Susannah explores the destructive effects of false accusations and the cruelty of mob mentality. Set in a stark Tennessee town, a young woman is targeted by suspicion and gossip that mounts in intensity. The music is undeniably American and inspired by familiar folk melodies that underscore the opera’s setting. Directed by renowned soprano Patricia Racette in her Opera Omaha debut, Susannah confronts the complexity of human nature through Susannah’s search for beauty and one man’s lust for power.

Conductor- Steven White
Director- Patricia Racette
Susannah Polk- Caitlin Lynch
Olin Blitch- Andrew Potter

Susannah explores the destructive effects of false accusations and the cruelty of mob mentality. Set in a stark Tennessee town, a young woman is targeted by suspicion and gossip that mounts in intensity. The music is undeniably American and inspired by familiar folk melodies that underscore the opera’s setting. Directed by renowned soprano Patricia Racette in her Opera Omaha debut, Susannah confronts the complexity of human nature through Susannah’s search for beauty and one man’s lust for power.

Conductor- Steven White
Director- Patricia Racette
Susannah Polk- Caitlin Lynch
Olin Blitch- Andrew Potter

Friendship, Tragedy, and the American Spirit

There can be no more fitting way for HGO to celebrate the centennial of the birth of composer Carlisle Floyd— who founded the company’s Butler Studio Program with then-General Director David Gockley in 1977— then a special staging of his evocative opera Of Mice and Men performed by a cast of artists from the 2025-26 class of the Butler Studio. Based on John Steinbeck’s 1937 novella of the same name, the acclaimed 1970 opera will be presented in the Wortham’s intimate Cullen Theater. The opera shares the poignant tale of two laborers seeking work during the Great Depression: George, small and shrewd, and Lenny, whose intellectual disability and formidable strength often lead to trouble. Together, the friends dream of buying a plot of land all their own, where they can live in peace, but their story ends in tragedy— and an act of mercy made all the more moving by Floyd’s haunting score with its masterful blend of folk tunes and blues melodies. Join HGO for an unforgettable operatic experience as the company honors the great American composer whose legacy is inseparable from their own history.

Sin, a loss of innocence, and repentance in the 1950s rural Tennessee.
A re-telling of the Book of Susannah, the story follows a pretty, innocent young woman as she falls under the jealous scrutiny of her rural Appalachian community. When the Reverend Blitch appears at her door offering redemption, tragic events unfold that force Susannah to take a stand for her dignity. Honoring the 100th anniversary of Carlisle Floyd's birth and in the state of its premiere, Susannah is a timeless, gripping tale and one of the most popular American operas.

Friendship, Tragedy, and the American Spirit

There can be no more fitting way for HGO to celebrate the centennial of the birth of composer Carlisle Floyd— who founded the company’s Butler Studio Program with then-General Director David Gockley in 1977— then a special staging of his evocative opera Of Mice and Men performed by a cast of artists from the 2025-26 class of the Butler Studio. Based on John Steinbeck’s 1937 novella of the same name, the acclaimed 1970 opera will be presented in the Wortham’s intimate Cullen Theater. The opera shares the poignant tale of two laborers seeking work during the Great Depression: George, small and shrewd, and Lenny, whose intellectual disability and formidable strength often lead to trouble. Together, the friends dream of buying a plot of land all their own, where they can live in peace, but their story ends in tragedy— and an act of mercy made all the more moving by Floyd’s haunting score with its masterful blend of folk tunes and blues melodies. Join HGO for an unforgettable operatic experience as the company honors the great American composer whose legacy is inseparable from their own history.

Sin, a loss of innocence, and repentance in the 1950s rural Tennessee.
A re-telling of the Book of Susannah, the story follows a pretty, innocent young woman as she falls under the jealous scrutiny of her rural Appalachian community. When the Reverend Blitch appears at her door offering redemption, tragic events unfold that force Susannah to take a stand for her dignity. Honoring the 100th anniversary of Carlisle Floyd's birth and in the state of its premiere, Susannah is a timeless, gripping tale and one of the most popular American operas.

Sin, a loss of innocence, and repentance in the 1950s rural Tennessee.
A re-telling of the Book of Susannah, the story follows a pretty, innocent young woman as she falls under the jealous scrutiny of her rural Appalachian community. When the Reverend Blitch appears at her door offering redemption, tragic events unfold that force Susannah to take a stand for her dignity. Honoring the 100th anniversary of Carlisle Floyd's birth and in the state of its premiere, Susannah is a timeless, gripping tale and one of the most popular American operas.

