Fri, Sep 10 at 2 pm and 7 pm $27; Members $25; Five or more $24: Members Five or more $22

LIVE broadcast from the Royal Opera House in London at 2pm

Delayed broadcast at 7pm

Symphony Space's digital partner, Emerging Pictures, will broadcast operas and ballets LIVE from The Royal Opera House in London's Covent Garden starting on September 10th, with the opening night performance of Mozart’s Così fan tutte. This contemporary and slyly comedic production by Jonathan Miller (first mounted in 1995) has become an audience favorite in London. The Opera in Cinema LIVE series will now make it a favorite around the world.

Sun, Sep 19 at 3 pm Sun, Sep 26 at 7 pm $22; Members $20; Five or more $19: Members Five or more $17

Aida is filled with political intrigue, love, betrayal, passion, and vengeance, and has captivated audiences for generations. This  stunningly visual version is set in the twenty-first century, at the base of a deconstructed Statue of Liberty at the lakeside Bregenz festival in Austria.

Sun, Sep 19 at 7 pm Sun, Oct 10 at 3 pm $22; Members $20; 5 or More $19; Members 5 or More $17

Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio, performed at the Gran Teatro del Liceu, Barcelona, 2010

Mozart premiered “The Abduction from the Seraglio” in 1782, while a craze for all things Turkish, especially Turkish-style music, swept Western Europe. (Following “Abduction,” Mozart composed Piano Sonata no. 11 in A major, featuring the famous “rondo alla Turca.”) The characterizations of Turkish characters in the libretto (written by Christoph Friedrich Bretzner and adapted by Gottlieb Stephanie) seem like insensitive caricatures to modern eyes. The cruel and boorish actions of the jailer Osmin are reflected in the “Turkish” percussion, which plays just when his behavior is the most repulsive. On the other hand, the European heroes of the opera are accompanied by music of classic Mozartean elegance. In many productions today, the entire Turkey vs. Western Europe premise is scrapped in favor of focusing on the true strengths of the opera (which transcend 18th century prejudices): beautiful melodies, inventive musical forms, fully developed characters, and a comedic plot, which is easily divorced from time and place.

Sun, Sep 26 at 3 pm Sun, Nov 14 at 3 pm $22; Members $20; Five or more $19: Members Five or more $17

Tosca

Tosca was called a “shabby little shocker” by one English critic, but that’s an understatement: Tosca is a fiercely effective masterpiece of music-drama. Puccini had been interested in the Sardou’s play La Tosca for some time, but by 1895 the rights belonged to another composer, Alberto Franchetti. However, the publisher Ricordi and librettist Luigi Illica had no trouble persuading Franchetti to surrender the rights, telling him the subject matter – rape, murder, warring political factions – were far too vulgar for the Roman public’s taste. Soon after, Puccini was busy at work with the complete libretto in hand. Puccini approached the opera with his usual meticulousness – travelling to Rome to hear the tones of the bells in Castel Sant’Angelo, marking the exact pitch of the bell at St. Peter’s. Puccini also made two important changes to the libretto. He rejected an aria sung by Cavaradossi under torture, instead replacing it with the quartet; he felt that the static nature of the aria would slow the drama. Likewise, Puccini rejected both a poetic aria and transcendental love duet for the couple before Cavaradossi’s execution. Ricordi found the “acting lesson” scene too perfunctory, but Puccini insisted that Tosca would not waste her time on flowery language – and of course, the drama proves that he was right.

Sat, Oct 2 at 11 am ADULTS $19, Members $16, Day of Show $20 KIDS $13, Members $11, Day of Show $14 Get the deepest discounts when you subscribe! Click the blue subscription button to get started.

A raucous morning of sidesplitting musical sketch comedy comprised entirely of stories written by kids! The award winning show has been described as "Monty Python meets Schoolhouse Rock."

Thu, Oct 14 at 7 pm FREE or $8

Jimmy Chin started as a climber, but along the way he grew into an award winning, highly published adventure photographer. In 2009 he returned to his climbing roots with an expedition that took him deep into the Indian Himalaya, to 22,000-foot Mount Meru. The climb was the ultimate test to Jimmy and his partners.

