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Home, Community, and Sense of Place Exhibition Partners: Joslyn Castle & Gardens and Opera Omaha Exhibition Dates: January 9 – January 27, 2026 Location: Joslyn Castle & Gardens Special Partnership Installation: Select works will move to the Orpheum Theater January 28–February 1, 2026, for Opera Omaha’s performance of Susannah Submission Deadline: Jan 1, 2026 Entry Fee: No fee to enter Exhibition Overview Home, Community, and Sense of Place is an exhibition that explores the deep and often complex connections between belonging and the idea of home. Artists are invited to reflect on how individuals and communities experience, construct, and define place. What does home look like for you—or in what landscape do you feel most grounded? How do c...

I didn’t grow up listening to opera. Aida? Carmen? No. Westside Story? My Fair Lady? You betcha. So when I attend an opera, I do my homework. I read up on the composer. I pore over the synopsis. I want to know what I’m watching once I get there. When I was invited to review the dress rehearsal of Opera Omaha’s production of The Barber of Seville, the Googling began. I learned about Rossini’s prolific career. The opera’s plot. The meaning of the characters’ names. But when the lights went down, what entranced me was the music. The overture was simply—dare I use a food metaphor—...

Student Dress Rehearsal Study Guide Created as a companion to Opera Omaha’s Student Dress Rehearsal of The Barber of Seville. The study guide includes information about the opera, an Opera 101, guiding questions for discussion, and resources for further exploration. Download the Study Guide

Join us for The Barber of Seville Friday, October 24, 2025 | 7:30pm Box Office Open | 6:00pm Lobby Open | 6:30pm House Open | 7:00pm Sunday, October 26, 2025 | 2:00pm Box Office Open | 12:30pm Lobby Open | 1:00pm House Open | 1:30pm Orpheum Theater 409 S. 16th Street, Omaha, NE 68102 The performance runs approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes with one 20-minute intermission. Content Warning This production contains a gunshot in Act One. Atmospheric haze and strobe lighting will be used. View performance details Before you arrive Construction Update Please give yourself extra time to navigate construction near the Orpheum Theater. 14th Street is closed between Douglas and Farnam Streets for Mutual of Omaha construction. The Harney Street bridge is closed until ...

(To have this text read to you, or to translate it, select the blue accessibility icon at the bottom right of your screen.) ACT ONE A square in Seville at dawn, outside Doctor Bartolo's house. Count Almaviva, disguised as a humble student named Lindoro, attempts to serenade Rosina with the help of his servant Fiorello, and a group of musicians. The serenade fails to rouse Rosina, and the Count, annoyed by the musicians' loud demands for payment, dismisses them. Soon after, Figaro, the famous barber, enters singing about his bustling life as the "factotum of the city." The Count recognizes Figaro as his former servant. Upon learning the ...

(To have this text read to you, or to translate it, select the blue accessibility icon at the bottom right of your screen) DEAR FRIENDS: It’s a genuine pleasure to welcome you to the first production of our 25/26 Season, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville. Whether you are a long-time or a first-time operagoer, you know The Barber of Seville from its many pop culture appearances, including Bugs Bunny, Mrs. Doubtfire, and even The Simpsons. It has been a hit since its second performance in 1816 – the premiere was marred by protests from a rival composer’s fans! – and it has been a mainstay on opera stages for over 200 years. Why? The m...

(To have this text read to you, or to translate it, select the blue accessibility icon at the bottom right of your screen) Rossini's The Barber of Seville is probably the best known comic opera in the world. Even non-opera goers know its overture from countless films, cartoons, and advertisements, and Figaro's iconic, bravura aria “Largo al factotum” is even more famous. It was the first opera that I saw in the theater and I guess was the piece that got me hooked on opera. Yet beneath the comic veneer there exists another layer. The opera is based on Beaumarchais's play of the same name, part of a trilogy of work...

(To have this text read to you, or to translate it, select the blue accessibility icon at the bottom right of your screen.) A SONG OF PRAISE AND THANKS TO THE MIDWEST I am a Hoosier, an Indiana native, born in La Porte on the same latitude as Omaha, so I feel a magnetic connection there - I'm at home in Omaha. You have the mighty river; we have the Great Lake Michigan with Chicago shining on its banks. I want to praise and thank the great Midwest for the great musical education that led me to Rossini. Rossini was born in Pesaro, on the Adriatic Sea, another magnificent body ...

Reflections on the work and daily wonders of the Holland Community Opera Fellowship November 2025 HCOF recently finished up another round of fun and creative workshops with QLI. QLI is an incredible rehabilitation facility that provides services for adults living with traumatic brain and/or spinal cord injuries. The Fellows are honored to play a small part in providing an encouraging and welcoming space for these participants to explore their creativity through all the elements of opera. In the workshops, we leaned on Opera Omaha’s season opener, Il Barbiere di Siviglia to introduce our curriculum. Fellows opted to take some notes from Rossini’s post-retirement life as an exquisite gourmand! Ross...

Join us for Opera Outdoors, a free, fun, family-friendly opera concert at Turner Park Friday, September 5, 2025 | 7:00 PM (Rain date: September 6) Turner Park at Midtown Crossing View performance details What should I bring? Bring items that would make you feel comfortable at an outdoor concert - a blanket, lawn chairs, even a picnic! If you prefer not to bring food, Midtown Crossing has multiple restaurants from which to choose. When should I arrive? The Park and Kids Zone opens at 5:30 p.m., so you can start to claim your spot on the lawn. Kids Zone will include arts and crafts, balloon animals, costume station and more! The opera concert will begin ...