UnShakeable | Program Book

June 5-7

UNSHAKEABLE

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UNSHAKEABLE JUNE 5-7, 2026 Letter from the General Director ���������������������������������������� 4 Board of Directors ����������������������������������������������������������������� 6 Opera Omaha Staff ���������������������������������������������������������������� 7 Major Contributors ����������������������������������������������������������������� 9 From the Composer ������������������������������������������������������������ 12 From the Director ��������������������������������������������������������������� 13 Title Page ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 14 Synopsis �������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 16 Artist Biographies ��������������������������������������������������������������� 18 Production Staff ������������������������������������������������������������������ 21 Craftsman’s Guild ���������������������������������������������������������������� 22 Opera Omaha Guild ����������������������������������������������������������� 22 Poetry & Music Project ������������������������������������������������������ 24 Holland Community Opera Fellowship �������������������������� 28 Education Programs ����������������������������������������������������������� 30 Opera Omaha Donors �������������������������������������������������������� 32 Memorials & Tributes ��������������������������������������������������������� 34 Fortissimo Society & Special Funds �������������������������������� 36 Corporate & Foundation Donors ������������������������������������ 37 Repertoire History �������������������������������������������������������������� 38 Get Involved ������������������������������������������������������������������������� 42

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FROM THE GENERAL DIRECTOR

DEAR FRIENDS: Welcome to UnShakeable, the second installment in Opera Omaha’s Family Opera Series.

Thank you for being here! Your role in this performance is very important.

Without your help, our heroes Meridian and Wyatt won’t be able to find and remember each other. Be sure to pay attention when you learn “The Wishing Star Chorus,” and be ready to sing!

Together, we explore the mystery of memory through the lens of Shakespeare.

Who and what do we remember, and why? How do we find common language when we don’t understand each other or when we are afraid?

This is Opera Omaha’s first production at the Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center, and we are grateful to be in this beautiful venue where we have enjoyed creating the world of UnShakeable with designers Steven Williams and Lora Kaup. This is a new production, which means we built it just for you.

We are also delighted to welcome the librettist of UnShakeable, Andrea Fellows Fineberg to experience the show 10 years after its premiere and to share her process with you before each performance. Thank you, Andrea, for this poignant and meaningful story that resonates with audiences of all ages.

Next year, join us for the continuation of the Family Opera Series with The Pigeon Keeper, a new opera by composer David Hanlon and librettist Stephanie Fleischman, on January 28, 29, and 30, 2027 at The Rose Theater. The Pigeon Keeper features a children’s chorus and a youth in a lead role, all from Omaha, alongside internationally known artists and the Omaha Symphony. Don’t miss it!

My first opera was at age 11 with my parents. Making opera a family experience could very well change your child’s life. Thank you for trying opera, whether this is your first or thousandth show. You are part of our region’s cultural identity, and your participation matters.

Sincerely,

Allison Swenson GENERAL DIRECTOR

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PLACE AN IMAGE FROM YOUR ORG IN THIS AREA

The Nebraska Cultural Endowment is proud to support Opera Omaha

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OPERA OMAHA

BOARD OF DIRECTORS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ADVISORS

Kiley Freeman

Linda Andersen

CHAIR

Jo Bartikoski

Barbara Person VICE CHAIR

Dr. Ali Khan

Dr. Jawed Bharwani Nicholas Bjornson

SECRETARY

Roger Blauwet

Linda Burt Rebrovic

Sandra Bruns

TREASURER

Michael Chase

Dr. Jawed Bharwani

Dr. Karen Fannin

ADVISORS CHAIR

Carrie Nath COMMUNITY PANEL REPRESENTATIVE

Nicholas Bjornson Dr. Anne Bruckner Mihaela Kobjerowski Hillary Nather-Detisch David Offutt Jane Offutt Terri Sanders Joe Spitzenberger Jara Sturdivant-Wilson Jerry Syslo Tony Vargas

EMERITUS BOARD

Betty Foster Lauren Garcia Dr. Fred Hanna Ryan Hansen Dr. Hamza Haqqi Lora Kaup Mark Allen Maser Sheila McNeill Patty Pandzik Deb Peterson Alysia Radicia Dr. Debra Reilly-Culver Dr. Jeffrey Robinson Karl Schwent Mary Ann Strasheim Jerry Syslo Dr. James Tracy

Terrence J. Ferguson

Jim Winner

Robert E. Owen

Connie Kinnear

Mary Ann Strasheim

OPERA OMAHA GUILD PRESIDENT

Chris Tombrello CRAFTSMAN’S GUILD PRESIDENT

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OPERA OMAHA STAFF

Allison Swenson GENERAL DIRECTOR

ADMINISTRATION

ENGAGEMENT

Shannon Walenta

Lauren Medici

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS & PROGRAMS

Jenny Daggett

Wendy Kaiser

FINANCE CONSULTANT

COMMUNITY OPERA FELLOWSHIP MANAGER

April Hartman

Abz Cameron

HUMAN RESOURCES CONSULTANT

HOLLAND COMMUNITY OPERA FELLOW

Cydnea Hoff

Tobias J. Garcia

OFFICE MANAGER

HOLLAND COMMUNITY OPERA FELLOW

ARTISTIC Katrina Thurman

Chloe Janae Gormley HOLLAND COMMUNITY OPERA FELLOW

Pat McEvoy

DIRECTOR OF ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATION

ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR

Trisha Berquist

Aiden James Poling

ARTISTIC OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

Josh Quinn

HOLLAND COMMUNITY OPERA FELLOW

HEAD OF MUSIC & CHORUS DIRECTOR

MARKETING

Steven White

Kyle Thomas

PRINCIPAL GUEST CONDUCTOR

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

DEVELOPMENT Joe Prickett DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Rebecca Ihnen

Rachel Austin ART DIRECTOR

Howard Coffin AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT & SALES MANAGER

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

PRODUCTION

Laura Jaros

Kate Whitecotton

DEVELOPMENT DATABASE & ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER

DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION

Tim Combs TECHNICAL DIRECTOR UNSHAKEABLE | JUNE 2026

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Everyone Deserves the Right to Healthy and Nutritious Food We are committed to giving back to the community. Our charitable giving supports organizations with high-impact programs that focus on alleviating food insecurity.

Conagra Brands Foundation is proud to invest in Omaha and its future.

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WITH GRATITUDE

FOR OUR CONTRIBUTORS Opera Omaha honors Richard D. Holland and the Holland Foundation for unyielding major support over the years and the entire Simon family and Omaha Steaks for their sustaining generosity.

With our sincere gratitude, we acknowledge the following foundations and businesses that make our programming a reality. Opera Omaha would also like to recognize the institutions and corporations that provide operating support or sponsor our community engagement programs, which are designed to educate, uplift, and enrich our community.

SEASON SPONSORS

PRODUCTION SPONSORS Giger Foundation

ARTIST SPONSORS Dr. James and Susan Tracy

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT Anonymous

Firefly Scientists Foundation Jetton Charitable Fund

Allan and Ann Mactier Charitable Foundation

Adah and Leon Millard Foundation

Whitmore Charitable Trust

GENEROUS PUBLIC SUPPORT PROVIDED BY

The Nebraska Arts Council, a state agency, has supported this program through its matching grants program funded by the Nebraska Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. Visit www.nebraskaartscouncil.org for information on how the Nebraska Arts Council can assist your organization, or how you can support the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.

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Energizing Impact Husch Blackwell proudly supports Opera Omaha’s 2025-2026 season and celebrates its ongoing mission to enrich the quality of life in our community by creating professional opera that expresses humanity’s deepest emotions and highest aspirations.

David E. Gardels | Partner david.gardels@huschblackwell.com | 402.964.5027

huschblackwell.com

Applied Underwriters is a proud supporter of Opera Omaha.

©2025 Applied Underwriters, Inc., Rated A(Excellent) by AM Best.

Insurance UNSHAKEABLE | JUNE 2026plans protected U.S. Patent No. 7,908,157.

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FROM THE

COMPOSER There is plenty of great music inspired by Shakespeare, depicting love, romance, pride, sorrow, pageantry, battle, jealousy, insanity, joy, madcap comedy, psychological exploration of power, and many more aspects of Shakespeare's brilliance. Every composer approaches Shakespeare in a different way, and each of these works, whether an opera or a tone poem, deals with a single play. UnShakeable, on the other hand, includes scenes from six different Shakespeare plays, so there are many moods and characters, and they shift quickly. I wrote it in a style that would allow the singers freedom of declamation, as actors have in a play.

