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Oct 18, 2024
Dr. Richard Carillo on Don Giovanni
I had the fortune of attending the final dress rehearsal of Opera Omaha’s production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni and was given a night of entertainment ripe with sensuality, masked identities, and even a disgruntled spirit returning from the grave. The whole production was presented in the film noir styles of the 1940s and 50s black and white motion pictures which only added to the intrigue. Mozart’s opera sets to music Lorenzo Da Ponte’s libretto to tell the story of Don Giovanni, a character who at best could be described as a “lady’s man,” and at worst (though more accurately) as a chauvinistic lothario. Throughout the opera he attem...
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Oct 15, 2024
Parking at the Orpheum
VENUE INFORMATION ORPHEUM THEATER 409 South 16th Street Omaha, NE 68102 PARKING Parking is available at the Orpheum Theater in the OPPD Energy Plaza garage for only $8. The Skylink takes you directly to the balcony level of the theater. Lot parking at 15th and Howard is available for $10. Meters run 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Street parking is free on Sundays and holidays.
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Oct 8, 2024
Know Before You Go | Don Giovanni
Join us for Don Giovanni Friday, October 18, 2024 | 7:30pm Box Office Open | 6:00pm Lobby Open | 6:30pm House Open | 7:00pm Sunday, October 20, 2024 | 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 50 minutes with one 20 minute intermission. Content Warning This production contains two moments of gunfire - at the beginning of Act 1 and at the end of Act 2. This production also contains depictions of attempted sexual assault and violence. Atmospheric fog will be used. View performance details Before you arrive Parking Multiple surface and garage parking options are offered all within two blocks of the Orpheum Theater and ...
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Oct 7, 2024
From the Director
GIOVANNI AS NOIR: MOZART AND DA PONTE’S MASTERPIECE THROUGH A MODERN LENS A hero we love to hate. A mysterious woman from his past. Murder and seduction. Retribution and revenge. The themes of a great Hollywood noir film – and the essence of Don Giovanni. It’s an opera replete with grey areas, starting with Giovanni’s own moral ambiguity, his love/ hate relationship with Elvira, his shifts between violence, sensuality, and humor, often in the same scene. Mozart and Da Ponte labeled it a “dramma giocoso,” but these days we look at the piece rather differently, given that it begins with attempted rape and murder. We want to indulge in the guilt...
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Oct 7, 2024
From the Conductor
There are few operas that have the extreme number of emotional and physical casualties as Don Giovanni. In under three hours, we witness one murder, two forced and unwanted attentions, three violent transgressions, and four flagrant displays of power structures of great imbalance before coming full circle with a dramatic display of supernatural retribution. Musically, like all of Mozart’s works, this opera is surprising, with an outward simplicity wrapped in deceptive complexity. Listen to his rhythmic structures: while they appear easy, straightforward, they are never, ever predictable. His setting of Da Ponte’s text is at times raw and direct, and at others, filled with double meanings. Look into the ...
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Oct 3, 2024
Fun Facts about Mozart's Don Giovanni
Think you know everything about Mozart's masterpiece? Enjoy some tid-bits and fast facts about the infamous Don Giovanni. Don Giovanni is notable for being the first opera to incorporate the trombone in its orchestration. The character of Don Giovanni bears a striking resemblance to the infamous Venetian adventurer Giacomo Casanova, who was living in Prague during the opera’s premiere. Some speculate that Casanova’s notorious lifestyle may have influenced the portrayal of Don Giovanni. The opera was originally scheduled to premiere on October 15, 1787, in Prague but was postponed to October 29 due to Mozart needing more time to perfect the composition. Lorenzo Da Ponte, the librettist for Don Giovanni, was also...
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Oct 2, 2024
Kristine McIntyre's Noir Inspiration List
Looking to do a little research on the shadowy world of Noir before experiencing Don Giovanni? Director Kristine McIntyre has a short list of favorite films that have inspired her smoky take on Mozart's masterpiece: Out of the Past (1947) Double Indemnity (1944) D.O.A. (1950) Kiss Me Deadly (1955) The Third Man (1949)
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Oct 2, 2024
Don Giovanni Study Guide
Student Dress Rehearsal Study Guide Created as a companion to Opera Omaha’s Student Dress Rehearsal of Don Giovanni. The study guide includes information about the opera, articles about the Opera Noir, the music of Mozart, an Opera 101, guiding questions for discussion, and resources for further exploration. Download the Study Guide
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Sep 19, 2024
The Creation of Don Giovanni
Mozart's masterpiece Don Giovanni, first performed in Prague on October 29, 1787, stands as one of the most remarkable works in the history of Western music. The creation of Don Giovanni came after the tremendous success of Mozart's previous opera, The Marriage of Figaro. The theater impresario in Prague, buoyed by the reception of Figaro, commissioned Mozart for a new opera, leading to the birth of Don Giovanni. The story, with an Italian libretto by Mozart’s Figaro collaborator, Lorenzo Da Ponte, draws upon the legendary figure of Don Juan, the infamous seducer and libertine. But Mozart’s musical genius and Da Ponte’s insightful libretto turned it into something much more comple...
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Aug 28, 2024
Opera Outdoors 2024 Know Before You Go
ESPAÑOL Join us for Opera Outdoors, a free, fun, family-friendly opera concert at Turner Park Friday, September 6, 2024 | 7:00 PM (Rain date: September 7) 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 w...
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