of posts titled "Meet the Artist". Each Wednesday and Friday until April 13, we will introduce a different artist from our upcoming production of Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado. Today, our artist is Director Dorothy Danner. Ms. Danner's distinguished stage career spans multiple decades and genres. Her productions receive wildly positive reviews from sources such as the New York Post, Washington Post, Kansas City Star, Milwaukee Sentinel, and Opera News.
The following photo and brief biography come from Ms. Danner's website: www.dorothydanner.com
"Noted for her inventive staging, Dorothy Danner has directed nearly 200 productions of operettas, musicals and plays throughout the United States, Canada and Belgium; including operas for the companies of Glimmerglass, Houston, Philadelphia, Miami, Cleveland, Minnesota, Cincinnati, Portland, Kansas City, Virginia and for San Francisco Merola. Her production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM in New York for the Juilliard, garnered wide critical acclaim, as did her PBS-TV, TRIBUTE TO GILBERT AND SULLIVAN for the Boston Pops and her television staging of Richard Wargo’s opera, BALLYMORE- the first and only musical setting of a Brian Friel play.
Ms. Danner has had the honor of staging the premieres of contemporary composers Barab, Botti, Garwood. Hamlisch, Harnick, Lloyd, Mechem. Musgrave, Sirotta and Wargo. And she has served on the awards panel for the National Institute of Music Theatre and on Opera America’s Panel for New Works.
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As a performer, Dorothy Danner, aka Dorothy Frank, appeared in 9 Broadway shows, from the original ONCE UPON A MATTRESS to Michael Bennett’s BALLROOM. She performed on numerous TV Variety shows - Perry Como, Ed Sullivan among others- as well as in several films including Mel Brook’s THE PRODUCERS.
A dedicated and inspiring teacher, she was co-founder of the Glimmerglass Young Artist Program, has served on the faculties of the Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute of Music, and the Chautauqua Institution and has been a frequent guest director at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, New York University, Boston University and at Carnegie-Mellon.
Dorothy Danner is a member of a theatrical family that includes actors Blythe, Harry and Hillary Danner, Gwyneth Paltrow, writer-film maker, Jake Paltrow, actress Katherine Moennig and departed brother-in-laws, violin maker William Moennig 3rd and writer-producer Bruce Paltrow."
To witness Ms. Danner's staging brilliance first hand, join us for The Mikado at The Orpheum on April 13 at 7:30pm and April 15 at 2pm. Tickets are available at www.ticketomaha.com and by calling 402-346-4398. Thank you for supporting Opera Omaha; your local, professional opera company!  More... »
The February 17, 18, and 19 production of Rossini's The Marriage Contract is complete! If you missed it, you can read the Omaha World Herald review by clicking on the link below.
[www.omaha.com]
In other news, the Opera Omaha staff is already working hard in preparation for the April 13 and 15 production of Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado. Remember to check the calendar of events at www.operaomaha.org for information on upcoming events.  More... »
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Opera Omaha
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Opera Omaha
Saturday, January 14 in the O’Donnell Auditorium of Nebraska WesleyanUniversity, fifteen young singers competed in the Nebraska District of theMetropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. The singers were vying forscholarships and the opportunity to advance to the Council’s Upper Midwest RegionFinals in Minneapolis next month.
Opera Omaha Guild President Sheila McNeill was on hand to awardone talented singer, tenor Adam Fieldson, the Opera Omaha Guild’s MetropolitanOpera National Council Auditions scholarship. This $600 scholarship comeswith an invitation for the winner to perform at future Opera Omaha Guildevents. There was a strong showing from Opera Omaha at the event. JoiningGuild President Sheila McNeill was a past Guild President Gloria Dunbar, Guildmember Kate Morris, Board Chairman John Newman, Advisory Board member DonBurt, and General Director Roger Weitz.
This is an annual event that is free and open to the public – wehope to see you there next year!
 Opera Omaha Guild President, Sheila McNeill congratulating scholarship winner Adam Fieldson.
 (from left to right) Sheila McNeill, Roger Weitz, Gloria Dunbar,and Kate Morris enjoyed the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditionstogether last weekend.  More... »
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Opera Omaha
Opera Omaha's General Director, Roger Weitz, and Resident Music Director, J. Gawf are on Omaha's Morning Blend talking about our recent move, upcoming productions and chorus auditions, and opportunities for young professionals to get involved with the organization. Watch the clip and then visit us in our new space at 1850 Farnam Street in beautiful downtown Omaha!
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[www.omahamorningblend.com]
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From Sheila McNeillPresident, Opera Omaha Guild
The Opera Omaha Guild has fourspectacular items that will be raffled off over the five performances of Hansel& Gretel. Pictures are shown of the Madame Alexander Hansel &Gretel dolls and of the gingerbread house that well known artist, Matt Jones,crafted for us. He did an amazing job – the house has polished oak floors,glass windows, the front door is oak and he even made the oven and wishing wellthat are featured in Opera Omaha’s production of Hansel & Gretel. One ofour favorite Guild members and donors, who requested to remain anonymous, provided furniture and even a beautiful rug for the floor. It is a thingof beauty. And we have a basket of all the items needed to make the mostwonderful gingerbread cookies, to store them in and an aroma house to add tothe ambiance while you are making them. Not to be outdone, Omaha Steakshas given us a $250.00 gift certificate. The tickets are selling for $10.00 forone, $25.00 for three.
The Holiday Boutique is sellinghandmade ornaments fashioned out of boiled wool, paper, felt, glass and alsoorigami. We have pre-decorated Christmas trees, handbags, mini tree skirts,wine paired with Opera Omaha Guild wine glasses, jewelry, and many other items.We have priced many of them so that children will be able to afford them.
The star of the Bake Sale willbe Hansel & Gretel gingerbread cookies made by Wheatfield’s. We also willsell biscotti, brownies, and dreidels.
We will be open for business onehour before each performance and after the performances.
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Opera Omaha
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FOR IMMEDIATERELEASEOmaha, NE ∙ October 24, 2011
Opera Omaha Celebrates National OperaWeek
Friday, October 28 – Sunday, November 6
Opera Omaha is proud to join dozens of other operaorganizations nationwide to celebrate National Opera Week (October 28 –November 6), coordinated by OPERA America, the national serviceorganization for opera, with support of the National Endowment for the Arts.
National Opera Week celebrates the vibrancy of opera inAmerica today, and brings the inventiveness and excitement of opera to anational audience. The strength and diversity of established opera companies,community opera ensembles and opera training programs across the United Stateswill be shared through free, dynamic activities designed to engage novices, operalovers and everyone in between.
“From behind-the-scenes tours to enlightening performancetalks to Twitter contests and more, there is something for everyone duringNational Opera Week,” states Marc A. Scorca, president & CEO of OPERAAmerica. “National Opera Week draws attention to the creativity and dynamismthat propels our field today. We are proud to highlight this depth of opera activityacross the United States.”
During National Opera Week, Opera Omaha will host several eventsthat will provide all ages an opportunity to enjoy and learn about opera andOpera Omaha. In keeping with theirmission of Opera for Everyone each of the events will be free of charge.
The following events will take place throughout Omaha:
Hansel and Gretel atthe Omaha Children’s MuseumOn Saturdays starting October 22 nd – November 5 thOpera Omaha will present free preview performances of Hansel and Gretel at the Omaha Children’s Museum (OCM)theater. The previews will feature a fewof the characters in the production including Hansel and Gretel. Performances dates and times are as follows:10/22 and 11/5 at 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. 10/ 29 at 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. Local artist, Watie White and visitors to OCM we be buildinga recycled arts installation of a Gingerbread house. The house will move to the lobby of the RoseTheater on November 11 and be featured during the performances of Hansel & Gretel.
Art and Opera.Opera Omaha and the Opera Omaha Bravo Club (Opera Omaha’sYoung Professional Club) will host an Art and Opera night on November 1 stfrom 7pm – 9pm at the House of Loom (1012 S 10TH St, Omaha). The Art and Opera night will feature localartists Jun Kaneko, Watie White, and Catherine Ferguson’s original artwork and scenicdesigns for Opera Omaha productions. Theartist will display their works from 7pm – 8pm during the Art and OperaCocktail Hour. Refreshments will be provided free of charge. From 8pm – 8:30pm Opera Omaha GeneralDirector, Roger Weitz will lead a discussion with the artist about theirinspiration and experiences working with Opera Omaha. Following the presentation Opera Omaha willhost an after party with a House of Loom DJ who will spin a music blend ofhouse/techno mixed and opera standards.