In a piece about memory, it was important to distinguish musically between Meridian and Wyatt's conversations, which often reflect Meridian's confusion, and their well-rehearsed Shakespeare scenes, in which Meridian is confident and on top of her game. Andrea and I were also able to shift back and forth within the Shakespeare scenes when they blur with Meridian and Wyatt's real lives. The musical language is mostly tonal and tuneful, complex enough to be interesting and simple enough to create expectations which are sometimes met and sometimes not. This is not to frustrate the listener, but rather to keep them engaged.

Andrea was prescient to imagine a global pandemic three years before COVID. Now, it feels like she also had second sight about our current time, when people who would normally get along may have difficulty connecting with each other on ideological grounds. Our opera requires the participation of a larger community with a unified purpose to bring Meridian and Wyatt back together. Everyone singing as a community to restore a broken love may not heal the world, but it's a good start.

— Joe Illick

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FROM THE DIRECTOR My grandmother lives with dementia and hasn’t recognized me for many years. Despite the changes she has undergone, she remains unmistakably herself. She is charismatic, loves to talk about food and music, and has a mischievous streak. My son, by contrast, is two years old and only just beginning his journey of self-discovery.

He cannot articulate who he is, and yet he is undeniably himself. He is shy one moment, then fearless the next, and he is already revealing quirks and instincts that feel uniquely his own. At both ends of life, I am reminded that identity exists beyond our ability to neatly name or narrate it.

When memory or language is lacking, we do not lose ourselves altogether. We persist in fragments: sensation, instinct, and connection.

UnShakeable unfolds from this premise. After contracting a mysterious malady known as Erasure, Meridian has lost her memory and is desperately searching for anything that might help her piece together who she is. Wyatt, her former romantic partner, has spent that same time searching for her, clinging to the memory of someone who helped define his own life before the pandemic. And yet, when they finally meet again, they are strangers.

Meridian cannot remember Wyatt, and Wyatt, in turn, cannot fully recognize the person Meridian has become, even if he can glimpse fragments from her past self. Deprived of a shared understanding, they begin instead to build a shared reality through

the words of Shakespeare - the language they once shared together. In Shakespeare’s text, they find not only safety and familiarity but a framework through which to rediscover themselves and one another. The theater becomes a ritual space where words can summon memory, transform reality, and make strangers known to one another.

In this way, UnShakeable is not simply a story about memory loss, but an exploration of the construction of identity. Young people, in particular, are already engaged in the process of testing language, trying on roles and relationships, and making meaning from the fragments they gather. As I observe my family at their various stages of life, I find myself reflecting on the process I went through to figure out who I am, a process that was at times painful and disorienting.

It took years of reflection with the help of a very skilled therapist to help me understand myself and communicate who I am to others. It is also a process that remains ongoing, if significantly more peaceful these days. So as I look both backward to my grandmother and forward to my son, I am struck by the same truth: our identities are never fixed. They are assembled and reassembled over time through stories, through relationships, and through the people who reflect us back to ourselves - our own Wyatts and Meridians.

— Aria Umezawa

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UNSHAKEABLE Music by Joe Illick Libretto by Andrea Fellows Fineberg Performed in English with English supertitles

June 5, 6 & 7, 2026 Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center | Council Bluffs, Iowa First performance: Santa Fe Opera – April 9, 2016 Opera Omaha Premiere

CREATIVE

CAST

Josh Quinn

Teresa Castillo*

MUSIC DIRECTOR & PIANIST

MERIDIAN

Aria Umezawa*

Joseph Lim*

DIRECTOR

WYATT

Alicia Washington*

*Opera Omaha Debut

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Lora Kaup* COSTUME DESIGNER & WARDROBE SUPERVISOR

Steven L. Williams* SET & LIGHTING DESIGNER

Hannah Clark* PROPERTIES DESIGNER & SUPERVISOR

Joseph Lim sponsored by Dr. James and Susan Tracy The performance runs approximately 40 minutes.

The use of flash equipped cameras, audio recorders, video cameras or any other recording device during the performance is strictly prohibited.

UNSHAKEABLE

SYNOPSIS The world is still reeling from a devastating epidemic known as Erasure, a viral catastrophe that has stripped countless people of their memories.

Three years after the outbreak, society is fractured, the past is unstable, and identity itself has become uncertain.

Listen closely for lines from:

Wyatt wanders into the theater, searching the deserted building for supplies.

Hamlet

Suddenly, he encounters Meridian, an actress who has survived Erasure but at terrible cost. Much of her former life has vanished from her mind.

Meridian has made the abandoned theater her refuge and guards it fiercely against intruders.

Macbeth

Wyatt, startled by her ghostlike presence, responds in the only language that seems to bridge the distance between them, Shakespeare. Meridian answers in kind. The game begins. What begins as a wary confrontation becomes an intricate exchange of remembered scenes, roles, and fragments of performance. The theater, though ruined, briefly comes alive again as the two move through famous moments of drama, fencing with language even as they test one another’s intentions.

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As their verbal dancing continues, Wyatt realizes that Meridian is not a stranger at all. She is someone he knew and loved before Erasure shattered the world. Meridian, however, does not recognize him. She senses something familiar in him but cannot place it.

Romeo & Juliet

Their shared theatrical language creates flashes of intimacy and instinctive connection, yet each moment of closeness is shadowed by loss. Wyatt is forced to confront the painful imbalance between them. He remembers their bond, while she can feel only traces of it, like warmth from a life she can no longer see clearly.

The Taming of the Shrew

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The Tempest A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Wyatt gradually abandons playful evasion and speaks plainly about the world they inhabit. Meridian describes what Erasure has done to her: family, friendships, love, and the entire shape of her past have been swallowed into blankness. Wyatt explains that he too endured the chaos of fractured thought and nearly lost himself, but he held fast to one memory, then another, until he found a path back. For him, remembrance has been an act of survival. For Meridian, memory remains elusive, painful, and unfinished.

Believing that love may reach where reason cannot, Wyatt tries to awaken Meridian’s memory through a song tied to their past, the song of their “wishing stars.” It is more than a melody. It is a vessel of shared feeling, a thread joining their former life to the present moment. Wyatt hopes the music will restore what Erasure has stolen. For an instant, it seems possible. Meridian responds to the tune, humming along, touched by something she cannot fully explain. Yet the effort also overwhelms her.

Her mind slips again into confusion, and she begins to fracture under the strain of trying to remember what will not come.

At his breaking point, Wyatt desperately calls out to the wishing stars, pleading for their help to rekindle memory, love, and faith against the emptiness consuming Meridian’s past. Their voices join his, surrounding her with the song that once belonged to them both. Supported by Wyatt’s devotion and the chorus’s insistent remembrance, Meridian slowly begins to return. What first emerges is not a complete recovery of her history, but something more fundamental: recognition. Through the music, through tenderness, and through love’s persistence, she finds her way back to Wyatt.

Hamlet

The Tempest

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Amid ruin, performance becomes remembrance, remembrance becomes love, and love proves itself unshakeable.

WISHING STARS CHORUS

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ARTIST

BIOGRAPHIES Joe Illick

Andrea Fellows Fineberg

Joe Illick returns to Opera Omaha after last conducting The Pirates of Penzance. Mr. Illick is the Composer-in-Residence and the Music Director Emeritus at Fort Worth Opera. He has also served as the Executive and Artistic Director of Performance Santa Fe, the Artistic Director of Lake George Opera (now Opera Saratoga), the Artistic Director of Shreveport Opera, the Artistic Director of Pittsburgh Opera Theater, and the Director of Voices of Change, the new music ensemble of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. His other operas include Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl in the World, Stone Soup, Bernadette's Cozy Book Nook, Ricky, I Think That I Shall Never See (all with Mark Campbell), Feel the Tango (with Susan Westfall), Stand Up! (with Sheran Keyton), Zozobra - The Revenge (with Douglas Preston), Ralph the Rat (with Steve Aiken) and Color Planet (libretto by the composer.) He is also active as a pianist, accompanist, conductor, coach and speaker.

Andrea Fellows Fineberg makes her Opera Omaha debut with UnShakeable. Ms. Fellows Fineberg was with Santa Fe Opera over 33 years and Director of Community Engagement from 1993-2024.

