Opera Omaha: Susannah at Orpheum Theatre

Susannah 2026

There’s nights here at the Orpheum Theater that feel special even before the curtain even rises - the room hits different with soft spoken words and excitement for what’s next in the stage world. Everything sticks (including the snow on our roof) - and for our 2026 season we’re bringing all that same energy for you. For TWO nights only this winter - Opera Omaha is bringing something special to downtown. The weekend of January 30th we are becoming the main set for Suannah - an opera about the deeply bold, and a setting for our oh so Americana tale that will remind us of morality and suspicion - all wrapped into three bold hours that will leave us at the edge of our seat, and then some! Opera Omaha brings this production to life as part of its 2025–26 season, continuing a legacy of thoughtful and powerful storytelling on the Orpheum stage that we’ve been known for since we opened up way back when. Known for pushing boundaries while honoring tradition, the company consistently delivers productions that feel intimate, urgent, and beautifully alive - and Susannah is exactly that kind of show. 

First premiered in 1955, Susannah is widely considered one of the most important American operas ever written. Composed by Carlisle Floyd and sung in English, this is an opera that meets you right where you are - emotionally, morally, and musically. Set in a small, tightly knit Appalachian town, Susannah follows a young woman whose independence and innocence become the subject of gossip, suspicion, and judgment. What unfolds is a haunting exploration of power, hypocrisy, faith, and the cost of standing alone when a community turns its back. It’s quiet when it needs to be. Devastating when it chooses to be. And unforgettable from the first note to the last. At the heart of the opera is one of the most iconic songs of all American opera, “The Trees on the Mountains.” It’s a moment that stops time — a reflection on isolation, resilience, and survival that feels just as relevant now as it did nearly seventy years ago. This is the kind of music that lingers with you long after the house lights come up - and that’s exactly why we need you here when it all goes down!

So whether you’re an opera regular or stepping into the Orpheum for the first time, this is one to circle. Come early, walk around a little, and settle in for the show. Let the music do what it does best - and us?! Well, let’s enjoy the show! We’ll see you real soon.