Opera Omaha Introduces ONE Festival

Opera Omaha Introduces ONE Festival
By Corbin Hirschhorn, KVNO News

Omaha, NE—Opera Omaha introduces the ONE festival this month, a series of performances that experiments with the production, aesthetic, and the setting of opera. Expect some classics, like Cherubini’s Medea and Handel’s Ariodante but also new works and premiers performed in some nontraditional venues.

James Darrah, LA based Director and now annual Omaha resident, talked about the intended experience of the ONE festival. Born in Texas and raised for some time in the Midwest, Darrah didn’t expect to have a career in opera. He studied acting, and his attention to visual aesthetic eventually met with music.

Darrah has returned to Omaha each year since 2014 to direct Opera Omaha productions, and the response is generally positive. Darrah is directing the first show of the ONE festival, Proving Up, written by contemporary composer Missy Mazzoli. A fitting story, it’s an adaptation of the work of author Karen Russell, the story of a family in post-Civil War Nebraska, the time of westward expansion.

Proving Up will be performed at the Kaneko downtown rather than a traditional theater, and other performances and events part of the ONE festival, like dialogues symposiums and exhibitions, in addition to theaters, will be held at galleries, multi-purpose venues and coffee shops around town. Opera Omaha’s ONE festival begins Friday, April 13 with Proving Up at the Kaneko. Visit OperaOmaha.org for tickets or more information about this month’s performances.