Opera in OmahaMayor Suttle has proclaimed October 30 – November 5 OperaOmaha Week. Following the MET – LIVE in HDshowing of Mozart’s Don Giovanni atFilm Streams (1340 Mike Fahey St., Omaha), Opera Omaha will host a gatheringfor opera enthusias at Goodnights Pizza (1302 Mike Fahey St). Food will be provided with a cash bar. Mayor JimSuttle, Jim Eisenhart, former drama teacher at Omaha South High School; and Karla Ewert, VP of Brand and ImageManagement at the Omaha Chamber of Commerce will be among the special guests atthis event.
“We are so appreciative of the local support that the Omahagives to us. National Opera Week is theperfect way for us to say thank you to our community.” said Brad A. Watkins,Communications Director of Opera Omaha, “This is also a great lead up to oursecond show of the season, Hansel &Gretel, the classic opera for all ages.”
Launching National Opera Week will be the NEA Opera Honors award ceremony onThursday, October 27 at 7:30 p.m. in Washington, D.C. For the first time, thisevent will be available worldwide through a livewebcast that also will be archived after the event and accessible at neaoperahonors.org. The NEA OperaHonors is the nation’s highest award in opera and recognizes outstandingartists for their lifetime achievements and contributions to the excellence andperpetuation of opera in America. This year’s honorees are stage designer John Conklin, general director Speight Jenkins, mezzo-soprano Risë Stevens and composer Robert Ward. The October 27 awardceremony and live webcast will feature video tributes, guest performances fromartists such as tenor Lawrence Brownlee and mezzo-soprano Heather Johnson, andan onstage conversation with the honorees. For additional information, visit neaoperahonors.org.
For more information about National Opera Week events aroundthe country, please visit www.operaamerica.org/operaweek.Join the National Opera Week conversation on Twitter with #OperaWeek and thelocal conversation with #OperaOmahaWeek.
About OperaOmaha Opera Omaha, the only professional opera company in Nebraska,began in 1958 as the Omaha Civic Opera Society, a volunteer association, andwith tremendous community support became fully professional by 1970. OperaOmaha produces a season of original mainstage productions, presented at thehistoric Orpheum Theater, and smaller productions and musical events throughoutthe community. Opera Omaha is internationally known for its productions ofeight world premieres and four American premieres of classical masterpieces, andis highly regarded regionally for an extensive education and outreach programthat annually reaches as many as 15,000 people from elementary school throughadulthood.
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Additional press contact: ForOPERA America/National Opera Week: Patricia Kiernan Johnson, 212-796-8620,ext. 217, PKJohnson@operaamerica.org More... »
 In a little more than one week, Opera Omaha kicks off its 54th Season with the glorious This is Opera! As we prepare for this season opening event, people are asking me, “But, isn’t this just a concert?” My answer is always, “Yes, but it’s so much more than that”.
We are proud to welcome James de Blasis back to Opera Omaha to direct a cast of all stars that are known and beloved by Omaha audiences. Mr. de Blasis has a long history not only with Opera Omaha, but with American opera in general. He served as General Director and Artistic Director of Cincinnati Opera for many years. He directed across the country, bringing opera to life in places from El Paso to New York City. He has a special place in Opera Omaha history as an integral part of Opera Omaha’s evolution from the all-volunteer Omaha Civic Opera Society into the fully fledged professional opera company that it is today. Omaha audiences still speak of his Lucia di Lammermoor, starring famed soprano Beverly Sills, that opened the newly renovated Orpheum Theater in 1975. I am lucky to have been in many planning meetings with de Blasis and the production team as they sketch out This is Opera! and I can assure you that this will be no “park and bark” concert. De Blasis is bringing all of his skills together to entertain and impress an audience.
The fantastic cast will bring de Blasis' vision to life. Elizabeth Blancke-Biggs, Arnold Rawls, Todd Thomas, and Stacey Rishoi join 48 members of the Opera Omaha Chorus and the Omaha Symphony to perform some of the best music in operatic history. You won’t want to miss Arnold Rawls performing “Nessun Dorma” from Puuccini’s Turandot. The Kansas City Star said this of Rawls’s recent triumphant performance at the Kansas City Lyric Opera, “…Any Calaf, I suppose, will be judged by the quality of his third-act aria, “Nessun dorma,” the most familiar melody in the score and tenor Arnold Rawls gives it a bravura reading. The intensity of his performance earned a spontaneous burst of applause.” Blancke-Biggs wowed Omaha audiences performing the title roles of Tosca and Aida. Thomas appeared just last spring in Madama Butterfly and Rishoi returns for the second time in company history after appearing in Little Women. These are some powerful voices and you won’t be disappointed in how they sound together on the gorgeous Orpheum Theater Stage. I often say that seeing the fantastic architecture of the Orpheum Theater is worth the price of admission. This historic theater is such an important part of this city and Omaha is proud to host such a great place for opera.
I invite you to participate in the silent auction taking place before This is Opera! in the lobby of the Orpheum Theater. A special toast with complimentary champagne launches the bidding at 6:00 pm. Several opera stars and important artists from Opera Omaha’s 54 year history donated items for your bidding pleasure. A plate signed by famed soprano Beverly Sills, a copy of soprano Renee Fleming’s autobiography signed by the artist, a Jun Kaneko print of the Madama Butterfly wedding, and a pastel painting by famed conductor, Joseph Rescigno are just a few of the unique objects featured. Many other items will be available including dinner parties, wine, and Chicago Opera Theater tickets. All proceeds from the auction go to the Opera Omaha Guild which helps fund the educational efforts of Opera Omaha.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear great performances of magnificent music in a beautiful venue. Join us for This is Opera! We look forward to seeing you on October 15!
Click here to buy your tickets today!
Brad Watkins
Opera Omaha Communications Director  More... »
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Opera Omaha
This November, Opera Omaha will offer all area elementary schools the opportunity to see the classic opera, Hansel & Gretel at the Rose Theater in Omaha, Nebraska.
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Original Design of Opera Omaha's Hansel & Gretel by Jim Othuse
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Opera Omaha has created a new one-hour version of the classic opera by Engelbert Humperdinck. Based on a 19th-c German fairy tale, Opera Omaha’s adaptation is less “grim” than the Brothers Grimm version. The spunky children of a poor broom-maker still get lost in the woods, where they encounter a magical cottage of sweets and its elderly occupant. But this “witch” is more comic than evil and the clever brother and sister soon turn danger into delights. This new version is true to Humperdinck’s music, but suitable for children 6 or older. The production will be performed in English, and feature English and Spanish translations projected above the stage. The artistic staff of this production include J. Gawf ,conductor; Henry McCarthy, stage director; and James Othuse, Production Designer.
The original opera premiered in December, 1893, and was called "a masterpiece of the highest quality." Combining Wagnerian techniques and traditional German folk songs, Hänsel und Gretel was an instant and overwhelming success.
 Children and parents alike will recognize familiar characters and situations: older sister Gretel is annoyingly “good” and more than a bit bossy towards her younger brother Hansel. Hansel finds it hard to concentrate on one thing at a time and is totally focused on food – real and imaginary! Like many of today’s youngsters, they are left to amuse themselves at home, while their parents struggle to make a living for the family. Sent to the woods by their angry mother to find strawberries to replace the cream they have spilled, they soon lose track of the time as darkness falls and many fears, both imaginary and real, loom large in their dream lives.
Do they imagine the Sandman who replaces those fears with pleasant dreams? Are the angels they dream about real – or figments of their overactive imaginations? And what about the Witch – is she the “stranger” they’ve always been warned to avoid? Or a friendly rescuer who will provide the food and treats they have longed for?
The brother and sister must learn to support one another, to find clever solutions to their problems and to exercise good judgment. Their adventure makes them more mature and more appreciative of one another and their hard-working parents.
Performances will be held November 7 – 11, 2011 at 11am and 1pm each day. The performance will last approximately one hour. Thanks to generous donations, these performances are being offered FREE of charge to your school.
To receive the information packet and the order form contact Brad Watkins at bwatkins@operaomaha.org or 402.346.4398 x204.
Public performances of Hansel & Gretel are November 11-13, 2011.
Click here for ticket information. More... »
The following narrative was written by Gloria Dunbar, a long time teacher at the Opera Omaha Guild's Cotillion.
 From an article in a magazine regarding Cotillion classes of dance and etiquette in San Diego, Mary Ann Strasheim, a member of the Opera Omaha Guild board had the interest and the vision to learn more about it for an Opera Omaha activity. She contracted Mr. Benjamin, founder of the classes there. Then she had a meeting at her home of a newly formed committee for it and reported on her information.
In the fall of 1985, 6th, 7th and 8th graders of the Omaha schools were sent invitations with approximately 100 responding and a meeting at the then Red Lion Hotel for instruction by Mr. Benjamin and his son Peter. The beginning of learning dancing and social graces had begun!