Sun, Oct 17 at 4 pm Sun, Dec 12 at 4 pm $22; Members $20; Five or more $19: Members Five or more $17

Götterdämmerung

Götterdämmerung (or “the Twilight of the Gods”) is the fourth and final opera in Wagner’s tetrology, Der Ring des Nibelungen. The Ring Cycle (as it is commonly called) is a monolithic landmark in music history. It is often said to be the embodiment of the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, or “complete art work,” a term Wagner adopted to describe a work of art that incorporates all areas of artistic expression: dance, drama, music, visual arts, etc. Certainly The Ring qualifies: the combined operas are 15 hours of continuous music, with words written by Wagner himself. The emotional and dramatic power of the music lies in one of Wagner’s greatest innovations, the leitmotif. The leitmotifs are musical themes with specific dramatic associations. For instance, every time someone is singing about Valhalla, the home of the gods, the Valhalla leitmotif plays, conjuring up the grandeur of their palace. The concept of leitmotifs has expanded far beyond the opera house. For example, film score composer John Williams wrote a leitmotif for Darth Vader that instantly conjures up his evil visage. Wagner uses leitmotifs to great effect by allowing the orchestra to comment on the action on stage, almost as another character in this epic drama; as a result, his music adored by both opera and orchestral music fans alike.

Mon, Oct 18 at 8 pm FREE

The New York Dance and Performance Awards, aka The Bessies, return! For a quarter century, the Bessies have celebrated outstanding dance in New York. Following a hiatus in 2009, this year's ceremony will honor dance work from the past two seasons. The night will also include presentations by esteemed members of the dance world and exciting announcements about the...

Thu, Oct 21 at 7:30 pm Fri, Oct 22 at 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm Sat, Oct 23 at 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm $35.00 day of, $30.00 advance, $25.00 members

At the half-way point in the first (or only?) Obama Administration, The Thalia Follies takes satirical and musical stock of where things stand. What will the next Senate and House look like? What's become of "Yes, We Can!" or "Change We Can Believe In?" Which way are things headed? Is there hope?

Sat, Oct 23 at 2 pm and 5 pm ADULTS $25, Members $21, Day of Show $27 KIDS $15, Members $13, Day of Show $17 Get the deepest discounts when you subscribe! Click the blue subscription button to get started.

All the wow factor of the circus tent in one fantastic afternoon of aerialists, acrobats, contortionists, jugglers, illusionists and indescribable feats!

Sun, Oct 31 at 3 pm $22; Members $20; Five or more $19: Members Five or more $17

The Queen of Spades

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

The tragic destiny of the male protagonist - a compulsive gambler whose passion drives him to sacrifice his love, to commit murder and ultimately to die - is underscored by Tchaikovsky´s masterly musical treatment of the major phantasmagorical elements so widespread in Russian literature and art.

Sun, Oct 31 at 7 pm Sun, Nov 28 at 3 pm $22; Members $20; Five or more $19: Members Five or more $17

Das Rheingold
Performed at Teatro alla Scala, December 2009
Richard Wagner

Scene 1: At the bottom of the River Rhein, the three Rheinmaidens (Woglinde, Wellgunde, and Flosshilde) are playing near the Rheingold; suddenly Alberich, a Nibelung dwarf, appears and tries to woo them. The Rheinmaidens mock the ugly Alberich and anger him. As the sun rises, the maidens praise the golden glow atop a nearby rock; Alberich asks what it is. They tell him of the Rheingold, which they guard. It can be made into a magic ring which will let its bearer rule the world, but only by someone who first renounces love. Alberich, embittered by their mockery, curses love, seizes the gold and returns to the depths as the Rheinmaidens flee in despair.

Mon, Nov 1 at 7 pm $12; Day of Show $16

What might Edgar Allan Poe write if he were alive today? American Lyric Theater presents a concert reading of The Poe Project, three one-act operas currently in development at ALT, inspired by Poe's vivid short stories: Buried Alive by Jeff Myers and Quincy Long; ...of The Flesh by Jay Anthony Gach and Royce Vavrek; and Embedded by Patrick Soluri and Deborah Brevoort.