Her love for the performing arts shows in her work as administrator, educator, producer, co-host for the award-winning podcast Key Change, and librettist. As librettist, she additionally collaborated with John Kennedy and Stephen Paulus. For Dayton Opera she has written dialogue for The Magic Flute and The Abduction from the Seraglio and, in 2022, premiered Finding Wright with Laura Kaminsky. As a collaborative artist she co-founded Lifesongs, writing musical narratives with individuals in hospice care. In 2024, she was named Distinguished Alumni for the University of New Mexico. She also received the City of Santa Fe Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, the Max Coll and Catherine Joyce Coll Award for Distinction in Arts Education, and served as commissioner to UNESCO and on the Obama Arts Policy Committees.

Josh Quinn

Aria Umezawa

Josh Quinn is Head of Music and Chorus Director with Opera Omaha. Previous appointments include the Music Director of the Janiec Opera Company (Brevard Music Center), Director of Opera Studies at North Park University, and vocal coach at DePaul University and Roosevelt University in Chicago. He has served on the music staff of St. Petersburg Opera, Opera Omaha, Opera Baltimore, Sioux City Symphony, and Chicago Opera Theater, where he participated in the world premieres of eight new operas. As a recital pianist, he has collaborated with artists including Anthony Roth Costanzo, Christine Goerke, Ryan Speedo Green, William Guanbo Su, and Liv Redpath. Quinn holds degrees in Vocal Performance and Collaborative Piano from New England Conservatory, and is an artist member of Music for Food, a musician-led initiative dedicated to fighting hunger in our local communities.

Aria Umezawa makes her Opera Omaha debut with UnShakeable.

Ms. Umezawa’s work evokes wonder and challenges the longestablished traditions of opera and classical music. The stage director, producer, and writer is a co-founder of Amplified Opera, the independent opera company and former Disruptor-in-Residence at the Canadian Opera Company.

Aria was the Artistic Director of Opera 5 from 2012-2017. Recent engagements include Toshio Hosokawa’s The Raven with Opera Philadelphia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Vancouver Opera, Madama Butterfly with New Orleans Opera, and a new production of L’incoronazione di Poppea with the Atelier Lyrique at l’Opéra de Montréal. An advocate for safe, equitable practices in the opera and performing arts industries, Aria is in demand as a presenter and educator. In 2018, she developed Safe to Run: Bystander Intervention Training for the Rehearsal Room with Opera McGill and the San Francisco Opera Center, and has run the workshop at opera companies across North America.

Composer

Music Director & Pianist

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Librettist

Director

Alicia Washington

Lora Kaup

Associate Director

Costume Designer & Wardrobe Supervisor

Alicia Washington makes her Opera Omaha debut in UnShakeable. Ms. Washington is an award-winning Ogden-based arts administrator and community organizer. She is the founder and co-director of Good Company Theatre, the only Black-owned and operated producing theatre in Utah. Since opening in 2012, GCT has coproduced more than 60 plays and musicals and received numerous honors, including a 2021 Utah Governor’s Mansion Artist Award. Her recent directing credits include the world premiere of The Delta King’s Blues (INseries Opera, Washington, D.C./ Baltimore) and the Utah premieres of Coach Coach and God Kinda Looks Like Tupac (GCT). Beyond her work in the performing arts, Alicia has collaborated on community-centered movements and coalitions across the Wasatch Front, including the Do Right By Marshall White campaign and Town Hall Conversations on Race. She has also served as a Victim Advocate with YCC of Ogden’s Victim Response Team, a Behavior Interventionist at Ben Lomond High School, and a board member of the ICCJ of Utah, among other roles. In 2025, Alicia was elected the first Black woman to serve on the Ogden City Council and was sworn into office in January.

Lora L. Kaup makes her Opera Omaha debut with UnShakeable.

Ms. Kaup has been a professional costume designer for over 20 years with many local theaters: Bellevue Little Theatre, Great Plains Theatre Commons, Blue Barn, Nebraska Theatre Caravan, SNAP!, Shelterbelt, and Witching Hour. In addition, she worked as an educator and costume designer at Creighton University, Iowa Western Community College, and Dana College. She also designed costumes for a Minneapolis based dance and devising company, Dance & Other Behaviors, featured in Minneapolis Fringe Festival and The Southern Theatre. She is currently an instructor and costume designer at Creighton University. She served as a volunteer with Nebraskans for the Arts, Theatre Arts Guild, Omaha Chamber's Young Professionals Council, and the Opera Omaha Guild.

Steven L. Williams

Hannah Clark

Steven L. Williams makes his Opera Omaha debut with UnShakeable. Mr. Williams is a Professor of Theatre at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and an accomplished freelance scenic, lighting, and graphic designer with more than 150 professional credits. His work has been featured at the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Nebraska Shakespeare Festival, Omaha Community Playhouse, The Rose Theater, Theatre Aspen, Heritage Repertory Theatre, Indiana University, Brown County Playhouse, and McLeod Summer Playhouse. Since 1998, he has served as Scenic Designer for Thorn Productions, creators of The Thorn, one of the largest touring church productions in the nation. He recently served as Production Designer and Theatre Consultant for the filmed, globally distributed production of The Thorn. His most meaningful work includes the design of a police investigation and training facility for Project Harmony in Omaha.

Hannah Clark makes her Opera Omaha debut with UnShakeable. Ms. Clark, MFA, works as a Professor of Theatre at Creighton University.

Hailing from Denver, Colorado, she practices storytelling and technical theatre across the Midwest. Her recent local work includes American Midwest Ballet's Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella, Shelterbelt's Stuck with Lemons and Buried Phoenix, and Great Plains Theatre Commons' Stains. A co-founding member of Old School Shakespeare Omaha, Ms. Clark has performed over 20 of the Bard's works, and aspires to discover the intersection between ancient art and modern craft, and what it can teach us about being human today.

Set & Lighting Designer

Properties Designer & Supervisor

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Teresa Castillo

Joseph Lim

Costa Rican-American soprano Teresa Castillo makes her Opera Omaha debut in UnShakeable.

Recent highlights include Amina in La sonnambula with Teatro Nuovo, a return to The Metropolitan Opera to cover the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute, Nuria in Ainadamar, and Frasquita in Carmen, and stepping in on short notice as Maria in Francesca Zambello’s production of West Side Story with Houston Grand Opera. Additional roles include Clorinda in La Cenerentola with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring with Chicago Opera Theater, and La Comtesse Adèle in Le comte Ory with Opera Southwest, and Sara Turing in the world premiere of The Life and Death(s) of Alan Turing with Chicago Opera Theater.

Korean baritone Joseph Lim makes his Opera Omaha debut in UnShakeable. Mr. Lim has been engaged by the Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Nashville Opera, Opera Carolina, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Opera Roanoke, and Opera Birmingham. He has performed at Ravinia Music Festival, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Seoul Arts Center in Korea, Grant Park Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, Palm Springs Opera Guild, Festival of the Aegean in Greece, and more. His many roles include Fiorello in Il barbiere di Siviglia, De Valvert in Cyrano de Bergerac, Thom in The Listeners, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, Wang Wu in Stuck Elevator, Le Dancaïre in Carmen, Silvio in Pagliacci, Marcello in La bohème, Papageno in The Magic Flute, Harlekin in Ariadne auf Naxos, Dr. Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, and Escamillo in Carmen.

Meridian

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UNSHAKEABLE | JUNE 2026

Wyatt

OPERA OMAHA

PRODUCTION STAFF Callista Veaughn-Payne* STAGE MANAGER

Erin McNeley-Phelps* ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER

Kenzie Jensen* PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

+IATSE Local 42 Wardrobe Services are provided by IATSE Local 831.

Nick Preston* WARDROBE ASSISTANT

Byron Farrar SUPERTITLE OPERATOR

COVERS

Opera Omaha is a member of OPERA America.

Karina Brazas MERIDIAN

*Opera Omaha Debut

Tanner Engeseth WYATT

Proud to have worked with

Opera Omaha for over 10 years!

We produce videos for

ARTS • NONPROFITS • EDUCATION • PUBLIC HEALTH UNSHAKEABLE | JUNE 2026

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Opera Omaha productions are made possible, in part, with significant support from the Craftsman’s Guild.

