"The Barber of Seville," Rossini's raucous comic opera, will open Opera Omaha's 2025-26 season this fall.
The coming season's lineup, announced by General Director Allison Swenson, will include five productions, one more than the current season, and will continue the new Family Opera Series, which launches this June with "The Fabulous Mr. Fox" by Tobias Picker.
It will also mark the return of The English Concert to Omaha. Considered to be the world's pre-eminent Baroque orchestra, it will present a one-night-only performance of "Hercules," a masterpiece opera from Handel, in March. The Handel piece, like most
Opera Omaha shows, will be performed at the Orpheum Theater, but next season, the company will branch out to two new venues: the Holland Center and the Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center in Council Bluffs.
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"We are thrilled to unveil a season that includes audience favorites, rarely performed works, the continuation of the Family Opera Series and internationally celebrated artists," Swenson said in a press release. "There is something for everyone at every age."
A season snapshot:
■ Oct. 24 and 26, Orpheum: "The Barber of Seville" by Rossini, featuring internationally known director Stephen Lawless and the Opera Omaha debut of Daniela Mack as Rosina. A mischievous barber wreaks havoc on several hearts.
■ Jan. 30 and Feb. 1, 2026, Orpheum: "Susannah" by Carlisle Floyd. A young woman faces suspicion and gossip in a small Tennessee town. The director is Patricia Racette, a renowned soprano making her Opera Omaha directing debut. The performances kick off the Carlisle Floyd Foundation's international centennial celebration of the composer's birth.
■ March 13, 2026: "Hercules" by Handel, presented by The English Concert with conductor Harry Bicket. The semi-staged opera is a look at how the devastating consequences of mistrust can ruin even the most powerful people.
■ April 24 and 25, 2026, Holland: "Bluebeard's Castle" by Bartok, a co-production of Opera Omaha and the Omaha Symphony. Lidiya Yankovskaya is the conductor. Bluebeard's bride dares to open forbidden doors at his castle, unlocking a horrifying secret.
■ June 5, 6, and 7, 2026, Hoff Center: "Unshakeable" by Joseph Illick. Twenty years after a mysterious virus leaves survivors with memory loss, two friends reunite and try to regain their memories and emotions.
Season tickets are on sale now at ticketomaha.com or the Opera Omaha office at 402-346-7372.
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