Opera Omaha is an opera

Opera

Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...

 company in Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...

. It is well known for premiering Wakonda's Dream

Wakonda's Dream

Wakonda's Dream is an English-language opera written by Anthony Davis with a libretto by Yusef Komunyakaa. It premiered March 7, 2007 at Omaha, Nebraska's Orpheum...

, a contemporary opera about Native Americans

Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

 set in the Niobrara

Niobrara River

The Niobrara River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, running through the U.S. states of Wyoming and Nebraska. The river drains one of the most arid sections of the Great Plains, and has a low flow for a river of its length...

.

"Opera Omaha began in 1958 as the Omaha Civic Opera Society, a volunteer association, and with tremendous community support became fully professional by 1970. Opera Omaha produces a season of original mainstage productions, presented at the historic Orpheum Theater, and smaller productions and musical events throughout the community. Opera Omaha is internationally known for productions of eight world premieres and four American premieres of classical masterpieces, and is highly regarded regionally for an extensive education and outreach program that annually reaches as many as 15,000 people from elementary school through adulthood."

The organization's 2011-2012 season includes four productions. The first is a greatest-hits style concert titled, "This is Opera" at Omaha's Orpheum Theatre on October 15, 2011. Second, November 11–13, 2011, is a one-hour version of Engelbert Humperdinck's "Hansel & Gretel" including performances in the preceding week for local school groups at Omaha's historic children's theatre, The Rose. An intimate production of Gioachino Rossini's "The Marriage Contract" runs February 17–19, 2012 at The Jewel Box Theatre in the Scottish Rite Center is third in the season's lineup. The fourth and final production for Opera Omaha's 2011-2012 season is Gilbert & Sullivan's "The Mikado" at the Orpheum Theatre with shows on April 13 and 15.