Holy Name School welcomes Kevin Short

Students in fifth and seventh grades at Holy Name School experienced the power of professional opera on Wednesday, March 28. Bass-baritone, Kevin Short visited the classroom of Opera Omaha chorus member and Holy Name music teacher Judi Torneten. Mr. Short sang "A More Humane Mikado", one of the arias included in his performance as The Mikado at the Orpheum Theatre on April 13 and 15.

Kevin Short performing "A More Humane Mikado" at Holy Name School

Mr. Short described his character, The Mikado, and talked about what opera is and how it is different from other forms of music performance. The students asked many questions about Mr. Short and opera in general. During one part of the preview, some of the students chose to make the occasion a group performance.

Holy Name School students sing with Kevin Short

At the end of the preview, the students were excited to talk with Mr. Short. During his performance of "A More Humane Mikado", Mr. Short picked up a student. The most common request at the end of the preview was, "Will you pick me up?" Mr. Short is now in excellent physical condition for the public performances of The Mikado.

Kevin Short answers questions from members of the seventh grade swing choir

Kevin Short lifts a smiling Holy Name student

Opera Omaha sends a huge "thank you" to Mrs. Torneten, Mr. Short, and to the staff, faculty, and students at Holy Name School for allowing us to visit. The students attending the preview and their families received invitations to attend a special performance of The Mikado at the Orpheum Theatre. We are excited to host these vibrant, interesting, young people at one of our performances.

Meet the Artist--Pitti-Sing, Leanne Hill Carlson

Omaha resident Leanne Hill Carlson sings the role of Pitti-Sing in our production of The Mikado. Her experience in musical theatre and opera combine in a fantastic addition to this Gilbert & Sullivan production. Leanne's Omaha resume includes performances at the Omaha Community Playhouse and The Rose Theater among others. Opera Omaha is fortunate to have Ms. Carlson join us and bring her vast array of experience to the role of Pitti-Sing. 

Information below provided by Ms. Carlson:

Leanne is excited to return to Opera Omaha after performing as Guhtrune in Das Barbecu and as a featured chorus member in So in Love with Broadway.  Her most recent local roles include Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof, Nellie in South Pacific, Lily in Annie, Peggy Sawyer in 42^nd Street, Belle in Beauty & the Beast, Maria in The Sound of Music, and performing in Smokey Joe’s Cafe. Ms. Carlson was a lead ensemble member at the College Light Opera Company where she played Nellie in South Pacific and Lalume in Kismet. She has been in commercial & print work and recently played the role of Shanna in the film Lucky. Her education includes a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from Sam Houston State University and a Masters of Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.  Leanne and her husband, Mark, reside in Omaha and have a 17 month old son, Henry.

Don't miss your opportunity to see the versatile Leanne Hill Carlson share her beautiful voice and acting abilities as Pitti-Sing in our April 13 or 15 production of The Mikado. Visit Ticket Omaha or call 402-345-0606 or 402-346-4398 to purchase your tickets today! 

New web video ad for The Mikado

Make plans to join us for The Mikado. We want to see you there.



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Mimosas and a Movie is a hit!

Thank you to our sponsors

Thank you to each person who joined us on Saturday, March 24 at Film Streams for "Mimosas and a Movie"! More than 100 people attended and, more importantly, it was a ton of fun! Vernie and Carter Jones generously sponsored a delicious brunch and mimosas for the star-studded crowd. The pre-show talk by Stage Director Dorothy Danner and Maestro Stewart Robertson was entertaining and educational. This is an event to be repeated soon! Enjoy the photos!

The brunch table

Film Streams' Rachel Jacobsen and Maestro Stewart Robertson

Kim Balcovec and Joe Toppi talk with our Ko Ko in The Mikado, Brian-Mark Conover

Opera Omaha's Roger Weitz talks with a guest

Film Streams' Maggie Wood (on right) and the brunch table and crowd

Guests in the lovely Film Streams' lobby

Film Streams' staff members holding down the fort

Opera Omaha's Josh Tague and David Gardels look for great seats to our April 13 production of The Mikado

KVNO's Kim Balcovec and her husband Opera Omaha's Joe Toppi

Stage Director Dorothy Danner, Maestro Stewart Robertson, and Roger Weitz during the pre-show talk

Opera Omaha's Betsye Paragas

 
Again, thank you to Film Streams and our patrons and sponsors for a great event!