Cindy & Mike Baumer

Mark Kalal

Rebecca Reed

Dr. Betty Beach

Christine Lund

Margret Sexton

Ian Bugeja

Dean Manternach

Toni Shelton

Tom Burton

Julie Mead

Kent Standerford

Gina Carusi

Patty Pandzik

Janet Syslo

Kate & Chris Gannon–Tombrello

Christine & Patrick Peters

Saprina Thiesen

Bill Gaus

Hilarie Price

Leslie Vann

Melissa Gebauer

Valerie Proctor

Annika Weber

Nora Mae & John* Gibson

*Deceased

The Opera Omaha Guild is a dedicated group of individuals who actively support Opera Omaha’s fundraising, community engagement, and education programs. Members plan and promote events such as Cotillion (etiquette classes for area sixth graders), social luncheons, educational activities, opera study groups, and pre-performance parties.

If you are interested in joining the Opera Omaha Guild, please call (402) 346-7372 or visit operaomaha.org/guild for additional information. We appreciate your interest and look forward to hearing from you soon!

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Connie Kinnear PRESIDENT

Elizabeth Peters PRESIDENT ELECT

Lora Kaup PAST PRESIDENT

Mark Maser VP ENGAGEMENT

Kelly Sanford VP FUNDRAISING

Betty Foster VP MEMBERSHIP

Lisa Hagstrom COTILLION LIAISON

Vivian Davis CORRESPONDING SECRETARY

Connie Kinnear RECORDING SECRETARY

April Nebel TREASURER

GUILD STANDING COMMITTEES

AT LARGE BOARD MEMBERS

VICTORIAN TEA

Dana Carlton-Flint

Lora Kaup

SPRING LUNCHEON

Connie Kinnear

Laura Hale

COTILLION

Marilyn Martin

Lisa Hagstrom

Sherry Taxman

PATRON PARTY

Sara Young

Linda Andersen Connie Kinnear Mark Maser Deb Peterson Kelly Sanford OPENING NIGHT OVERTURES

Christina Miller NEWSLETTER

Lora Kaup

SOCIAL MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS

Lauren Garcia STUDY GROUP

Deb Peterson NE DISTRICT METROPOLITAN OPERA LAFFONT COMPETITION AUDITIONS

Mary Ellen Mulcahy 22

UNSHAKEABLE | JUNE 2026

Kathy Gross

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Now in its 9th year, the Poetry & Music Project connects student poets and their words with composers to create original music and explore the connections between poetry and music.

The Opera Omaha’s Poetry & Music Project is a statewide program run in partnership with the Nebraska Writers Collective to amplify the voices of youth poets, both urban and rural, across Nebraska and Iowa. Over the last 8 years, more than 1,000 poems have been sent to the Poetry & Music Project.

Last fall, Opera Omaha and the Nebraska Writers Collective invited Nebraska and Iowa students in grades K-12 to submit works of poetry exploring the theme of memory. Writers were asked to share memories — big and small — that made an impact on them, forever changed them, that are worth reliving, that they want to gift to others. Opera Omaha received 87 poem submissions from students across Nebraska and Iowa. Poets ranged from second graders to high school seniors, including first time poets and seasoned writers.

While there were many outstanding poems submitted to the project, in the end, project composers Sidney Marquez Boquiren and James Schroeder selected 14 poems that inspired them and created original music using the poems as lyrics. Poets and composers worked together with Opera Omaha musicians during music workshops this spring, and these original songs premiered at the Poetry & Music Concert on May 9, 2026.

All submitted poems are available in the Poetry & Music Project Book, and recordings of the songs from the concert are available online at OperaOmaha.org/Poetry.

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UNSHAKEABLE | JUNE 2026

25/26 SELECTED POEMS “Good Company”

Nora Barth

Duchesne Academy

“A World of Pure Imagination”

Adeline Olsen

Westside Middle School

“Friends Like Them”

Allison Billau

Liberty Middle School

“Making Memories”

Briana Brown

Northside Elementary School

“Saltwater Taffy (Best If Used By 2018)”

Lily (Emery) Jobst

Lincoln East High School

“A Simple Thank You”

Maren Ferguson

Platteview High School

“Little me”

Juliett Flores Fierro

Andersen Middle School

“The Simple Things”

Sophie Dudek

Papillion Middle School

“Untitled”

McKenna Songster

Platteview Senior High School

“Shadow guide”

Allison Kriz

Palmer Public School

“My Tears”

McKinley Coe

Lewis & Clark Middle School (Omaha)

“Enough Exactly as I Am”

London Krumwiede

Meridian Public Schools

“Piercing through the Dark”

Emery Lausterer

Wahoo Public High School

“A Cabin in the Woods”

Alice Tripp

Kiewit Middle School

Themes and submission details for the 26/27 Poetry & Music Project will be announced in September 2026!

OPERAOMAHA.ORG/POETRY

UNSHAKEABLE | JUNE 2026

25

MORE PERFORMANCES. MORE VENUES. MORE OPERA.

EXPLORE THE 26/27 SEASON AT OPERAOMAHA.ORG/2627

AUG 29 2026 7:00PM

Stinson Park Free

SEPT 27 2026 7:00PM

Slowdown Add On

Opera Outdoors, Opera Omaha’s FREE, family‑friendly season opener returns in a new location – Stinson Park.

Bring a blanket and a picnic and enjoy opera’s greatest hits sung by world‑class artists.

GRAMMY Award-winning baritone Will Liverman shares an intimate evening of original and classical music, featuring velvet-soft lyricism and roof-raising charisma, in a performance where word and tone meet heart and heat.

NOV 13 2026 7:30PM

JAN 28 2027 6:30PM

NOV 15 2026 2:00PM

Orpheum Theater Subscription Package

JAN 29 2027 6:30PM

JAN 30 2027 2:00PM

The Rose Theater Add On

A spark of love warms a winter of want in the world’s most beloved opera, La bohème. E. Loren Meeker’s sumptuous production of this operatic staple heightens the romance and the sting of Parisian cold as Puccini’s starving artists stir hearts with their bohemian ideals and singular hope.

A fisherman and his daughter pull a refugee boy like a fish from the Mediterranean sea. Who is this child?

How will they find him a home?

This new opera invites families to a coastal village where kindness changes destinies.

MAR 19 2027 7:30PM

APR 30 2027 7:30PM

MAR 21 2027 2:00PM

Orpheum Theater Subscription Package

What happens when an opera company and a comedy troupe are spontaneously forced to perform together?

Opera Omaha’s first-ever opera by Richard Strauss features hilarity and poignance in a backstage battle of art and ego.

Holland Performing Arts Center Subscription Package

As part of their 3-stop US tour, The English Concert presents the rarely performed Handel opera, Alessandro.

Savor authentic Baroque opera with vocal fireworks, unparalleled musicianship, and a love triangle of Greek proportions.

SUPPORTING GIRLS' CREATIVITY IN THE COMMUNITY Girls Inc. has been inspiring girls in Omaha to be strong, smart, and bold for decades.

Through a variety of programs and services, they build leadership in elementary school through high school aged girls. Over the past several seasons, the Holland Community Opera Fellowship and Girls Inc. have collaborated to support the strength, creativity, and unique expression of girls attending both the Katherine Fletcher Center in North Omaha and the Emma Lozier Center in South Omaha. Community based workshops have focused on exposing the girls to the music, words, drama, visual art, and movement of opera while developing social emotional skills like managing emotions, showing respect for others, and building strong peer relationships.

RECENT WORKSHOPS INCLUDED • Examining characters and developing original puppets that represent how they see themselves. Girls showed off their puppet creations and shared their unique hairstyle, clothing, and accessory features!

• Making connections between emotions and colors. Girls thought critically about what colors they would give to basic emotions and how those colors create mood.

• Using mini stages to visualize a scene and imagine how characters might move together. Girls were challenged to think about how a character might stand, dance, jump, and make use of space.

• Creating a collaborative piece of visual art that required girls to communicate openly and work together toward a shared vision.

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UNSHAKEABLE | JUNE 2026

ELEMENTS OF OPERA

WORDS

MUSIC

MOVEMENT

DRAMA

ART

25/26 COMMUNITY PARTNERS The Holland Community Opera Fellowship creates responsive programming that acknowledges the strengths of each participating individual and community partner.

Sarpy County Juvenile Justice Center

FIND MORE INFORMATION AT OPERAOMAHA.ORG/HCOF UNSHAKEABLE | JUNE 2026

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OPERA OMAHA

EDUCATION PROGRAMS

OPERA OMAHA EDUCATION PROGRAMS Each year, Opera Omaha education programs serve over 2,000 students from early childhood to graduate school level at more than 75 partner schools and universities.