One distinction for the Omaha Cotillion was the innovation of formal dinners to be taught for table manners and other etiquette. Knowing Gloria Dunbar was a teacher of etiquette and especially formal dining, she was asked about teaching dining manners for a four course formal dinner to the young people. She agreed it would be a great interesting idea! The addition to the classes has each young person having a formal dinner reservation planned and arranged for them once during the six week sessions.
In 1978, John Young was appointed as the instructor to take the place of Mr. Benjamin. He was an elementary school teacher with a great deal of experience teaching. He focused on ballroom dancing and the art of conversation and communicating. Since his appointment, Young’s wife, Sarah, has been the liaison of the Cotillion to the Opera Guild Board and has been helping with advising each succeeding Chairman and Committee members as well as attending all events. Each year the Cotillion Chairman and Committee members have done a masterful job of handling invitations, registrations, choice of classes, dinner reservations, comings and goings, the graduation dinner dance and a myriad of details. They are to be congratulated for the superb growth throughout the years.
 With the continued growth Kent Day, also an excellent teacher, was added as a dance class instructor. This enabled two classes to be taught at once. Also the age of the attendees had now been limited to sixth graders only. In the 90’s reservations grew to 200 or more. In 2006 the attendance was 340.
Gloria Dunbar continued with one dinner each week until two dinners were needed. These were taught one after another. From 1993, she had an assistant. Her granddaughter, Heather, had been a graduate in the first Cotillion class in 1985. It was a good choice for her to assist as with her background of UNL graduate with a major in French, and living a semester in France it was great fun and meaningful with her speaking of French phrases used during dining. The formal dinner presented to the young people is 4 courses each lasting 15 minutes. The first course is fruit cocktail followed by an entrée then a salad and finished with a scrumptious dessert. Each young person has a place card for seating it begins with the young gentlemen learning to seat the young ladies. From there use of napkins, silverware, plate placement, glasses, and passing food and condiments are all subjects taught during dinner.
Melinda Merth, a teacher who has assisted Gloria during the summer classes of “White Gloves and Party Manners” at the Durham western Heritage Museum joined her as her assistant. During these 21 years the Cotillion has been held at the Red Lion Hotel, the Omaha Club, the UNO Thompson Alumni Center, and now the Omaha Marriott – Regency. Many acquaintances are renewed and many friends are made in the 6 weeks of the Cotillion Classes with the theme of “Manners do Matter”.
Reservations are now being taken for the 2011 Fall Cotillion.
For more information or to receive an invitation please send an email to cotillion2011@hotmail.com with the following information:
- Student Name
- School
- Parents Name
- Address
- Phone
- Cell Phone
- Email Address
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09:32
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Opera Omaha
11:29
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Opera Omaha
When I tell my 20-something friends that I work at the Opera, I receive looks of total and utter confusion. First, they think I have mispronounced a word or am speaking in tongues regarding the industry I work in. To combat this, I usually provide an obnoxious audible pitch with gaudy vibrato to clarify. The majority of my friends don’t realize that opera is still a living art form, let alone a living art form in Omaha, NE. And I can’t lie, it has been a challenge to recruit even my closest friends to give opera a chance. But the thing is, they already like opera! You already like opera! If I were to tell you that there is opera in Twilight’s New Moon soundtrack, would you believe me?
The band Muse is blowing up the world with their catchy, indie rock. Yes, same lead singer that is expecting a baby with Kate Hudson. Muse is credited with their creative and glorious instrumentation of typical rock instruments coupled with traditional symphonic instruments. Can anyone say rocking bass clarinet solo? If you are familiar with Muse’s “I Belong to You”, shamefully featured in Twilight’s New Moon soundtrack, you know the cute part of the song where Matt Bellamy starts singing in French. Been there, sung that. You are listening to opera. And a pretty famous opera at that. “I Belong to You” quotes the melody of the aria “Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix” from Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila. This aria is featured in the second act, when Dalila cleverly attempts to butter up Samson into divulging the secret of his strength. And no, I don’t think Matt is trying to butter Kate Hudson up, but maybe. In “I Belong to You”, Matt chose to quote the last two lines of the aria, “Ah! Respond to my tenderness! Fill me with ecstasy!”, which is so Muse of him. Add a walking bass line, several “just kidding, it’s not the end of the song” moments, and karaoke worthy lyrics such as “She attacks me like a leo”, and you have a song even Mozart would be tapping his toe to.
There are moments in the song when you can almost feel Matt Bellamy’s voice on your cheek, and that’s a lot like the feeling of an opera. You feel the vibrato of the tenor’s voice in your chest, only it’s not due to being too close to the speakers. CDs and youtube videos don’t do opera justice. It’s real, live, unforgivable singing about the men that betrayed you and the ones that got away. Muse proves that classical music is just as relevant and fantastic in 2011 as it was in the 1700’s. I can no longer believe your “opera hating” tomfooleries. Muse rocks opera with the help of sound equipment, Opera Omaha rocks opera without microphones. Do the math.
Monica Marean
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Opera Omaha Announces their 2011-2012 Season - Experience Greatness
Great Singers. Great Stories. Great Ways to Experience Them.
Our lives are filled with great moments. Let the joy of Opera be another. Join us this season as we experience a collection of favorite opera songs from the past 400 years, an unforgettable modern adaptation of Hansel and Gretel, a delightful evening of Venetian romance, and Gilbert & Sullivan’s forever-contemporary blend of wit, comedy and musical composition.
 Season Opening ConcertThis is Opera!
See It! Hear It! Love It!
A Great Collection of Opera Favorites.
Saturday, October 15, 7:30pm
Orpheum Theater
 Hansel & Gretel
by Engelbert Humperdinck
A Great Show for Great Kids.
Friday, November 11, 7:30pm
Saturday, November 12, 1:00pm & 3:00pm
Sunday, November 13, 1:00pm & 3:00pm
The Rose Theatre
 The Marriage Contract
by Gioacchino Rossini
Experience a Great Romantic Evening in Venice.
Friday, February 17, 7:30pm
Saturday, February 18, 7:30pm
Sunday, February 19, 2:00pm
The Jewel Box Theater at the Scottish Rite Center
 The Mikado
by Gilbert & Sullivan
A Great Opera of Comic Opera
Friday, April 13, 7:30pm
Sunday, April 15, 2:00pm
Orpheum Theater
Four Great Operas. One Great Price.
All 4 Shows for as low as $71
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10:35
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Opera Omaha
**NOTICE - LOCATION CHANGE FOR ALL MOZART 101 CLASSES!**
All classes will now be held be held at the Opera Omaha Offices!
1625 Farnam Street
Suite 100
Omaha, NE 68102
View Larger Map More... »
Are you an Opera Omaha Facebook Fan? Do you follow us on Twitter?
Make sure you sign up for our sweepstakes that is going on right now!*
Opera Omaha is giving away two subscriptions to Mozart 101.
All New Classes for 2010-2011!
Learn more about one of the most enduringly popular classical composers – his life, relationships and inspirations from your favorite opera aficionados. Classes include performances and are perfect for anyone who wants to learn more and be entertained.
Class Sc  hedule:
November 8, 2010 - $20
December 6, 2010 - $20
January 10, 2011 - $20
February 7, 2011 - $40 (includes reception)
All classes begin at 6:30pm
at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center
202 S. 20th Street
Omaha, NE 68102
To enter click below:
 Facebook Fans
 Twitter Followers
*If you don't follow or are not a fan, now's the time! What are you waiting for?  More... »
One Voice
(Proclaiming Hope)
I am one voice. Just one voice. Can one voice make a difference? We have only to turn the pages of history for the answer. The winds of change have always been propelled by the breath of one action.
The individual voices in these battles are wrought with emotion and determination. We are brought full-  circle by their stories. Who will speak? If one single voice in the cause can be heard, imagine the power of all our voices lifted together in chorus. For it will take all of us to carve out a cure from our concern.
Do you hear it? “Sing!” the voice is calling. “Sing about the sighs of apathy! Sing a future without fear for our daughters! Sing! Herald the hope of healing with your voice. Sing! Celebrate our sisters with the song of life! Sing the dream into reality! Sing! Sing! Sing!”
from Sing for the Cure. Copyright 2000 Shawnee Press, inc.  More... »
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As we quickly approach the opening of our 53rd Season with Opera for the Cure, I am thinking about what collaboration means to Opera Omaha. You will see in all of our materials our tagline, “Opera for Everyone” and we truly believe that opera IS for everyone. Part of this belief fuels us in seeking out community partners that we can share our mission with. A few of the excellent relationships we have had over the years include Bloodlines with South High School, All the King’s Men with the Rose Theater, and last year’s amazing Brundibár, that was produced in association with the Institute for Holocaust Education.