Meet the Artist--Peep-Bo, Jodi Frisbie Reese

What does Dodge City, Kansas have in common with Omaha, Nebraska? Roots in agriculture and the railroad? A wild west sort of political climate? Hot summers? Well, maybe.

Our visiting artist, Jodi Frisbie Reese is the reason for the excitement about and interest in a Kansas town 400 miles from Omaha. Ms. Reese is Associate Professor of Music at Dodge City Community College. She arrived in Omaha earlier this week and, with the support of her fellow teachers and a bit of technology, is still teaching classes at the college. Until April 15, Ms. Reese is the most exciting thing that Dodge City, Kansas and Omaha, Nebraska have in common.

Opera Omaha has twice before been fortunate to welcome Ms. Reese to our stage. She appeared in Cold Sassy Tree and as the High Priestess in our 2008 production of Aida. Her performance as Peep-Bo in The Mikado allows our Omaha audience to hear her lovely soprano for a third time.

The link below takes you to an article by Don Steele and published in the Dodge Globe. It includes a brief interview with Ms. Reese and information about her current teaching duties and past with Opera Omaha. Although the article states that she performed in the Tim Rice/Elton John adaptation of Aida, it was the Opera Omaha Verdi production. Please take a few moments to learn about the busy life of Ms. Jodi Frisbie Reese. We are thrilled to welcome her back to Omaha even if we have to share her with Dodge City.

Jodi Frisbie Reese

Join us on April 13 or 15 to see Ms. Reese sing the role of Peep-Bo for The Mikado. Visit Ticket Omaha online or call 402-345-0606 or 402-346-4398 to purchase your tickets today!

Meet the Artist--Yum-Yum, Sarah Lawrence

Soprano Sarah Lawrence joins Opera Omaha for The Mikado as Yum-Yum. She previously performed as Yum-Yum at the Madison Savoyards. The video below shows Ms. Lawrence in that performance. The video is property of Madison Savoyards, Ltd. and is posted on YouTube. Enjoy!




Don't miss your chance to see Sarah Lawrence sing the role of Yum-Yum with Opera Omaha! Get your tickets to the April 13 or 15 performance of The Mikado by clicking here to visit Ticket Omaha or calling 402-345-0606 or 402-346-4398.

To learn more about Ms. Lawrence, please visit www.sarahelawrence.com. You can listen to recording of her enchanting soprano and view photos of recent performances. The following biography also came from her website.

Sarah Lawrence is enjoying a widely varied career. Her rapidly expanding repertoire includes oratorio, operetta, opera and musical theatre. The release of her CD, Sweet Hello, marks her debut as a recording artist.
Sarah’s concert repertoire shows her versatility. She has performed Handel’s Messiah with the symphonies of Omaha, Madison, Cheyenne, and the Apollo Chorus in Chicago’s Orchestra Hall. With Wisconsin’s Peninsula Music Festival she has sung Haydn’s Creation and Bach’s B Minor Mass. Other Haydn performances have included the St. Cecilia Mass with the Rochester Oratorio Society, the Lord Nelson Mass with the North Shore Choral Society, and Paukenmesse with the Sheboygan Symphony. With the Madison Symphony Orchestra she has also performed Bach’s Magnificat and Mozart’s Mass in C Minor. She sang Prokofiev’s The Ugly Duckling and Canteloube’s Chants d’Auvergne with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. She has appeared in pops concerts with the Rockford Symphony Orchestra, the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra and the Southwest Michigan Symphony.
Equally comfortable on the stage, Ms. Lawrence has performed the role of Masha in The Music Shop, Norina in Don Pasquale, Gretel in Hansel & Gretel, Frasquita and Micaela in Carmen, and Anne Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor. She has appeared with Madison Opera, Opera for the Young, Light Opera Oklahoma, Dorian Opera Theatre and Lyric Opera of the North. With Minnesota’s Colder By The Lake, she created the role of Missy in the world premiere of Tyler Kaiser’s Les Uncomfortables, and the role of Pristine in The Phantom of the Norshor. She appeared with Lyric Opera of the North in their production of The Magic Flute as Pamina. A huge fan of Gilbert & Sullivan’s operettas, Sarah has appeared as Rose Maybud in Ruddigore, Angelina in Trial by Jury, Yum-Yum in The Mikado, and Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance.
Ms. Lawrence appeared as Christine Daaé as a member of the Third National Tour of The Phantom of the Opera and in Phantom: The Vegas Spectacular. In recent seasons, she has also appeared as Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte with the Peninsula Music Festival, the title role in Lyric Opera of the North’s production of Semele, the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra, and as an Equity guest artist with The Duluth Playhouse as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. The current season includes an appearance with Colder By The Lake in Older By The Lake and a return to the Duluth Playhouse, this time as Lily in The Secret Garden, as well as another turn as Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance as a part of the Tall Ships Festival in Duluth.