STUDENT DRESS REHEARSALS Student Dress Rehearsals are an immersive way for students to go beyond an ordinary field trip to get an intimate experience with the opera. This FREE program offers a rare opportunity for students to see the show before the public does and without a large crowd for a more personal and meaningful experience.

ARTIST VISITS AND MASTERCLASSES Each season, Opera Omaha brings guest opera artists from our productions to classrooms and community partners across the city. Each artist visit is tailored to the needs of teachers and students to create a meaningful opera learning experience and may include short performances, a masterclass, workshop, or Q&A.

OPERA 360 This immersive program takes the Student Dress Rehearsal experience and expands it for groups that want to learn more about the artisans that operate behind the scenes. Students get a backstage tour and speak directly with opera professionals, exploring areas such as costume design, hair and makeup, stage management,

directing, and conducting. These conversations give students extra insight into the careers available within opera, allowing them to ask questions and expand their aspirations for future involvement in opera production.

POETRY & MUSIC PROJECT The Opera Omaha Poetry & Music Project is a statewide program run in partnership with the Nebraska Writers Collective to amplify the voices of youth poets, both urban and rural, across Nebraska and Iowa. The project connects student poets and their words with professional composers to create original music and explore connections between poetry and music.

STUDENT RUSH TICKETS All students may take advantage of $10 rush tickets to Opera Omaha performances! One hour prior to performances, students can receive up to two tickets with a valid student ID. If you are bringing 10 or more students to an Opera Omaha production, you can take advantage of group student rush tickets. Call Howard Coffin at (402) 346-7372 x2 for more details.

TO LEARN MORE VISIT OPERAOMAHA.ORG/EDUCATION 30

UNSHAKEABLE | JUNE 2026

YOUR CITY’S STORY. YOUR STATE’S SPIRIT. Subscribe

The definitive story of your city, and the soul of your state.

Omaha Magazine and The Good Life Network are combining forces.

Get the award-winning magazine that defines Omaha, plus the new streaming network that captures the spirit of all Nebraska.

Both for just $7/month.

Subscribe

UNSHAKEABLE | JUNE 2026

31

OPERA OMAHA

DONORS We are immensely grateful for our incredible community of supporters. Through their remarkable generosity in support of Opera Omaha’s Annual Fund, our donors empower us to produce world-class opera and deliver groundbreaking, free community engagement and education programming for the tens of thousands of audience members, artists, and neighbors we serve.

This listing reflects gifts received between November 15, 2024-April 15, 2026.

CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE

$100,000+

Steve Menzies Mary and Richard* Parrish Julie M. Schroeder J. Allen Soderlund Irrevocable Trust Donald Wurster

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE $50,000- $99,999

Jane and David Offutt Robert E. Owen Linda Burt Rebrovic and John Rebrovic The Carl Rohman Trust Todd Simon Annette and Paul Smith Donna and Coyner* Smith Kate and Roger Weitz

PRODUCER $25,000-$49,999

Cindy and Mogens Bay Kyoko and Jonathan Fuller Polina and Bob Schlott Kara and Joe Spitzenberger

BACKER

$10,000-$24,999

Anonymous Sara and Jawed Bharwani Roger Blauwet Barbara Person and Scott Burger Frances and David Ertel Catherine and Terry Ferguson Betty Foster Jerry C. Gose Vivian and Allen Hager Vicki and David Krecek Janet and H. Frederick Kuehl

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UNSHAKEABLE | JUNE 2026

Susan F. Morris Sharee and Murray Newman Silvia Greene Roffman Constance Ryan Janet and Jerry Syslo Gail and Irving Veitzer Katie Weitz, PhD and Tim Wilson Jo Bartikoski and Don Westling Gail and Michael* Yanney Charese E. Yanney

BENEFACTOR $5,000-$9,999

Anonymous Dr. Betty L. Beach Devin J. Fox, MD and Rob Block Anne and Robert Bothe Dr. Anne and Stephen Bruckner Sandi and Bill Bruns Tina and John Cherica Anna-Karin and David* Dillard Carol E. and David A. Domina Linda and David Gardels Belle and Ryan Hansen Vernie and Carter Jones Ruth Keene Dr. Ali Khan Mihaela and Brett Kobjerowski Joanne and David Kolenda Ann and Paul O'Hara Rita and Donald Otis Deb and Eric Peterson Pauline Quinn Jacqueline Sorrels and Alex Ritter Ava and Bruce Ross Jill Slupe and Kerry Finnegan Marika and Peter Stone Mary Ann Strasheim Dr. and Mrs. James Tracy

GUARDIAN $3,500-$4,999

Linda Matson Andersen Mark Maser and Paul Ledwon

Sheila McNeill Connie Osborne Mary Beth and James Winner

SUSTAINER $1,500-$3,499

Laura and Bryan Alexander Sidney Marquez Boquiren Dr. Samuel Cohen Eleanor Shirley and Dan Cox Debra Reilly-Culver and Robert Culver, Jr. Jennifer and James Davenport Hillary Nather-Detisch and John R. Detisch Dawn and Sid Dinsdale Kate and Chris GannonTombrello Leslie Garth Judy and George Haecker, Jr. Carol and James Healy Tim Held and Jay Worden Susan Thomas and Steven Hutchinson Mary Jetton Ruth Ann Keene Mr. Alfred G. Kelley Wade Leak and Jay Yost Marilyn and Robert Martin Mrs. Sharon McGill Matthew Messner and Neil Sechan Karen and Larry Nelsen Elizabeth and Jerry Powell Lora Kaup and Michael Pray Dr. Jeffrey A. Robinson, M.D. Sarah Billinghurst Solomon Anne Stoddard Dr. Terry Tomcsik Anne and Arnold Weitz

PATRON

$750-$1,499

Eileen and Timothy Arkebauer Yoko and Tom Arthur Bridget Barron Natalie and Chris Bartling Joshua Bassan

Samuel Bierner and Joseph Pinson Ashley Shickell and Nicholas Bjornson Teri and David Black Ann and David Burkholder Murray Joseph Casey Jesse Espinosa Bev and Dick Fellman Hal France Bill L. Gaus John Green Sarah Baker Hansen and Matthew Hansen Jane and Edward Hawks Stanton and Julia Hoppe Joachim Voss and Don Horn Anne Marie Hubbard Jeffrey Johnston Connie and John Kinnear Molly Burns and Thomas Klein Stacy and Jay Kozisek Susan and Alan Langnas Deana Liddy Timothy Markel Dr. Linda Matson and Mr. Michael Howland Karen and Paul Mullen Kevin Murray Stephen Osberg Polly and Frank Partsch Jessica and Dennis Pate Alysia Radicia Greta Vaught and John Ritland Kelly and Mark Sanford Donald Slaughter Sherry and Jeff Taxman Kiley and James Thiele Shannon and Michael Walenta Paula Wallace Verne Weber Ann and John Williamson Laura Wilwerding Brad Woolbright Melanie and John Wright Patricia Wright Shirley Young *Deceased

ADVOCATE $300-$749

Anonymous (2) Kelli and Brian Bello Ang Bennett Mayrene Bentley Jerry Brabec Kathleen Joan Bradley Nancy Ward and Toby Bright Bill Brosius Melanie and Jeffrey Chapman Joan and Don Cimpl Mary and Hal Daub Linda and Tim* Daugherty Rosemary J. Pauley and Timothy F. Daugherty Spencer and Vivian Davis Carolyn and David Diamond Kathleen Doak Pyper Mark Draper Karla Ermel Karen and Richard Everett Mary and Ronald Ferdig Abigail Kutlas-Prickett and Joseph Prickett Autumn Foland Tamara and Thomas Foley Elizabeth and John Fullerton Cathy and Guy Gronquist Joan Squires and Dan Hamann Marilyn Schooley Hansen Allison Hardy April Hartman Katrina Thurman and Robert Hawkey Andrea and Donald Fineberg Shari Hofschire Annette and Steven Huff Susan and Craig Ihnen Susan Rae Jensen Donna and James Kalar Mary and Tom Kerr Marilyn and Mark Kirchhoff Barbara and Marshall Kushner Ronna and Joseph Kutlas Julie and Joseph Lecci Lourdes Secola and Sheldon Lerner Stephanie Liekhus Kathleen and John Lohr Christine Lund Peter Lundberg Meredith Fuller and James Luyten Bruce McKeefry and Geoffrey Yeomans Dorothy* and Daniel McKinney Ann Jansen Michelson and Brent Michelson Cindy Miserez