Fri, Nov 5 at 7:30 pm Sat, Nov 6 at 7:30 pm $35; Members $30; Students, Seniors $25

Starring Rachelle Fleming, Nicole Pasternak, and Dominic Inferrera with Bill Smith, clarinet; John Eaton, piano; Michael Bisio, bass; and Alan Bergman, drums. Directed by Beth Greenberg. Pocket Opera Players present Space in the Heart, a jazzopera composed by Bill (William O.) Smith to an original libretto by Peter Monaghan.

Sun, Nov 14 at 7 pm $22; Members $20; Five or more $19: Members Five or more $17

Carmen
Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona
New co-production of Gran Teatre del Liceu / Teatro Massimo, Palermo / Teatro Regio, Torino
Georges Bizet

Carmen is the story of fatal attraction between Carmen, the hot-blooded gypsy, and Don José, the upstanding corporal in the Spanish army who’s already engaged to another woman. Don José begins to fall for Carmen as she sings the famous song of seduction, the Habañera. When he helps her avoid arrest, he is thrown in prison. Upon his release, he seeks her out; as a result, his life continues to unravel. Upon hearing his mother is dying, he heads home, vowing to Carmen that they will be together again soon. When he returns, he discovers Carmen in a rapturous affair with Escamillo, a dashing toreador. Don José, now bitter and angry, stabs her to death just as Escamillo wins the fight in the bullring. As the spectators leave the arena, Don José throws himself on her dead body and confesses his guilt.

Sun, Nov 21 at 5 pm $82/$72/$62; Seniors $74/$65/$56; Children $42/$37/$32

Paradise lost & found. King Paramount of Utopia has sent his oldest daughter to an English boarding school, but when she returns to her island paradise with seven idealistic "flowers of progress" (read: British institutions), the locals adopt their white washed Victorian ways with catastrophic results.

Sun, Nov 28 at 7 pm $22; Members $20; Five or more $19: Members Five or more $17

Cosi fan tutte

reprise screening from the Royal Opera House, London

The new Royal Opera Season begins with a great audience favourite – both in opera and in its production. This great comedy with an edge brings a classic score by Mozart to a witty story of deception and trust tested to its limit. Can two apparently faithful couples have their affections altered by some apparently harmless deception? Jonathan Miller’s ever-popular production updates the 18th-century to today – while fashions and technology may have changed since Mozart’s time, human behaviour remains as fickle and manipulative as ever. Royal Opera favourite Thomas Allen returns in a strong cast of singers under acclaimed German conductor Thomas Hengelbrock. The title may suggest that it is the way of women to behave this way – ’such is the way they are’ – but then it seems to be true of the men too. In this most sophisticated of operas with the most sublime of scores, no-one escapes unscathed. — Courtesy of Opus Arte

Sun, Dec 5 at 5 pm $82/$72/$62; Seniors $74/$65/$56; Children $42/$37/$32

But seriously, folks. The Yeomen of the Guard tells the story of a prisoner in the Tower of London, falsely accused during the turbulent reign of King Henry the Eighth, the two girls who loved him, and an out of work itinerant jester. The most operatic of the Gilbert & Sullivan masterpieces, The Yeomen Of The Guard is full of grand and intimate moments...

Tue, Dec 7 at 11 am and 6:30 pm $27; Members $25; Five or more $24: Members Five or more $22

Die Walküre

11am LIVE Satellite Broadcast
6:30pm Delayed Satellite Broadcast

Opening Night Live from Teatro alla Scala
Richard Wagner

The Ring Cycle (as it is commonly called) is a monolithic presence in music history. It is often said to be the embodiment of the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, or “complete art work,” a term Wagner adopted to describe a work of art that incorporates all areas of artistic expression: dance, drama, music, visual arts, etc. Certainly The Ring qualifies: the combined operas are 15 hours of continuous music, with words written by Wagner himself.
The emotional and dramatic power of the music lies in one of Wagner’s greatest innovations, the leitmotif. The leitmotifs are musical themes with specific dramatic associations. For instance, every time someone is singing about Valhalla, the home of the gods, the Valhalla leitmotif plays, conjuring up the grandeur of their palace. The concept of leitmotifs has expanded far beyond the opera house. For example, film score composer John Williams wrote a leitmotif for Darth Vader that instantly conjures up his evil visage. Wagner uses leitmotifs to great effect by allowing the orchestra to comment on the action on stage, almost as another character in this epic drama; as a result, his music adored by both opera and orchestral music fans alike.
– Christiana Little