Meet the Artist--Nanki-Poo, William Ferguson

Photo by Jim Scholz: William Ferguson as Frederic with Patrick Ryan Sullivan

Opera Omaha is thrilled to welcome William Ferguson back to our stage in the role of Nanki-Poo in The Mikado. You may remember Mr. Ferguson from his appearance as Frederic in our most recent prior Gilbert & Sullivan production, The Pirates of Penzance.

In an Omaha World Herald review of Mr. Ferguson's Frederic he was praised. The reviewer wrote, "Tenor William Ferguson, as the reluctant pirate Frederic, sang with a powerful and transparent lyric tenor voice--and seemed to be channeling the sweet silliness of Michael Palin."

We are certain that you will enjoy Ferguson's interpretation and magnificent voice in his performance as Nanki-Poo in The Mikado. Join us on April 13 or 15 to see tenor William Ferguson bring that "transparent lyric tenor" and "sweet silliness" to a different role. Buy your tickets today! Ticket Omaha or 402-345-0606 or 402-346-4398

Mr. Ferguson's biography and photos are found here: www.WilliamFerguson.com

WILLIAM FERGUSON, TENOR
BIOGRAPHY

Acclaimed for his versatility in both opera and concert, William Ferguson made his debut with the Santa Fe Opera in 2006 as Caliban in the North American premiere of Thomas Adès’ The Tempest, and in 2005, he bowed in Sydney with Opera Australia singing Truffaldino in a new production of The Love for Three Oranges directed by Francesca Zambello and conducted by Richard Hickox (subsequently released on compact disc under the Chandos label). The same year, Ferguson joined the roster of The Metropolitan Opera where he has performed Beppe in I Pagliacci as well as roles in Le Nozze di Figaro and The Magic Flute (under the baton of James Levine). A regular artist at The New York City Opera, his performances have included the title role in Candide, Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, the Funeral Director in A Quiet Place, and twice as Hérisson de Porc-Épic in L’Étoile--among many others.

Additional credits include Andres in Wozzeck with Opera Festival of New Jersey, Ferrando in Così fan tutte at The Aspen Music Festival, Carl in Bitter Sweet for the Bard SummerScape Festival, Pang in Turandot with Opera Company of Philadelphia, Frederic in Pirates of Penzance with both Virginia Opera and Opera Omaha, the Sailor in Dido and Aeneas with Gotham Chamber Opera, the title role in Albert Herring directed by Lotfi Mansouri at The Music Academy of the West, Gonzalve in L’Heure Espagnole and Fenton in Falstaff at the Tanglewood Music Center (both with Seiji Ozawa), and Peter Quint in The Turn of the Screw at the Chautauqua Institution. Ferguson has also performed with Opera Orchestra of New York at Carnegie Hall on several occasions, including as Nick in La Fanciulla del West and as Laërte in Mignon.

A compelling interpreter of new music, Mr. Ferguson sang Bentley Drummle in Dominick Argento’s Miss Havisham’s Fire at Opera Theatre of St. Louis and performed in the world premiere productions of Anthony Davis’ Wakonda’s Dream with Opera Omaha, Robert Aldridge’s Elmer Gantry with Peak Performances at Montclair, and operas by Lee Hoiby and Harold Farberman. While in St. Louis, Ferguson sang the role of Hippolyte in Rameau’s Hippolyte et Aricie as a last minute replacement earning a review in Opera News stating that he sang “with grace, and striking self-possession.” He holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Music degree from The Juilliard School and is a native of Richmond, Virginia.