Donald Moran Jessica Olsen Mary Helms and Kenneth Olson H. Margo Prentiss Mary Fieber Lisa and Dan Prickett Cynthia and David Rector Tom Richter David Sampson Terri Sanders Callie and Karl Schwent Joan and Charles Shapiro Janelle Siffring Sissy Katelman Silber Jara and Kenley SturdivantWilson Jillian Tuck Pia Ulrich Patricia Victor Sarah Watson James Wink Mary* and Anthony Yonkers Sara and John Young

FRIEND $1-$299

Anonymous Gay and Steve Abraham Demetrio Aguila Cindy and Rod Anderson Tim Anderson Cheryl Arends Ronald and Maria Bailey Susan Baumert Erna Beach Richard Berkland Shana Bernache Laila Berre Duane Bier Eric Bildt Dawn Ann Boll Trevor Borton Lyn and Stephen Bouma Olivia and Jeff Brockman Christina and Dale Broekemeier Stanford Brown Janice and Mario Buda Janet* and Donald Bumgarner William Bunderson Michael Bykerk Ann Caldwell Deborah Cameron Karen and David Campbell Joan Desens and Simon CarrEllison Alexander Cayetano Amy Cerra Felicia Cervantes

Edward Chaperon Susan Chenoweth Christine and Bob Chilcoat Jeannine Christensen Donna Christian Julie Clawson Tiffiny Clifton Andrew and Mary Helen Cockle Diane and Howard Coffin Alec Colgan Deborah Cooper Caitlin Copenhaver Denise Cotton Carmelita Cox Kris Vikmanis and Denny Creighton Eileen Crinklaw Ms. Celann LaGreca and Dr. Timothy J. Crowley Donna Dahlsten Sarah Davis Andrea Deer Susan and Stephen Dolezal Trudy Eblen Amy and Matthew Epp Allison Evans Michael Faust Sarah Marie Ferneding Andrew Frost Mollie and Terry Foster Sandra Franklin Danie and Steven Frazee Morgann Freeman Karen Gahl-Mills Daniel Gallagher and Jeffrey Grinnell Judith Gannon Rose Glock Cheryl Goodrich Mary Green Jan Grimes Natasha Gromak M. Kathlyn and R. Michael Gross EmmaRose Grothaus Andi Grubb Carol and Peter Gwilt Hamza Haqqi Ellen Hargus Melanie Hartman Dr. Gerald Christensen* and Ms. Mary Clare Haven Mary Jo Havlicek Lisa Hawk Cheryl and Joe Hazel Anne Hellbusch Holly Herman Kasey Hesse Mary Hewitt

Megan Hilger Marilyn Hoegemeyer Margaret Horvath Ann and Don Hosford Nikolas Huffman Megan Hunt Bonnie and David Jaros Anita Jaynes Gayle and Marlin Jeffers Marti Baumert and Richard Jeffrey Vibeke Jensen Debra and Byron Jensen John Johnson Barbara Johnston Alice Jorgensen Neil Jouvenat Madison Kaulfuss Sandra and Jon Kayne Viktor Khanzhyn Julia Kleinschmit Geri Knight Wende and John Kotouc Mary J. Krance Candida Kraska Mike Kreikemeier Adam Kucirek Barbara Kuhn Robert Kuzelka Heike and Adam Langdon Mathew Leaf Alison Lee Elaine Leise Patricia and Edmund Leslie Cindy Rickard and Derek Leslie Donna and Mark Lett Ka'ai and Rob Li Sherryl and Hiram Lilley Douglas Little Lori Liu Billie D. Logan Lorraine Beadell and Greg Love Cedric Ludlow Kathryn and William Lydiatt Charles MacKay Jodie and William Mackintosh Monika and Terry Maides Heidi Malowski Thomas Manning Karla* and John Marburger Karen and Michael Markey Eric Martens Dr. Cliff Mason Amy Mather Molly Mattingly Cyndi and Wayne Mattson Catherine and Marcus Maydew Susan and Michael McGillick Linda and Terry McClain

*Deceased

UNSHAKEABLE | JUNE 2026

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Catherine Biddulph and Keith McClure Theresa McCrackine Jackie McLellan Susan and John McMannama Christine and Jim Medici Bill Miskell Tom Murnan April and Jonathan Nebel Ann Nelson Jon Nelson and Jerry Tyrrell Diana Nevins Shawn and John Newman Dawn and John Nielsen Patricia and Anthony Nogg Robert Nordt Neil O'Donnell Kathleen and Louis O'Konski Duane Ostlund Sean Otterberg Erin Owen Pablo Pacheco Mike Pape Diane and Robert Peabody Christopher B. Pedersen Lois Pesek Margery Radek Pope Kathleen Pyper James Pyrzynski Jacqueline Quigley Silva Raker Tina Ray Toni Reese Kate and James Ritter Victoria and Edward Roche Jheam Rodriguez Britt Roeder Dr. Debra J. Romberger Kathleen Crawford-Rose and Robert Rose Alexis Rothenberg Diana Roucka Courtney Rudick Lee Emma Running Rev. David Rykwalder Marissa Sanford Barbara and Daniel Scanlan Scott Schroetlin Mr. Ray Schueneman and Mrs. Libby Murphy Michelle and Brett Scollard Susan and Craig Seamands Margret Sexton Kay M. Shilling, M.D. Tom Simmons Ellen and Richard Slosburg Shannon and John Slowiaczek

Alexia Kniska and Bo Smith Kim Smith-Ferguson Neil Solomon Leslie Kuhnel and James Somers Kim Sosin Stacy Spale Eric Spruth-Janssen Dr. Sandra Kay Squires Tami Steensma Glenda and George Steinsberger Joe Stubler Mary A. Sturek Karen and Robert Sundell Allison and Hunter Swenson Ginger Talbot Melani Torrez Gina Tranisi Mitch Treu Maureen and Steven Turner Barbara Van Dyke Ann Stephens and John Vasiliades Jaymi and Jaymi Victor Trilety Wade Carolyn Weber Annika and Allen Weber Kevin Wetzel Mathew Whitlock Melanie and Nicholas Wilwerding Patricia Wise Kathleen Wittbrot Sarah Woodhouse Edith and Robert Zahniser Inna Zevakina Melissa Zierke Michael Zimmerman Matthew Zwick

OPERA OMAHA

MEMORIALS & TRIBUTES Donors who made gifts to the Annual Fund in honor or in memory of a loved one are recognized below.

This listing reflects gifts received between November 15, 2024April 15, 2026.

IN MEMORY OF: GLORIA DINSDALE Linda Andersen

JOHN GIBSON Hal France Bill Gaus Kathleen Pyper

CONNIE HEIDEN KAMMANDEL

Cindy and Rod Anderson Linda Matson Andersen Cindy and Mogens Bay Anne and Robert Bothe Dr. Anne and Stephen Bruckner Sandi and Bill Bruns Andrew and Mary Helen Cockle Cheryl Goodrich Kathy and Michael Gross Annette and Steven Huff Ruth Keene Mary and Thomas Kerr Jodie Mackintosh Timothy Markel Susan and John McMannama Marilyn and Robert Martin Susan and Michael McGillick Bill Miskell Mary Ellen Mulcahy Jessica and Dennis Pate Barbara and Daniel Scanlan Ellen and Richard Slosburg Shannon and John Slowiaczek Mary Ann Strasheim Karen and Robert Sundell Maureen and Steven Turner Mary Beth and James Winner

JOHN HUTZLER

Christine and Jim Medici

JODY KERSSENBROCK Dr. Sandra Kay Squires

MR. AND MRS. BILLIE F. LOGAN Billie D. Logan

JANET MCCRAE

Elizabeth and John Fulller

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UNSHAKEABLE | JUNE 2026

RICHARD PARRISH

Linda Andersen Cindy and Mogens Bay Kelli and Brian Bello Richard Berkland Sara and Jawed Bharwani Duane Bier Jeannine and Dale Christensen Sarah Davis Tamara and Tom Foley Polly Goecke Kathy and Michael Gross Janet and H. Frederick Kuehl Patricia and Edmund Leslie Deana F. Liddy Linda and Terry McClain Mary Ellen Mulcahy Duane Ostlund Jacqueline Quigley Diana and Steve Roucka Dawn Suing Joan Swahn Mary Ann Strasheim Allison and Hunter Swenson The Des Moines Opera Shannon and Michael Walenta Mary Beth and James Winner