Sun, Dec 26 at 7 pm $22; Members $20; Five or more $19: Members Five or more $17

Roméo et Juliette
Performed at the Salzsburg Festival, Austria
Charles Gounod

Charles Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette is one of the most famous and moving love stories in all of opera, despite the fact that everyone already knows how the story ends. Stage director Bartlett Sher (winner of a Tony Award for best director of a musical for his revival of South Pacific on Broadway) makes his European opera debut with this production of Roméo et Juliette at the Felsenreitschule. Tenor superstar Rolando Villazón sings opposite young Georgian soprano Nino Machaizde, one of the newest darlings of the opera world.

Wed, Dec 29 at 3 pm Thu, Dec 30 at 8 pm Fri, Dec 31 at 7 pm Sat, Jan 1 at 3 pm Sun, Jan 2 at 3 pm Dec 29-30, Jan 1-2: $82/$72/$62; Seniors $74/$65/$56; Children $42/$37/$32 Dec 31: $92/$82/$72; Seniors $84/$75/$66; Children $52/$47/$42

It's all in the execution. In the Japanese town of Titipu, everything goes topsy-turvy when a high school maiden, a wandering minstrel, and a lord high executioner find themselves in a love triangle. With a witty libretto, a sparkling score, and some of the duo's most famous songs, this topically updated, "trusty production has everything an admirer of this music could want."

Sat, Jan 8 at 11 am and 2 pm ADULTS $25, Members $21, Day of Show $27 KIDS $15, Members $13, Day of Show $17 Get the deepest discounts when you subscribe. Click the blue subscription button to get started.

Costumes, props and set pieces expand, deflate and roll, in this funny, mesmerizing and colorful theatrical event.

Sat, Jan 22 at 11 am and 2 pm ADULTS $25, Members $21, Day of Show $27 KIDS $15, Members $13, Day of Show $17 Get the deepest discounts when you subscribe. Click the blue subscription button to get started.

Omaha Theater Company brings the beloved children's book to life in this world premiere staged production with music.

Thu, Feb 17 at 7:30 pm Fri, Feb 18 at 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm Sat, Feb 19 at 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm $35.00 day of, $30.00 advance, $25.00 members

The Follies takes a comical and tragical look at the forces that may be ripping our nation apart: red states vs blue; conservatives, arch-conservatives, liberals, radicals, and crazies at both extremes; true believers and skeptics; vegans and fast-food freaks; nudists and fashionistas.

Sun, Mar 20 at 5 pm $82/$72/$62; Seniors $74/$65/$56; Children $42/$37/$32

Act I: Disorder in the court! A lecherous judge and all male jury, a gold digging plaintiff, a self-professed cad of a defendant, and a sleazy lawyer turn the courtroom proceedings upside down with self-serving arguments and musical merriment. Trial by Jury takes the legal system on an over-the-top ride to hilarity.

Thu, Mar 31 at 7:30 pm $29; day of show $34; member $25; under 30; $15

The Stony Brook Opera performs Peter Winkler's "Fox Fables" and Sheila Silver's "The Wooden Sword".

Thu, May 19 at 7:30 pm Fri, May 20 at 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm Sat, May 21 at 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm $35.00 day of, $30.00 advance, $25.00 members

The Follies focus on the new ways in which Americans contact each other and keep in touch: e-mails, texting, blogs, tweets, Facebook, Linked-In, match.com, and, on rare occasions, direct face to face communication between consenting adults.

Sun, May 22 at 5 pm $49; Children $25

Name that showtune! For those die-hard G&S fans who've been yearning to take their vocal prowess from the shower to the shiny lights of the stage, G&S Sing-Along lets you take your favorite tunes for a spin with our full cast and orchestra. Don't just tap your toes and chuckle, sing along and chortle in this rollicking good afternoon of fun.