A passionate concert and recital performer, Mr. Ferguson has appeared with The American Symphony Orchestra, BBC Orchestra (London), Boston Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (England), Handel and Haydn Society, Houston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Musica Sacra New York, National Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Oratorio Society of New York, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and Radio Filharmonisch Orkest (Netherlands); as well as the local symphony orchestras of Bellingham, New Haven, Omaha, Richmond, Santa Barbara, Wheeling, and Winston-Salem.

Ferguson appears as Brian on the recording and DVD of Not The Messiah, a comic oratorio based on Monty Python’s film Life of Brian, recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall in London. His repertoire ranges from that of the baroque masters to the difficult cycles of Schubert, Schumann, Janá•ek, and Rorem—showcasing him across the United States in chamber programs and recitals for the 92nd Street Y, Bard Music Festival, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Marlboro Music Festival, and Young Concert Artists among others. Ferguson has performed extensively with The Marilyn Horne Foundation, Five Borough Music Festival, as well as The New York Festival of Song.

Mr. Ferguson has been the recipient of several awards and honors including First Place in the Oratorio Society of New York Solo Competition, The Elihu Hyndman Career Grant from Opera Theatre of St. Louis, The Judges’ Award in the Opera Index Competition, a Bagby Foundation Career Grant, and The Alan Weiler Award for Excellence presented by Opera Orchestra of New York. In 2003 he was awarded the Alice Tully Vocal Arts Debut Recital Award granting him a New York recital debut in Alice Tully Hall.

Upcoming performances include a staged production of Handel’s Messiah with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, appearances with Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Richmond Symphony, The Waterbury Symphony, a world premiere song cycle by Chester Biscardi with the new music ensemble Sequitur, recitals with guitarist David Leisner in New York and Nebraska, a concert with cellist Yahuda Hanani at Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood, and Nanki-Poo in The Mikado with Opera Omaha.

Meet the Artist--Pish-Tush, Kirk Vaughn Robinson

Kirk Vaughn Robinson

Kirk Vaughn Robinson joins us as Pish-Tush in The Mikado after a wildly successful Opera Omaha premier singing the role of The Sandman in our November production of Hansel & Gretel. Reviewer Augusta Olson, writing for Omaha weekly Shout on November 15, 2011, said this about Kirk's performance in Hansel & Gretel, "The sandman is the most transporting character of the show. Robinson lives up to his fame...”


Kirk recently completed more than 12 years as a cast member of the National Broadway tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera (Lefevre & Fire Chief). In addition to his work with Opera Omaha, his recent local credits include: The Rose Theater’s 2011 production of The Sound of Music, (Captain von Trapp, a role in which his performance earned an Omaha Entertainment Awards nomination) and baritone soloist in the world premiere of Mark Kurtz's With you Always (2011).

Upcoming performances including singing the role of Moses in the premiere of Paul Boesing and Martha Boesing's oratorio Journey to Canaan this Friday, March 16. More information about the oratorio, including times and ticket prices, can be found here: Journey to Canaan


Past operatic performances outside the Omaha area include roles with the Cincinnati Opera, Dayton Opera, Sorg & Whitewater Opera companies and the Cincinnati Pops. He was awarded a full scholarship to the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria and also performed as an Apprentice Artist with the Santa Fe Opera Company.

Kirk's artistry extends beyond the world of music to his work as a bronze sculptor. His work is displayed in galleries throughout North America and appears in books and magazines. Kirk was recently named Omaha’s AC Gallery- Emerging Artist for 2011. More information about Kirk's sculpture can be found at Kirk Vaughn-Sculptor.

Join us on April 13 or 15 and see Kirk Vaughn Robinson, multi-talented arts professional, sing the role of Pish-Tush in Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado. Tickets are available through Ticket Omaha or by calling 402-345-0606 or Opera Omaha by calling 402-346-4398.

Photo by Jim Scholz: Kirk Vaughn Robinson as The Sandman in Hansel & Gretel. Also pictured are Kristin Behrmann as Hansel and Maria Lindsay as Gretel.