THOMPSON ROGERS

Rebecca Noble and Keith Allerton Tom Chandler and William Schaffer Dr. Debra Reilly-Culver and Robert Culver Sandy and Paul Epstein Mike Klug Mark Maser and Paul Ledwon Sharon L. McGill Dorothy Davis Morrow and Jim Morrow Mary Ellen Mulcahy Jean Ann Ballinger and Ward Peters Pauline Quinn Dr. Greg Sutton Shannon and Michael Walenta

ALICE ROTERT

HAL FRANCE

RICHARD (DICK) SERPAN

CATHERINE AND TERRY FERGUSON

Marilyn Hansen Joanne and David Kolenda Mary Jetton Mary Ellen Mulcahy Mike Pape Margery Radek Pope Annika and Allen Weber

JANET SIFFRING Janelle Siffring

DR. MICHAEL SORRELL Mary Ellen Mulcahy

ELOUISE SQUIRES Dr. Sandra Kay Squires

Lourdes Secola and Sheldon Lerner

Joanne and David Kolenda

NADIA AND NABEEL HAKKI Mahjabeen and Samin Hakki

MALLORY HAYS Howard Coffin

REBECCA IHNEN

Lourdes Secola and Sheldon Lerner

DR. ALI KHAN

Dr. Anne Marie Hubbard

Gina Tranisi

Joanne and David Kolenda Wendy Wiseman

RAYMOND VONDRAK

MARK MASER AND PAUL LEDWON

BROTHER WILLIAM WOEGER

Bill Gaus Opera Omaha Craftsman’s Guild

IN HONOR OF: LINDA ANDERSEN’S BIRTHDAY

Anne Hellbusch

DR. BETTY BEACH Bill Gaus

SANDI BRUNS

MARY AND RICHARD* PARRISH Dr. Betty Beach, Ph.D. Barbara Johnston

BRUCE CHEMEL

JAMES PYRZYNSKI Bill Gaus

HOWARD COFFIN

JOSH QUINN

CAROL DOMINA’S BIRTHDAY

*Deceased

Kelli and Brian Bello

Ann Caldwell

Patrick Galvin

Heider Family Foundation Constance Ryan The Walter Scott Family Foundation

MARY PARRISH

Allison and Hunter Swenson

CAROL DOMINA

GAIL AND MIKE* YANNEY

Mary Beth and James Winner

Helen Burns Susan Estep Linda Lynch Monika and Terry Maides

Joan Desens and Simon Carr-Ellison Connor Howard Ann Meschery Caitlin Volz

Pia Ulrich

COURTNEY LORE PERSON AND BARRY RUBIN

DEB PETERSON’S RETIREMENT

CAROL AND DAVID DOMINA

ALOYSIUS VANDERSLICE III

MARY ELLEN MULCAHY

SCOTT BURGER AND BARBARA PERSON

Lourdes Secola and Sheldon Lerner

Charles MacKay Brad Woolbright

Joanne and David Kolenda

CHARLES PIGOTT

SCOTT BURGER’S BIRTHDAY

ALLISON AND HUNTER SWENSON

Libby Murphy and Ray Schueneman

Joanne and David Kolenda

Joseph Pinson and Samuel Bierner

Connor Howard Neil Sechan and Matthew Messner Caitlin Volz

MARK MASER

PAUL TRANISI

Mark Maser and Paul Ledwon

ALLISON SWENSON

Bill Gaus

LINDA BURT REBROVIC

Jessica and Dennis Pate

LINDA BURT REBROVIC AND JOHN REBROVIC Carolyn and David Diamond Mr. and Mrs. Tom Kerr

KELLY AND MARK SANFORD Marissa and Mitchell Sanford

Joan Desens and Simon Carr-Ellison

UNSHAKEABLE | JUNE 2026

35

A tangible legacy – investment in the future of both Opera and Omaha Members of Opera Omaha’s Fortissimo Society have made arrangements to support Opera Omaha and its innovative role in the cultural vibrancy of our region for generations to come. By establishing bequests, gifts of life insurance, IRAs, trusts, and other estate plans, Fortissimo Society members demonstrate their commitment to the transformative power of opera in our community. Their legacies are tangible investments in our cutting-edge, human-centered work that is leading and redefining the future of opera.

We proudly and gratefully acknowledge our Fortissimo Society members: Peppy* and Norman* Bahr Jo Bartikoski and Don Westling Sara and Jawed Bharwani Betty L. Beach, PhD Kathleen Joan Bradley Sandra L.E. and William C. Bruns Dr. Debra Reilly-Culver and Bob Culver Carol L. Dworak* Ike and Roz Friedman Foundation Linda and David Gardels Bill Gaus Geof* Heiden and Connie Heiden Kammandel* Mary* and Charles* Heider Mary* and Richard* D. Holland Aline Hosman* Sally and Gary* Kaplan Joanne and David Kolenda Graham Lusk* Ann* and Allan* Mactier

Constance B. Meunier* Sharee and Murray Newman Ephraim L. Marks* and David M. Rice* Mark Allen Maser Joan F.* and Richard* L. O’Brien Ann and Paul O'Hara Mr. and Mrs.* Robert E. Owen Rev. David Pace Mary and Richard* Parrish Thompson H. Rogers* Jane and Carl* Rohman Ruth and William* Scott Eve and Fred* Simon Dr. and Mrs. Michael* and Shirley Sorrell Dr. Judith Stoewe* Mary Ann and Jerrold* Strasheim Janet and Jerry Syslo Bruni and Roy* Thylin Mary Beth and James Winner

We are grateful to the following individuals who designated a portion of their estate to support Opera Omaha, upon their passing.

Rabbi Myer S.* and Dorothy Kripke* Pauline D. Nelson* Howard B. Silberg* J. Allen Soderlund* Margaret Wiltse* Annie F. Zinn*

SPECIAL FUNDS We thank the donors who have established restricted funds to honor a family, friend, and loved one. These named funds provide important ongoing support through Opera Omaha’s endowment.

The Barbara Willson Fund The Jane Hill Education Fund The William Randolph Hearst Fund

For more information about ways to give, sample language for bequests, or to inform us of your inclusion of Opera Omaha in your estate plans, please reach Joe Prickett, Director of Development at (402) 346-7372 or jprickett@operaomaha.org. *Deceased

OPERA OMAHA

CORPORATE, FOUNDATION & GOVERNMENT DONORS CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE

BACKER

ADVOCATE

Anonymous Applied Underwriters, Inc. Douglas County Board of Commissioners Fred and Eve Simon Charitable Foundation Holland Foundation Omaha Steaks/Simon Legacy Ventures LLC. Weitz Family Foundation

Adah and Leon Millard Foundation Americans for the Arts Baxter Conagra Brands Foundation HDR, Inc. Hearst Foundations Kiewit Mutual of Omaha Opera Omaha Craftsman's Guild Opera Omaha Guild Owen Foundation Union Pacific Corporation

Backer Family Charitable Trust Baird Foundation Inc. Edward and Lida Robinson Charitable Trust Fraser Stryker Heritage Omaha Humanities Nebraska Husch Blackwell LLP Lincoln Financial Foundation, Inc. Paypal Giving Fund Strauss Charitable Fund The Flatiron Luthier Cooperative The Fred and Sally Bekins Foundation

$100,000+

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE $50,000-$99,000

Anonymous FNBO National Endowment for the Arts Nebraska Cultural Endowment Peter Kiewit Foundation

PRODUCER

$25,000-$49,999

Anonymous Allan and Ann Mactier Charitable Foundation Heider Family Foundation Nebraska Arts Council Omaha Magazine Sherwood Foundation University of Nebraska Medical Center Valmont Industries, Inc.

$10,000-$24,999

$1-$4,999

BENEFACTOR $5,000-$9,999

CL Werner Foundation Giger Foundation Koley Jessen P.C., LLC Security National Bank The FS Foundation Inc University of Nebraska Foundation University of Nebraska Omaha Walter Scott Family Foundation Whitmore Charitable Trust

UNSHAKEABLE | JUNE 2026

37

OPERA OMAHA

REPERTOIRE HISTORY 1958-59

Madama Butterfly Tosca Oklahoma!