Sin, a loss of innocence, and repentance in the 1950s rural Tennessee.
A re-telling of the Book of Susannah, the story follows a pretty, innocent young woman as she falls under the jealous scrutiny of her rural Appalachian community. When the Reverend Blitch appears at her door offering redemption, tragic events unfold that force Susannah to take a stand for her dignity. Honoring the 100th anniversary of Carlisle Floyd's birth and in the state of its premiere, Susannah is a timeless, gripping tale and one of the most popular American operas.

Sin, a loss of innocence, and repentance in the 1950s rural Tennessee.
A re-telling of the Book of Susannah, the story follows a pretty, innocent young woman as she falls under the jealous scrutiny of her rural Appalachian community. When the Reverend Blitch appears at her door offering redemption, tragic events unfold that force Susannah to take a stand for her dignity. Honoring the 100th anniversary of Carlisle Floyd's birth and in the state of its premiere, Susannah is a timeless, gripping tale and one of the most popular American operas.

Sin, a loss of innocence, and repentance in the 1950s rural Tennessee.
A re-telling of the Book of Susannah, the story follows a pretty, innocent young woman as she falls under the jealous scrutiny of her rural Appalachian community. When the Reverend Blitch appears at her door offering redemption, tragic events unfold that force Susannah to take a stand for her dignity. Honoring the 100th anniversary of Carlisle Floyd's birth and in the state of its premiere, Susannah is a timeless, gripping tale and one of the most popular American operas.

Soprano Janai Brugger joins Music Director Kwamé Ryan and the Orchestra for works exploring themes of home, nostalgia, and longing, including "The Trees on the Mountain" from Floyd's Susannah and Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915. The evening culminates with Dvořák's "New World" Symphony.

Conductor- Kwamé Ryan
Soprano- Janai Brugger

A journey through the dark night of the soul. In this immersive pairing, Carlisle Floyd’s Pilgrimage and Kaija Saariaho’s L’amour de loin intertwine, guiding listeners through an odyssey of longing and spiritual rebirth. *performed in partnership with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

Golda Schultz sings Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 — a haunting evocation of childhood memories — plus arias by Stravinsky and Carlisle Floyd. Alongside these, Kwamé Ryan conducts music by two quintessential American iconoclasts: Charles Ives’s The Unanswered Question and a new concerto by George Lewis, featuring the piano-and-percussion quartet Yarn/Wire.

Conductor- Kwamé Ryan
Soprano- Golda Schultz

Golda Schultz sings Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 — a haunting evocation of childhood memories — plus arias by Stravinsky and Carlisle Floyd. Alongside these, Kwamé Ryan conducts music by two quintessential American iconoclasts: Charles Ives’s The Unanswered Question and a new concerto by George Lewis, featuring the piano-and-percussion quartet Yarn/Wire.

Conductor- Kwamé Ryan
Soprano- Golda Schultz

Golda Schultz sings Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 — a haunting evocation of childhood memories — plus arias by Stravinsky and Carlisle Floyd. Alongside these, Kwamé Ryan conducts music by two quintessential American iconoclasts: Charles Ives’s The Unanswered Question and a new concerto by George Lewis, featuring the piano-and-percussion quartet Yarn/Wire.

Conductor- Kwamé Ryan
Soprano- Golda Schultz

We end our season with a powerful adaptation of Steinbeck's classic novella by the father of American opera Carlisle Floyd. Of Mice and Men delves deep into the American psyche and brings to life the unbreakable bond between George and Lennie, migrant farm workers striving for the American Dream. Directed by Kristine McIntyre, our production uses projections to immerse the audience in Lennie's perspective, blending intimate humanity with cinematic scope in a gripping, tragic journey.

We end our season with a powerful adaptation of Steinbeck's classic novella by the father of American opera Carlisle Floyd. Of Mice and Men delves deep into the American psyche and brings to life the unbreakable bond between George and Lennie, migrant farm workers striving for the American Dream. Directed by Kristine McIntyre, our production uses projections to immerse the audience in Lennie's perspective, blending intimate humanity with cinematic scope in a gripping, tragic journey.

We end our season with a powerful adaptation of Steinbeck's classic novella by the father of American opera Carlisle Floyd. Of Mice and Men delves deep into the American psyche and brings to life the unbreakable bond between George and Lennie, migrant farm workers striving for the American Dream. Directed by Kristine McIntyre, our production uses projections to immerse the audience in Lennie's perspective, blending intimate humanity with cinematic scope in a gripping, tragic journey.