Opera Omaha is set to return to the Orpheum Theater after a twenty-month hiatus with Bellini’s “The Capulets and the Montagues (I Capuleti e i Montecchi).”

Originally slated for the 2020 ONE Festival, the new production by ONE Festival Artistic Director James Darrah will be conducted by Christopher Allen.

The new production will feature a dark and visually rich exploration of love and loss illuminated by a powerful ensemble of world-class artists, designers, and dancers. Soprano Andriana Chuchman sings the role of Juliet alongside mezzo-soprano Cecelia Hall as Romeo. The cast will be rounded out by Jesus Garcia as Tebaldo, Andrew Manea as Lorenzo, and Jeffrey Beruan as Capellio.

The new production will eschew traditional performance practice which requires a woman to take on a male persona in order to portray Romeo. With two women embodying the title roles, this new production honors the composer’s choice of voice types through the lens of LGBTQ+ perspectives, bringing new meaning to the tragic story of two people caught in a divisive society, not allowed to love each other because of who they are.

The opera will be performed on Oct. 15 and 17, 2021