Many of our alliances begin with our belief in education and Opera for the Cure is no different. Komen Nebraska’s mission is education for breast cancer awareness. Their belief that the world can be without breast cancer resonates throughout the United States. Opera Omaha had an opportunity to be at Sunday’s Race for the Cure and saw almost 20 thousand people come together for a single cause. It was truly an amazing site. When Kyle Albertson, one of our Valmont Voices in Residence sang the National Anthem before the start of the race, the hush across the crowd was something no one will soon forget.
Ten years ago, Nancy Brinker, Founder and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure decided that the marriage of music and message would result in a truly unique and powerful way to “get the word out” about their mission. That is how we feel about opera; the strength of the music has the ability to transform. Ms. Brinker went to Pamela Martin and charged her with creating this piece. Ms. Martin went to the survivors and asked for their stories. With these stories she approached ten different composers, from sacred choral composers to popular choral composers, and asked them to set these words to music.
What came out of this project is, Sing for the Cure: a proclamation of hope, the choral oratorio that Opera Omaha will be singing during the weekend of October 15. Sing for the Cure is a story of a journey of not just one person, but an entire community that comes together when faced with cancer. Weaving narrations from doctors, partners, children, and ultimately EVERYONE, the music ranges from swing to jazz to Broadway, and ultimately tells the tale of hope and courage.
Part of this entire project was Opera Omaha reaching out to local survivors looking for their stories. Out of this was born www.operaforthecure.org, a place to share, learn, and marvel at how someone can come out on the other side of cancer empowered, enlightened, and almost better than when they started. Take a moment to read these truly outstanding love letters to life.
While the journey that is Sing for the Cure is not an easy one, the pure joy at the end of the program celebrating life and what it can be is something you won’t soon forget. The Opera Omaha Chorus, The Omaha Symphony, the Valmont Voices in Residence, and the Salem Baptist Mass Choir will join their voices together on the stage at the Orpheum Theater and show the Omaha community what “One Voice” can accomplish.
I’ll close with these words from Sing for the Cure, “Do you hear it? ‘Sing!’ the voice is calling. ‘Sing avove the sighs of apathy! Sing a future without fear for our daughters! Sing! Herald the hope of healing with your voice. Sing! Celebrate our sisters with the song of life! Sing the dream into reality! Sing! Sing! Sing!’’
Brad Watkins,
Communications Director, Opera Omaha.
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by Jennifer Berkebile
We were first asked to write a blog for Opera Omaha about four weeks ago. I was assigned the last date, but that didn’t stop me from immediately starting to brainstorm ideas. I’ve never written a blog before, frankly, it’s hard for me to imagine anyone really wanting to read my thoughts and opinions on random topics, but I accepted the task (obviously) and was determined to write something interesting, current, and pertaining to the music world. Well, that was four weeks ago….
Now I’m offering you something totally different than what I first had in mind. But it is personal, hopefully  interesting, and kind of pertaining to the music world. There are four people in our house and every one of us is currently in various stages of a personal relationship. Two are married, the other two in serious relationships. Two are involved with singers (me being one of them), one with a writer, and one with a dancer turned sales genius. We’ve spent many a night first getting to hear the stories of how/when/where we each met our significant others and later stories of how we were all going to make it through the months spent apart. I am sure my blog today is tainted by the fact that I haven’t really seen my significant other in over two months, living on phone calls and video chats, and that I only have to wait 10 more days before we are reunited again. It’s hard not to get excited.
All relationships are hard. My parents did not have an incredibly easy marriage, but it has lasted and I am grateful to have witnessed both their struggles and reconciliations. Their relationship taught me a lot about what I wanted and saw for my own personal life. A normal relationship is hard work, but add in all the elements of a beginning career in opera and the odds really become stacked against you.
Everything that makes opera singing grand and exciting: the constant traveling to new places, the pride of working for yourself and being contracted for your talent, the thrill of performing and auditioning, the fulfillment of spending hours with a score learning every detail to better your art; can be murder to a personal life. How do you make it work then? I was talking to one of my housemates the other night about this very issue. He said that, right now, we’re doing what we absolutely love, what we were made to do. Our partners must do the same thing in their lives too, or we will never be happy together. I believe his statement. And if that’s the case, then I actually get off a little easy. My partner is a singer! What luck! We have the same passion; we were made to do the same thing; we get each other. I completely understand his want and need to pursue this dream, but does that mean that our relationship is doomed to take a back seat to our careers? Honestly, I cannot answer that now. I do not know. Yes, there have been sacrifices made already and we are just starting our lives together. It’s interesting to think about our future, because even though we know we will be together, our career paths are still very unknown and we are forced to take everything day by day. You never know when a company will call or a gig will come up, so you have to be ready to change plans, budget in visits, make compromises, and put forth the effort needed to sustain weeks away from each other. It is said that absence makes the heart grow fonder. We as singers get to test that theory year-round.
I recently attended an intimate masterclass given by the great soprano Virginia Zeani, who was married to the well-known bass Nicola Rossi-Lemeni. She addressed her marriage during the class and told us why they were so successful in their relationship for so many years. She said you must love each other “too much” and that was the only way to survive together. I liked that statement very much and I think it is a good representation of the depth of commitment needed for such a demanding career. I have faith in my relationship; we are independent people but we are stronger together than apart and we will both work at keeping our lives fulfilled and happy. I am excited to see what the future has in store for the both of us, and I am certain that whatever happens our lives will be filled with “too much” love.
Jennifer Berkebile just completed touring Nebraska and Western Iowa with Opera Omaha's Voices in Residence, a series of engaging, interactive, multi-media classroom performances created for students in middle school, high school or college, the performances provide a framework for experiencing the interaction of word s and music – the essence of opera. She will appear in Opera Omaha's celebration of the great American musical So in Love with Broadway.
Lyric Mezzo-soprano Jennifer Berkebile is thrilled to be a part of the Voices in Residence Program with Opera Omaha this season! A MMus graduate from the Eastman School of Music, Jennifer studies under Ms. Rita Shane. Jennifer most recently was a member of the Gerdine Young Artist Program with Opera Theatre of St. Louis and will be returning this season to make her debut in the world premier of Peter Ash’s The Golden Ticket. Previous honors include winning the Jessie Kneisel German Lieder Competition as well as being chosen to participate in the Marilyn Horne Masterclass for the Foundation’s The Song Continues…2007 Festival. She has been a participant in the Resident Artist Program with the Berkshire Opera Company where she was in Hansel and Gretel and Madama Butterfly as well as participating in numerous song and aria concerts where she "unfurled a voluminous, opulent voice in a richly expressive performance of Respighi's gorgeous Il Tramonto" (Music&Vision, August 2006). A native of Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, Jennifer received her BMus Degree at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music under Dr. Jonathan Retzlaff and currently resides in New York City.
Tickets for So in Love with Broadway start at just $19.
Friday | April 16, 2010 | 7:30p
Sunday | April 18, 2010 | 2:00p
Click Here for Tickets More... »
 by Ric Furman
Did you know that right now you are part of over 150 different communities? Seem like a lot? It did to me. So I started thinking about it.
My family. Okay, that’s one. My neighborhood, my city, my state and nation, even the world. How about this group of 3 other singers I’m here with? I guess that would count as another. And the company here in Omaha or even Omaha itself, for the time I’m here, anyway. Then there’s the “singers world,” and beyond that the “opera world.” Okay, now I can see how these could add up. So why would I care?
I came to Omaha on February 21st and I’ll leave on April 19th. That’s two full months! Have you ever spent a day around people who hate you? When you can feel them sour because you just came in the room. Their conversation just stops.
Flip side: Remember a day, a whole day, with people you love. People who love you back. People who are happy just because you’re there.
Another illustration is this: remember back to junior high or high school and being at a dance or even a class where no one knew you were there. Even worse, they didn’t care. You weren’t even important enough to say “hi.”
What if you had to spend two months is one of those situations? Not too difficult to deside which one to chose, is it?
I can’t tell you how what a difference there is in a company where I feel welcome versus one where I’m just tolerated. I want the people of Omaha to understand that they really have something special here! And to please keep it coming!
Within the first week here nearly everyone at the Opera Omaha office found me, as well as the other Voices in Residence members (VIR’s) and told me they were glad I was here and that they were looking forward to the next two months with me. We were invited to two performances of Le Nozze di Figaro, the cast party, and both the Artistic Advisor and the General Director invited our group to dinner or lunch. At these events many board members and guild members came up and introduced themselves just to say “hi.” Amazingly, the public seems to be following suit.
This type of thing continued beyond the week. We’ve been treated well by more people than I can remember, though I wish I could. My time here is more than half over now and we’re still being treated like family or at least treasured friends.