Hansel and Gretel

1959-60

Carousel Pagliacci/Quivera

1960-61

1971-72

Rigoletto The Tales of Hoffmann

1972-73

Madama Butterfly Romeo and Juliet Un Ballo in Maschera

1973-74

Die Fledermaus La traviata

Tosca The Marriage of Figaro The Elixir of Love

1961-62

1974-75

The Merry Widow La bohème

1962-63

Carmen La Périchole

1963-64

Aida The Barber of Seville

1964-65

Lucia di Lammermoor The Marriage of Figaro

1965-66

Rigoletto Madama Butterfly

La bohème Lucia di Lammermoor La Périchole

1975-76

1969-70

Faust Cavalleria Rusticana/ Pagliacci

1970-71

Aida Die Fledermaus

1977-78

The Barber of Seville Werther La bohème

1979-80

Die Fledermaus* La traviata* The Pirates of Penzance

1980-81

Così fan tutte Susannah Rigoletto

1981-82

The Daughter of the Regiment Carmen The Magic Flute

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UNSHAKEABLE | JUNE 2026

1984-85

Tosca Falstaff Gianni Schicchi/Pagliacci

1985-86

Turandot Lucia di Lammermoor The Marriage of Figaro

1987-88

Aida The Merry Widow Don Pasquale Don Giovanni

1978-79

La traviata Carmen

Aida* The Tales of Hoffmann Don Giovanni

1976-77

1967-68

1968-69

1983-84

1986-87

Il Trovatore The Ballad of Baby Doe Tosca La bohème

Don Pasquale Faust Madama Butterfly

La traviata Manon Bilby’s Doll The Barber of Seville

Madama Butterfly The Abduction from the Seraglio* The Bartered Bride

1966-67

1982-83

La traviata The Barber of Seville Porgy and Bess The Turn of the Screw* The Juniper Tree* Where’s Dick?

Amahl & the Night Visitors* Carmen La bohème

1988-89

Oklahoma!

Partenope+ The Diary of One Who Vanished White Rose A Celebration of Bel Canto Rigoletto Manon

1989-90

Plácido Domingo in Concert Show Boat Madama Butterfly Romeo and Juliet*

1990-91

Carousel Angelina Reaux in “Stranger Here Myself” Maria Padilla+ The Golem+ Il Trovatore* The Magic Flute

1991-92

My Fair Lady Tosca Don Giovanni*

1992-93

Ermione+ The Gardens of Adonis*** Autumn Valentine*** Eugene Onegin* The Flying Dutchman

1993-94

Vive Toulouse!

Requiem Variations*** Fidelio The Pirates of Penzance

1994-95

The Merry Widow La traviata Carmen

1995-96

The Daughter of the Regiment* Turandot The Barber of Seville

1996-97

Così fan tutte* La bohème Faust

1997-98

Don Pasquale Madama Butterfly La Cenerentola Opera Omaha 40

1998-99

Eric Hermannson’s Soul***† Aida The Marriage of Figaro

1999-00

2008-09

Samuel Ramey in “A Date with the Devil” Samson et Dalila Tosca*

The Blizzard Voices***† The Pirates of Penzance La bohème

2000-01

Amahl & the Night Visitors* Carmina Burana/Pagliacci Falstaff Man of La Mancha

Night for American Song Pagliacci Brundibár The Marriage of Figaro So in Love with Broadway*

2001-02

2010-11

All-American! Concert Amahl & the Night Visitors Otello Little Women Don Giovanni

2002-03

Richard Rodgers’ America Concert Carmen The Turn of the Screw* H.M.S. Pinafore Bloodlines***†

2003-04

La bohème Lucia di Lammermoor Cold Sassy Tree*

2004-05

The Threepenny Opera* The Tender Land* Dream of the Pacific***† Turandot La traviata

2005-06

Paul Bunyan Madama Butterfly* The Abduction from theSeraglio*

2006-07

Tosca Wakonda’s Dream***† The Barber of Seville

2007-08

All The King’s Men* The Tragedy of Carmen* Aida*

2009-10

Opera for the Cure* Don Giovanni Madama Butterfly

2011-12

This is Opera!* Hansel and Gretel* The Marriage Contract* The Mikado

2012-13

La traviata The Magic Flute* Bluebeard’s Castle*

2013-14

Opera Outdoors* Carmen Agrippina* La Cenerentola

2014-15

Opera Outdoors* Rigoletto* A Flowering Tree* Fidelio

2015-16

Opera Outdoors* The Barber of Seville La fanciulla del West Semele*

2016-17

Opera Outdoors* La bohème Così fan tutte* Flight* Stranger from Paradise***†

2017-18

Opera Outdoors* Tosca* Falstaff* Medea* Proving Up*† ONE Festival***

2018-19

2023-24

Opera Outdoors* Don Pasquale El Niño: Nativity Reconsidered La traviata El último sueño de Frida y Diego

2024-25

Opera Outdoors* Pagliacci The Elixir of Love Les Enfants terribles* Faust*+ ONE Festival***

Opera Outdoors* Don Giovanni The Rake's Progress Giulio Cesare Fantastic Mr. Fox*

2019-20

2025-26

Opera Outdoors* Madama Butterfly The Abduction from the Seraglio

2020-21

Opera Outdoors Broadcast dwb++ Miranda++ MODULATION++ Concert with the Omaha Symphony: Bizet, Mahler and Chausson Opera Under the Stars* La boheme++

Opera Outdoors* The Barber of Seville Susannah Hercules Bluebeard's Castle* UnShakeable*

* New production + American Premiere *** World Premiere † Commissioned Work ++ Film/Digital Premiere

2021-22

Opera Outdoors* The Capulets and the Montagues* Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street* Eugene Onegin*

2022-23

Opera Outdoors* X, The Life and Times of Malcolm X* Suor Angelica The Marriage of Figaro

DON PASQUALE | OCTOBER 2023

39

MONARCH

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The Art of Culinary Before or After The Performance

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opens March 2026 o-pa.org/Tenaska

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41

OPERA OMAHA

GET INVOLVED Without the dedication and perseverance of outstanding volunteers and support groups, our productions would not be as beautiful, our bottom line would not be as sound, and our sense of community would not be as strong. For these, and many other reasons, we extend a heartfelt thank you to the following organizations.

We invite you to get involved and become a volunteer or member of one of our support groups. For more information about the following opportunities, please visit: operaomaha.org/get-involved or email opera@operaomaha.org.

OPERA OMAHA GUILD

VOLUNTEERS

The Opera Omaha Guild is a dedicated group of individuals who actively support Opera Omaha’s fundraising and community engagement and education activities.

Members plan and promote events such as Cotillion (etiquette classes for area sixth graders), social luncheons, educational activities, opera study groups and pre-performance parties.

If you are interested in joining the Opera Omaha Guild please call us at (402) 346-7372 or visit our website for additional information.

Volunteers help Opera Omaha complete essential tasks like assisting with community events, ushering at concerts, or providing additional office support. It is clear without their help, Opera Omaha would not be able to bring world class opera to Omaha stages or the community.

Students can also fulfill required community service hours for groups like National Honor Society by volunteering with Opera Omaha.

For more information, please fill out the inquiry form at shareomaha.org/ nonprofit/opera-omaha.

CRAFTSMAN’S GUILD Integral to Opera Omaha’s success since 1962, the Craftsman’s Guild members donate stagecraft skills in the areas of wardrobe, makeup/wigs, concessions, and parties. Focused on meeting the backstage needs of guest artists and the production, members enjoy the camaraderie and reward of helping to create top notch performances for the Omaha community.

SUPERNUMERARIES

OPERA OMAHA CHORUS The Opera Omaha Chorus is comprised of professionally trained singers from Omaha, Lincoln and surrounding communities. Please contact the company for the next audition date. Prospective candidates will be assigned a time slot and asked to present two selections; one in a foreign language, one in English, and neither selection can exceed five minutes in total. Arias, art songs, or church solos are all acceptable as audition pieces. Please provide printed music for the accompanist, who will be available at no cost.

Supernumeraries appear on stage in non-speaking, non-singing roles, much like being an extra in a movie.

Being a “super” takes some time and patience, but is a lot of fun and a great learning experience. Super roles are varied but might include servants, soldiers, peasants, priests and priestesses, dancers, bartenders, waiters, ragamuffins, pickpockets, and sometimes even animals! All ages, including children, are needed.

ADVERTISING For Opera Omaha program book advertising, please contact: Kyle Thomas Director of Marketing and Communication 402.346.7372 X300 kthomas@operaomaha.org 42

UNSHAKEABLE | JUNE 2026

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