Last weekend we had the honor of singing at a dinner for Eve and Fred Simon. It was a wonderful evening with great singing, skits, roast-like comedy, and, of course, great food. At the end of the evening there was a dessert reception where all were invited to come and personally thank Fred and Eve. Amazingly, before I could tell them thank you, they both thanked me for my part in the evening and for coming to O/O! This is a rare kind of class. A rare kind of grace.
Thank you to all of you who have taken a moment to say “hello” or gone out of your way to make us feel welcome. There is a good community here in Omaha. This is one place that has gotten it right. My hope is that anyone reading this will take a moment the next time they are at an O/O event, find someone on the staff there, and thank them. This is the kind of community we all need.
Ric Furman is enjoying touring Nebraska and Western Iowa with Opera Omaha's Voices in Residence, a series of engaging, interactive, multi-media classroom performances created for students in middle school, high school or college, the performances provide a framework for experiencing the interaction of word s and music – the essence of opera. Ric Furman will appear in Opera Omaha's celebration of the great American musical So in Love with Broadway.
Ric Furman, tenor, studied at Western Illinois University and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music for his Bachelors and Masters respectively. Mr. Furman won two State National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Competitions and one Regional NATS Competition, as well as winning the District Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions and placing third at the Regional level. Mr. Furman is rapidly becoming much sought after on both the concert and opera stage. His roles include Rodolfo in La Boheme, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Alfredo in La Traviata, the Duke in Rigoletto, both Roméo and Tybalt in Roméo et Juliette, Chevalier de Danceny in The Dangerous Liaisons, Detlef in The Student Prince, Beppe in I Pagliacci, and two world premiers: Adam in Eve’s Odds and Jay in A Stranger’s Tale, as well as notable roles in Aïda, Don Carlo, Ainadamar, Carmen, Salome, Samson et Daliah, Dead Man Walking, Il viaggio a Reims, The Marriage of Figaro, Gianni Schicchi, Der Kaiser von Atlantis, Così fan tutte, The Tender Land, and Die Zauberflöte. Concert venues include Carnegie Hall, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Dayton Philharmonic.
Tickets for So in Love with Broadway start at just $19.
Friday | April 16, 2010 | 7:30p
Sunday | April 18, 2010 | 2:00p
Click Here for Tickets More... »
12:43
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Opera Omaha
by Maria Lindsey
When we get to the part of introducing ourselves in our "Voices in Residence" program for the schools/community members of Nebraska and Iowa we always say the same bits of information about ourselves. Since we started our performances for the community I have said the same thing... "Hi, My name is Maria Lindsey, I'm the Soprano of the group. I am from Fort Collins, C  olorado and I received my undergraduate degree at BYU-Idaho, and am currently working towards my master's degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder. When I was in high school you never would have told me I would end up singing opera!" I hope that by sharing that last bit of information about myself with people who are new to opera I can help them realize that everyone is new to something at some point in their life and the first step is giving it a chance. Finding opera and having the chance to be a part of it, even in a small way every day, is something that I hope I never take for granted! I am so happy that I have the chance to bring the message of opera to people everyday in many different ways and in many different communities around Omaha.
One woman made a comment after one of our programs and said she was so excited that young people were taking the message of opera around to the schools. She said something to the effect of "participating in a live-performance art form is such a magical experience because there is a unique exchange of energy and emotion that takes place between singer and audience member that only happens in that moment". This woman felt like youth today are missing out on this experience the more technology develops and that it is wonderful to perform at schools and teach them about an art form that they can participate in and enjoy, live, today. This woman really moved me and as hard as it is moving around the country and being away from loved ones to participate in whatever singing job comes next, I quickly remember that I am singing opera and that I have the chance to teach others about it too!
Disclaimer... I know I am still fairly new at this and that I have many years ahead of me that will include disappointment as well as success, I hope that I never lose track of why this art form is something I decided to dedicate my life to in the first place. As we bring the passionate, dramatic, comedic, uplifting, and inspiring aspects of opera to the communities around us I hope I am able to give back part of the joy that is the reason I am singing opera today.
Besides touring Nebraska and Western Iowa with Opera Omaha's Voices in Residence, a series of engaging, interactive, multi-media classroom performances created for students in middle school, high school or college, the performances provide a framework for experiencing the interaction of word s and music – the essence of opera, Maria Lindsey will appear in Opera Omaha's celebration of the great American musical So in Love with Broadway.
Maria Lindsey, soprano from Fort Collins, Colorado, received her BMA degree in Voice from Brigham Young University-Idaho and is currently working on her MM degree in Voice at the University of Colorado. For the BYU-Idaho opera, she sang Pamina in The Magic Flute and Yum Yum in The Mikado. She has participated in scenes from Roméo et Juliette, Rigoletto, and Die Fledermaus. Most recently she was Adina in the Loveland Opera Theatre’s The Elixir of Love, and Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring with CU Opera. This summer Maria was an apprentice with the prestigious Santa Fe Opera where she covered Coryphèe in their production of Alceste, as well as sang Juliette from Roméo et Juliette in the Santa Fe Opera’s Apprentice Opera Scenes.
Tickets for So in Love with Broadway start at just $19.
Friday | April 16, 2010 | 7:30p
Sunday | April 18, 2010 | 2:00p
Click Here for Tickets More... »
by Jonathan Stinson
From time to time, 'Britain's Got Talent' and 'American Idol' allow an operatic vocalist to sing on their international telecast. Without exception, these operatic performances receive a standing ovation by the sixth note, continuing through the end of the aria. This standing ovation is largely comprised of high school and college students. So why do you think a young audience of teens and twenties would react so positively to a classical singer when they bought tickets hoping to hear the next pop star? Perhaps it's merely a fascination of the unknown. But why do audiences attend performances of any kind? In the end, 'American Idol' audiences are no different than opera audiences. They want to be moved, to be entertained, to connect to the music, to connect to the lyrics, to give their lives over to the performer for an evening of alternate reality.
When I watched Paul Potts' performance of "Nessun Dorma" on 'Britain's Got Talent' (and the  standing ovation that erupted within the second phrase), two things came to my mind. First, good for him! Now there is evidence that he had a small operatic career in the past, but as a current mobile-phone salesman, he handled the aria beautifully. But the most important thing for me was that I knew from that day that the future of opera is going to be just fine. The audience LOVED his aria. They could not get over how impressive his performance was. And all this from a mobile-phone salesman. If that London audience was so impressed with Mr. Potts, maybe they should take the tube to Covent Garden and see what they've been missing. The young people of today love opera, just don't know it yet.
We of the Voices in Residence at Opera Omaha represent an extremely small sliver of what will become the future of opera. It is our job not to tell them why they should like opera, but that they already do. We have toured our 45-minute opera gala to several high schools, and the kids are universally amazed at how engaging the art form can be. In short, they leave our concert with a deep appreciation of what we do. If we can reach the youth of Nebraska in the way that Paul Potts reached the youth of England, opera in Nebraska has a very bright future. The youth of America have a hidden passion for opera, and it is our obligation and responsibility to help them discover it.
Jonathan Stinson is touring Nebraska and Western Iowa with Opera Omaha's Voices in Residence, a series of engaging, interactive, multi-media classroom performances created for students in middle school, high school or college, the performances provide a framework for experiencing the interaction of word s and music – the essence of opera. Mr. Stinson will also appear in Opera Omaha's celebration of the great American musical So in Love with Broadway.
Jonathan Stinson is enjoying a busy '09-'10 season as Slim in Of Mice and Men and Peter in Hansel and Gretel for Kentucky Opera, a return to Cedar Rapids Opera for the Nazarene in Salome, and as both Antonio in The Marriage of Figaro and as baritone soloist in the upcoming So In Love With Broadway concert for Opera Omaha.
Mr. Stinson's ’08-’09 season included appearances in La bohème with Lyric Opera of Kansas City, La traviata with Opera New Jersey and Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Rigoletto with Springfield Regional Opera, Cosi fan tutte with Cedar Rapids Opera, and The Marriage of Figaro for the Bay View Music Festival.
A Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2006, Mr. Stinson is a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory and Indiana University.
Tickets for So in Love with Broadway start at just $19.
Friday | April 16, 2010 | 7:30p
Sunday | April 18, 2010 | 2:00p
Click Here for Tickets More... »
by Mark Calvert
My nephew, Jesse, came to visit me last weekend as we were in the thick of final rehearsals for Figaro. This creative and unique little boy lives in a tiny Kansas town (population 1,008) where opportunities to experience opera are non-existent. So, with some parental finagling so that Jesse could play hooky from school, we made arrangements for him to have a front row seat and see how we do it. I arranged to have him watch an orchestra stage rehearsal and - the next day - the piano dress rehearsal. Although I already knew he marches to his own drumbeat, I had no idea if he would like this process or find it boring. Kids do not hide their true feelings (years of performing for children tells me this), and I knew this little guy would be no exception.
He ate it all up! From the moment of the first downbeat of the first rehearsal, Jesse was entranced; not only by the beautiful, lush playing of the orchestra, but also by the singing, the language, and the intricate plot. In fact, Jesse really started to figure things out and began to bury his head in the music score, trying to untangle the new sounds of Italian in his ear. To his credit, by the end of the second day his Italian was shockingly good (kids are sponges for information).
I watched from the stage as Jesse walked through the theater (happily having the entire house to himself), listening and watching from different areas. I couldn’t believe that I ever thought that Le nozze di Figaro would ever be beyond the reach of a child. It is not: the music is complex, yet it leaves listeners of all ages humming the tunes; the story - from a literary masterpiece - has elements of humor, sadness, anger, and forgiveness; and the visual elements of staging, lights, costumes, and sets, only encourage kids to embrace their imaginations.
Jesse spent the second evening’s rehearsal “apprenticing” under the lighting designer, Jim Sale, and the director, Garnett Bruce. He freely offered his young, professional opinions, staked out his territory at the production table in the theater, and managed to stay awake, alert, and entertained through to the final curtain. (It should be noted, though, that the post-rehearsal production meeting immediately put him into deep sleep.)
I will go out on a limb and speak for myself and my fellow singers. When we are on stage in the middle of a performance, we love to hear the honest and spontaneous reactions from children (laughter, applause, booing the bad guy, etc.).
So, my suggestion is this: save the money on a baby sitter, spend five minutes to explain the plot of Le nozze di Figaro to your child, and treat your 10 year old to some Mozart.
Appearing before audiences of all ages at the Orpheum Theater, Mark Calvert will play the dual roles of Don Basilio and Don Curzio in Mozart's Comic Masterpiece, The Marriage of Figaro.
American tenor Mark Calvert has performed to critical acclaim with numerous European opera companies, including productions with the Stadttheater Gieben, the Schlossfestspiele Heidelberg, the Theater der Stadt Heidelberg, and the Kammeroper Konstanz. Between 2006 and 2009, he was an ensemble member of the Landestheater Linz (Austria), where his repertoire ranged from baroque to contemporary operas. He made his Italian debut with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi in Kurt Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins, and more recently, he sang Vašek in The Bartered Bride with the Aargauer Symphonie Orchester in Switzerland. A native of Wichita, Kansas, Calvert earned his degrees from Yale University School of Music and Lawrence University in Wisconsin. He received his early training with The Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Seattle Opera, Aspen Music Festival, and Pittsburgh Opera, where he was awarded the 2000 Richard F. Gold Career Grant from The Shoshana Foundation.
Tickets start at just $19.
Friday | February 26, 2010 | 7:30p
Sunday | February 28, 2010 | 2:00p
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by Daniela Mack
“Be a man” is a very commonly-used phrase. Everyone has heard it thrown around at some point or other, and maybe someone has even said it to some of you (ouch!). But, as far as I can recall, nobody has ever said it to me, and with good reason: I’m a girl. But, this month, I’m a girl, portraying the role of a teenage boy (Cherubino) in The Marriage of Figaro.
Just a little background on this boy: cute and spirited as can be, he has the capacity to get himself into trouble just by breathing! He’s playfully mischievous, wildly hormonal, and a huge flirt. He’s a poet, full of innocent love and passion that he’s too young to understand, but certainly not too young to feel. He’s also the essence of youthful vigor and innocence that most of the  older characters in the piece may have lost. And so, since he’s young and inexperienced, devoid of inhibitions, lacking any semblance of a reliable verbal filter, and sometimes, of any common sense, he is in perpetual trouble with someone! Picture him as one of those little sparkly, rubber bouncy-balls; he travels fast, knocks things over, and wreaks havoc, all while trying his luck at being charming and adorable. He just can’t help himself!
For the singer/actor, this translates into a lot of running and rolling around, hiding in corners, crawling under things, ducking frequent slaps, and acquiring many bumps and bruises along the way! (For those of you interested in the rehearsal process, knee-pads are lifesavers!!! Padding-up for the knees, and, in my case, padding-down for my not-so-boyish curves.) And, of course, the final step in my transformation from girl to boy: amazing costume and makeup! It’s the magic of the theater!
As for “being a man”, Cherubino looks to several models around the household for inspiration: the Count is a perfect example not only of physical posture and demeanor, but, perhaps more importantly for the young boy, of how to seduce women; he watches Figaro to learn ingenuity and resourcefulness; and from Basilio, he learns how to sneak around the house without being seen. And after combining all of his newly-acquired “expertise,” he tries his luck with any woman he can find: namely Barbarina, Susanna, and even that angel-on-earth, the Countess (even though she’s way out of his league).
This boy hopes you will join us for the ride this Friday and Sunday, and even though you know he’s a girl... don’t tell!
Daniela Mack will be making her (his?) Opera Omaha debut as Cherubino at the Orpheum Theater in Mozart's Comic Masterpiece, The Marriage of Figaro.
In the 2009-2010 season, mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack, a native of Buenos Aires, will return to the San Francisco Opera for her second and final year in the Adler Fellowship Program, where she will participate in Suor Angelica and sing the role of Siebel in Faust. Previous performances in San Francisco include Idamante in Idomeneo, and Lucienne in Die Tote Stadt, which was her house debut. Additional engagements for the 2009-2010 season include a debut with the Deutsche Oper Berlin as Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, as well as with Opera Omaha. In concert, she will make her Canadian debut with the Edmonton Symphony in performances of Messiah.
Recent notable engagements include her debuts with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis as Tamiri in Il Re Pastore, and with Opera Cleveland as Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, both in 2009, as well as a recital sponsored by the Shoshana Foundation, and concerts with the EOS ensemble. In 2007, as a member of the Merola Opera Program, Ms. Mack performed the title role of Rossini's La Cenerentola.
Tickets start at just $19.
Friday | February 26, 2010 | 7:30p
Sunday | February 28, 2010 | 2:00p
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17:35
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Opera Omaha
By Shannon Brogan
Last weekend marked the Star Dinner (a benefit of Council Level Membership with Opera Omaha), a function where the board and donors of Opera Omaha meet the cast of Figaro. I had the very fortunate experience of speaking with two attendees back to back, one being probably the most liberal person in the room and the other perhaps the most conservative. Both were outspoken, articulate and ardent in their beliefs and, while we spoke of social and political issues in fairly general ways with widely varying perspectives, what I heard in the conversations was the common ground they shared. Fundamentally both people and both ideologies wanted to create brighter futures for the individual and society and, at that very moment, both of those individuals were there to support music and the role that music played in creating moments of respite in the craziness of the world.
It was very interesting to superimpose the night's conversations on the work we are performing. The Beaumarchais play on which Figaro is based is laden with political commentary but concludes in a moment of singular human vulnerability-the need for forgiveness.
I find the older I get the more I search for that which unifies. Plurality of opinion leads to stronger truths and better solutions. The reflection of such beliefs in art gently teaches us how to live. In Figaro, the ability to forgive publicly and privately is the hope of a time past and the possibility of a brighter future.
Making her Opera Omaha debut as Marcellina, Shannon Brogan will be seen onstage at the Orpheum Theater in Mozart's Comic Masterpiece, The Marriage of Figaro.
Ms. Brogan is pleased to return to the stage after taking a brief respite for the birth of her two daughters. Brogan started her performance career early as a pianist, violinist and actor transitioning to classical vocal music at Northwestern University where she gained a particular love for recital and concert work. Brogan has had the opportunity to sing a variety of operatic roles, recitals and concert engagements in the US and Europe.When not making music, she spends her time sculpting, writing and hamming around with her family. She is thrilled to be making her debut as Marcellina at Omaha Opera.
Tickets start at just $19.
Friday | February 26, 2010 | 7:30p
Sunday | February 28, 2010 | 2:00p
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11:03
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Opera Omaha
by Kevin Short
One of the pleasures of my uncertain and sometimes lonely lifestyle is to return to companies such as Opera Omaha. Companies that balance a familial and supportive environment with professionalism and efficiency.
This production of The Marriage of Figaro will mark my 6th production here in Omaha since 1999. There have been 2 different productions of Aida, a Samson and Delilah, a Turandot, and the Abduction from the Seraglio.
Since my debut I've developed lasting friendships with my wonderful and gracious hosts Bill and Sandi Bruns, and the excellent staff and administration here.
So, in my peripatetic world I am once again "at home", and involved in yet another memorable musical experience with Opera Omaha.
I'm also stocking up on lots of Vic's popcorn.
Kevin Short makes his sixth appearance with Opera Omaha as Dr. Bartolo in Mozart's Comic Masterpiece The Marriage of Figaro.
Versatile bass-baritone Kevin Short is thrilling audiences around the globe in a vast amount of repertoire ranging from Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio and Monteverdi's Coronation of Poppea to Verdi's Attila, Amonasro in Aida, and Escamillo in Carmen.
In North America Kevin has performed with the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Washington Opera, Canadian Opera, Vancouver Opera, and Edmonton Opera.
His European credits include performances with Paris' Opera Comique, Oper de Stadt Koeln, Staatstheater Stuttgart, Teatro di San Carlo, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, and important festivals in Aix-en-Provence, Bregenz, Austria, Matsumoto, Japan (Saito Kinen) and Valencia, Granada, and Santiago di Compostela, Spain.
Kevin also enjoys an active concert schedule and has sung with the Boston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Czech Philharmonic, Holland Radio Philharmonisch Orkest, Swiss and Italian RAI Orchestra, Radio France Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic, and Hiroshima Symphony.
Kevin received his training at Morgan State University, the Curtis Institute of Music, and the Juilliard School of Music
Tickets start at just $19.
Friday | February 26, 2010 | 7:30p
Sunday | February 28, 2010 | 2:00p
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by Jason Hardy
I’m always amused by the rush to the cell phones with stage management announces “please take a 10-minute break” in rehearsal. Within moments, singers reach for their various devices and are whisked away to another part of the world. Some may laugh while exchanging text messages from friends while others make a quick call to see how their kids are doing. We check our email, give our regularly-scheduled status updates on our Facebook or Twitter page, or perhaps do a bit of web surfing. We can check the NBA scores from last night, get movie showtimes, find out how much snow has fallen back home, and find out what new life-altering technology is about to be released by Apple.
 And we can do all of this from our cell phones!
Technology is so cool. Except when it isn’t.
I hate my cell phone. A few days ago, I had just finished a conversation with my kids when my “smartphone” became totally useless.
Let me tell you - nothing gets the brain more focused on logistics than figuring out when and where one can go to get a cell phone fixed or replaced. What a hassle!!!!
My phone is my constant companion, and it’s moments such as these that I realize just how much I rely on this little bit of technology. How else can I get a play-by-play about a family wedding I missed , find out how many girl scout cookies my daughter sold, or hear details of my son’s audition for the school play.
On the road we miss a lot of holidays and special events, taking comfort in that voice or those thumbs on the other end of our cell
phone. This weekend is Valentine’s Day, for instance. However, it
just so happens that this time, thanks to ANOTHER marvel of engineering and technology, my Valentine is flying here to see me this weekend. In fact, she arrives this afternoon!
So I’ve gotta run to rehearsal. During my first break, you can bet I’ll be checking the latest weather forecast, track the real-time status of her flight , and figure out showtimes for our movie date tonight.
I love my cell phone.
Jason Hardy appears with Opera Omaha as Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart's Comic Masterpiece.
Mr. Hardy was most recently seen in the title role in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera Cleveland, Cadmus/Somnus in Semele with Florentine Opera, Leporello in Don Giovanni with Connecticut Opera, Colline in La Bohème with Nashville Opera, and as the bass soloist in Stravinsky’s Les Noces with the New York City Ballet, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. 2009-2010 engagements include Leporello in Don Giovanni with Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro Opera Birmingham, and a return to Atlanta Opera as the Speaker in Die Zauberflöte. Concert engagements include Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass with National Philharmonic, the Mozart Requiem with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Handel’s Messiah with the Richmond Symphony, and a recital under the auspices of the Marilyn Horne Foundation.
Tickets start at just $19.
Friday | February 26, 2010 | 7:30p
Sunday | February 28, 2010 | 2:00p
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11:54
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Opera Omaha
by Maureen Francis
At home, I’ll study my score while working out on the eliptical. While walking to the train station for an audition I’ll go over the recitative with my imaginary Figaro, ignoring the curious glances of neighbors. While at my son’s wrestling tournament I had my Mozart on my lap in the bleachers, making sure I looked up in time to see his match! While folding laundry and emptying the dishwasher, I’ll test my knowledge of the Act 2 finale and see if the movement does not distract me from an entrance. Until finally my six year old yells, “Enough Mozart Mom!!”
Little does he realize that before he arrived, I was on a stage, that I was very pregnant with his older brother while singing Rosina (our Countess in her younger years – and quite a reach as she was a virginal teenager) and that he himself was a stowaway during a Carmina Burana in Washington DC. I practice at night because the music helps them to fall asleep, or in the quiet afternoon when they are in school. In any case, I felt my Susanna was ready for Omaha. I had done my homework and now I can focus on my music for one entire month - ah, life finally simplified. Or is it?
Susanna is a role I’ve wanted to do for some time and I am thrilled to finally have the opportunity, but I am discovering that her chaotic life is not so different from my own. Our fantastic director Garnett Bruce brings his great perspective to the table and then lets the singer contribute so that it really is a communal process of creation. And this woman is the mulit-tasker. She consoles, avoids, schemes, cleans, makes tea, plays dress-up with Cherubino, hides evidence, reveals evidence, oh, you get the idea. And beautiful artists with incredible stage instincts surround her!
At home, I rarely sit down. It’s a waste of time, because inevitably someone will need something as soon as I do. Susanna rarely sits. Perhaps for a minute until she realizes she needs to hide in a closet. I was beginning to wonder if my character shoes were too small, until I realized Ms. Susanna doesn’t really rest the tootsies. At the end of the day, I go back to my hotel, rest my feet and smile because it is the exact same feeling I have when I’m home. I am contributing to a wonderful masterpiece; I am in awe of Mr. Mozart and the divine within him. At the end of the day, my husband and I will take a deep breath after our little “master”pieces are finally tucked in bed. I am dying to put my feet up with Michael and my boys will call out, “Mom, are you gonna practice?” It is the only proven tactic to guarantee that they will fall asleep and not get out of bed 15 times. And it’s God’s little way of reminding me of the beauty in multi-tasking.
Maureen Francis, Soprano, appears as Susanna in Opera Omaha's production of Mozart's Comic Masterpiece The Marriage of Figaro.
Fondly remembered for her Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, Maureen Francis returns this season as Susanna. Following Omaha, Francis travels to Italy where she takes on the role of Morgana in Handel’s Alcina followed by operetta concerts in Asheville, NC and concerts throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania. As a frequent guest of Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, she recently added the role of Musetta in La Bohème. Other roles include Oscar in Un Ballo in Maschera with Bergen Opera in Bergen, Norway, the title role in Massenet’s Cendrillon, Gilda in Rigoletto, Julie Jordan in Carousel, and Gretel in Hänsel and Gretel. She has debuted with Los Angeles Opera in the world premiere of Elliot Goldenthal’s opera Grendel singing the role of Dargonette directed by the world-renowned Julie Taymor. Her signature role, Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, became the vehicle for her European debut at the Festival Lecco, Italy.
Tickets start at just $19.
Friday | February 26, 2010 | 7:30p
Sunday | February 28, 2010 | 2:00p
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08:22
»
Opera Omaha
by Kelly Markgraf
Since arriving in Omaha, I've been struck by -- or at least reminded of --two things. The midwestern snow, and the undeniable genius and beauty of Mozart. The former I knew well growing up, as a native of Wisconsin. The latter I've certainly been acquainted with for some time, but this is the persistently pleasant way in which Mozart surprises you: no matter how well you think you know the music (or your role; I've performed this one with three other companies), you are, without fail, caught up in the radiant beauty of a moment you've never quite noticed before. Creeping up on you, the power of the music in Le Nozze di Figaro is that it is at once so simple and multi-layered. It speaks directly to the heart of listeners, both newcomers and veterans, and we walk away from the performance feeling illuminated.
 For me this last week of rehearsals has been like a warm blanket. Coming back to a role that l love dearly during a full year of living on the road out of suitcases is like coming home. The trials of this vagabondian experiment have left my wife and I longing for a place to hang our hats -- other than our storage unit in Manhattan. We thought, "Sure, let's do it! We're young, we'll save money on rent, and just live wherever the jobs are." Fast forward nine months and we're aching for just the psychological comfort of being able to picture Home.
Fortunately, I've found myself in the company of a stellar cast, led by a trailblazing stage director and an unflappably creative conductor. This is one show that won't have any of the characteristics that have been the bane of opera over the last few generations: poor acting, or "park 'n' bark" singing. You'll find attractive young singers that can move and act just as well as they sing. With a plot that centers around a lecherous upper-class guy attempting to sleep with his servant's fiance on the same day as their wedding, imagine something more along the lines of "Desperate Housewives" or "Nip and Tuck" -- yes, really. Populate an incredible comic drama with performers like this, and you've got one memorable night in the theatre. I hope you'll join us!
Kelly Markgraf, Baritone, is playing the adulterous Count Almaviva in Opera Omaha's production of Mozart's Comic Masterpiece The Marriage of Figaro.
Praised by the New York Times for his “charismatic” and “heart-stirring” singing, Baritone Kelly Markgraf makes his Opera Omaha debut with this season’s Nozze di Figaro. This past Fall brought his debut with New York City Opera as Masetto in their new production of Don Giovanni. Recent successes include Mamoud in a staged concert version of John Adams’ The Death of Klinghoffer, conducted by the composer, and Ford in Verdi’s Falstaff (Juilliard Opera Center), as well as his Carnegie Hall debut in the West Side Story portion of the all-Bernstein program that opened the 2008-09 season and was nationally televised, under Michael Tilson Thomas. Also in the 2008-09 season, Mr. Markgraf debuted with Pittsburgh Opera as Ragged Man in Ricky Ian Gordon’s The Grapes of Wrath (a role he created in the World Premiere at Minnesota Opera in 2007), and sang the role of the Bosun in Paul Curran’s production of Billy Budd at Santa Fe Opera, under the baton of Edo de Waart. A winner of numerous prestigious awards, including the top prizes in the Opera Index and Sullivan Foundation competitions, he maintains an active concert schedule, recently making his Carnegie Hall recital debut under the auspices of the Marilyn Horne Foundation. In March 2010 he returns to Pittsburgh Opera as Escamillo in Carmen, and will return to Opera Omaha in 2011 for the title role in Don Giovanni.
Tickets start at just $19.
Friday | February 26, 2010 | 7:30p
Sunday | February 28, 2010 | 2:00p
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by Monica Yunus
O! My
Omaha is a new city for me. In fact, this is my first time in Nebraska. I love coming to a new city: restaurants to explore, new sites and the new rhythm that characterizes every city. I haven't spent much time in the Midwest but I have a lot of friends who grew up here and the one thing I do know about Midwesterners is that they are polite and friendly- always. So it should come as no surprise that the hotel we are staying in, the downtown Homewood Suites, shares the same philosophy.
 Homewood Suites is fantastic! When you are away from home for months at a time, you start to miss the little things. Maybe its your favorite fleece blanket, the gadgets in your kitchen, your pets. And there are always nerves the first night in a new hotel- will the bed be comfortable, is the tv from the next room over going to keep me up, and on and on.
Not at this location. The hotel is new and from the moment I arrived, I felt welcomed. And talk about perks: breakfast every morning (and its not that powdered egg stuff either- real eggs!!), dinner four nights a week (again, very homey meals that are very tasty), beer on tap at dinner, as well as wine, and a 24 hour shuttle that will take you on your errand run, or out to your new fave restaurant, or to the drug store! Did I mention that they will do your grocery shopping for you?? No, I am not kidding! Give them your grocery list and they will run out and pick up every item for you!
Then, let me tell you about the room: I have a very spacious 2 room suite complete with not one, but two flat screen tvs, a comfy sofa, king size bed which is really comfortable, pillows galore, a kitchen with a knife that can actually cut an onion, a two top stove and a dishwasher, plus a full size fridge.
All of that, plus there is a great gym, a pool and a jacuzzi for our use.
You may say," Why is she going on and on about the hotel??" Its because when you live in one so many months out of the year, you know what customer service can mean in your life- the difference between being happy on the road and able to perform well, or being an unhappy camper.
Here's to you Homewood Suites, from one extremely happy camper!
Monica Yunus will be appearing as Countess Almaviva in Opera Omaha's production of Mozart's Comic Masterpiece The Marriage of Figaro.
During the 2009 - 2010 season Monica Yunus returns to the Metropolitan Opera as Novice in Suor Angelica and Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, and joins the Montana Lyric Opera as Gilda in Rigoletto. Recent engagements include Poussette in Manon, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, and Yvette in La Rondine all at the Metropolitan Opera, Norina in Don Pasquale with Syracuse Opera, Zémire in Zémire et Azor with Arizona Opera, Lucia in the North American Premiere of Zandonai's La Farsa Amorosa with Teatro Grattacielo at Alice Tully Hall in New York, and Argentine in the American Premiere of Gluck’s L’ile de Merlin at the Spoleto Festival USA. Performances on the concert stage have taken her from the Tilles Center in New York, to the University of Francisco Marroquin in Guatemala City, to The Al Bustan International Festival of Music and Arts in Beirut, Lebanon, to The Jordan Festival where she performed with Placido Domingo, to countless recitals throughout the US and abroad.
Tickets start at just $19.
Friday | February 26, 2010 | 7:30p
Sunday | February 28, 2010 | 2:00p
Click Here for Tickets
 More... »
I’ve been listening to Mozart for a month and I can safely say there’s been no increase in my IQ. I proved what scientists have known for years—there’s no real ‘Mozart Effect.’ Listening to music-any music-that transports you to a relaxed and peaceful state of mind will prepare the brain for mental challenge. Although, I would argue, hearing Ave Verum Corpus elevates even the most stoic listener to a higher emotional plane.
During the second class of Mozart 101, Dr. James Sorrell attempted to clarify what constitutes genius. One of the most fascinating aspects of Mozart’s genius was his ability to span various forms of music. From the bawdy Leck Mir den  Arsch to the transcendent Ave Verum Corpus, he treats each composition with equal care and reverence. He wrote operas that appealed to kings and statesman as well as butchers and bakers.
My friend Tara would argue that whatever soothes a child to sleep is the result of pure genius. Even an infant is sensitive to the peaceful strains of String Quartet No. 14 in G Major versus the enthusiastic bowing of an adolescent cellist. Human beings are sensitive to music. I write fiction and I have a musical library to match the emotional mood I’m attempting to convey in the story. Weepy self-introspection calls for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 14 in C sharp Minor. When I need energy, only Mozart will suffice.
Dr. Sorrell points out that Mozart defied the common myths of genius: fading talent, the trap of unattainable standards, the shaky pedestal of a Boy Wonder and the insidious poison that is boredom. Mozart highlighted common themes in his operas that still resonate today: love, loss, anger, forgiveness, jealousy and abandonment. Mozart remained a prolific composer until his death.
I’m not a genius and I’m honest about my complete lack of musical knowledge. But over the few last months of immersing myself in classical music, I’ve become adept at identifying the composer. I still can’t name the symphonies, but I’ve learned the musical personalities of Beethoven, Bach and Mozart. And, hey, if I can learn—anybody can. Perhaps there is a Mozart Effect.  More... »
 In truth, I had orchestrated my own disaster. The memory of my eighth-grade field trip kept running through my head. A grumpy conductor had stopped the program in order to lecture our group on the proper etiquette of applause. I decided then and there never to pay good money to be chastised for spontaneous clapping. Twenty years later, I arrived late and frazzled to the small community theater hosting Mozart 101, sparing only a passing frown at the gentleman who had just beaten me to a prime parking space and added three minutes to my tardiness.
The program began with a few words from Opera Omaha General Director John Wehrle introducing a collaborative program between Omaha Conservatory of Music [ [www.omahacm.org] ] and Opera Omaha. To further this endeavor, two adolescents took the stage against a jumble of props from a recent play. A mannequin dressed in watch-cap and pea-coat watched benevolently as they prepared.
Jennifer and Jehong Ahn communicated with the nods, gestures and eye rolls exclusive to siblings before tucking their instruments under almost identical chins. And then they played. Like a cathartic release, the notes seemed to untangle the complexity of human emotion into pure, harmonic sound. Equally inspiring, Hannah Pinnt Music performed Mozart’s Concerto in D Major with accompanist Dr. Karen Sigers.
I carefully waited until everyone else in the theater began clapping before I joined in the applause.
Then poet Matt Mason[ [midverse.com] ] entertained the audience with an historical perspective of 18th century poetry. Full of love and loss, tragedy and jealousy, poetry contains many of the same themes today as it did 200 years ago. Inspired by a play, Lorenzo Da Ponte wrote the libretto for The Marriage of Figaro, carefully removing any overt political humor that would alienate Emperor Joseph II, while exploiting current views of the day to entertain his audience.
Garnett Bruce ended the program with music from The Marriage of Figaro, reminding us that the human voice is one of the most beautiful instruments of all. For me, art should always inspire emotion. I wish that I had not been so intimidated all these years. I try to remember this: a true artist is passionate about their work, and a true intellect can converse at any level. Artists who love what they do want to share with you—not exclude you.
After all, art is not about what you wear to the theater, or whether or not the usher is rude to you, or feeling intimidated by a conductor. Opera is about the performance—people who have spent years refining their talent in order to share their passion with an audience. Mozart had a singular talent for creating music that was accessible to everyone. And the more you know, the less likely you are to be intimidated. I hope you’ll join me on December 7th for the next installment of Mozart 101. Performances by the likes of Jennifer, Jehong and Hannah should not be missed!  More... »
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