Onstage at OIO

Celebrating Our 75th Season

Join us as we commemorate our 75th year with the inaugural season of our new, state-of-the-art theatre.

ELEVATE YOUR OPERA EXPERIENCE

The New OIO Theatre

“A new theater will be transformational for our artists and audiences,” said Nancy J. Preis, general director of Opera in the Ozarks. “It will offer artists a stage worthy of their talents. Our new home will also be a welcoming space for audiences to enjoy an intimate and high-quality performance.”

Opening Mid-2025

2025 SEASON / JULY 1-JULY 29

Our 75th Season

Come Celebrate With Us!

Carmen, Georges Bizet

Fri, Jun 27 – Fri, Jul 25

Carmen (French: [kaʁmɛn]) is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 3 March 1875, where its breaking of conventions shocked and scandalised its first audiences. Bizet died suddenly after the 33rd performance, unaware that the work would achieve international acclaim within the following ten years. Carmen has since become one of the most popular and frequently performed operas in the classical canon; the “Habanera” and “Seguidilla” from act 1 and the “Toreador Song” from act 2 are among the best known of all operatic arias.

Playbill

Coming Soon

The Merry Widow, Franz Lehar

Tue, Jul 01 – Thu, Jul 24

The Merry Widow is a stream of memorable melodies revolving around the relationship between the wealthy young widow Hanna and the dissolute bachelor Danilo. Keeping the widow’s money in the country is the goal of a bunch of bumbling government officials.   The widow’s quest for love unfolds amidst mishaps, intrigue and comedic misadventure. 
 

Playbill

Coming Soon

Into The Woods, Stephen Sondheim

Sat, Jun 28 – Wed, Jul 23

What would you do to make your wishes come true? 

Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack (of beanstalk fame), and a baker and his wife find out when they take a journey into the woods. It’s a magical, bewildering place full of witches, wolves, giants and mysterious strangers, where familiar fairy tales get tangled up together. Wishes come true here, but at a price. Even storybook characters must face the music—of which there is plenty.   Be careful what you wish for.    

Playbill

Coming Soon

2025 SEASON / JULY 1-JULY 29

Other Shows & Events

Featuring OIO Musicians and Performers

75th Anniversary Gala Banquet

Saturday May 31st, 2025 5:30 pm

SOLD OUT!

Gala dinner:   5:30 pm in new rehearsal hall (lower level of theater building)

Enjoy a delicious dinner crafted by expert chefs in our beautiful new rehearsal hall.  Be sure to tell us if you want to be seated with specific friends. 

75th Anniversary Gala Performance

Saturday May 31st, 2025 7:30 pm

$75.00 - $75.00 including fees

Tickets to our 75th Anniversary Gala Performance

Gala concert:   7:30 pm in the new theater 

A once in a lifetime meeting of six decades of Opera in the Ozarks singers.  Enjoy arias and songs accompanied by a professional orchestra and emceed by a beloved television personality.  For the last choral number, all alumni in the audience are invited to join the featured singers on the stage.   Dessert follows in the lobby.

Springdale Broadway Cabaret

Thursday July 17th, 2025 7:00 pm

$60.00 - $60.00 including fees

Who doesn’t love a good Broadway tune and witty lyrics? Well, if you have never heard a classically trained voice sing your favorite Broadway number, you are missing something wonderful. Opera singers love to sing Broadway!

The event -with cabaret seating and intimate atmosphere- is located at The Medium in Springdale, AR.

This extraordinary evening will be packed with songs and complete with light refreshments and a cash bar.

These events sell out quickly, so get your tickets  today!

Chamber Concert

Monday July 21st, 2025 7:30 pm

$25.00 - $25.00 including fees

Spend an evening with the Opera In The Ozarks Orchestra- professional musicians from around the world- who have chosen unique, classic and favorite chamber pieces for your enjoyment.

Eureka Springs Broadway Cabaret

Tuesday July 22nd, 2025 6:00 pm

$80.00 - $80.00 including fees

Who doesn’t love a good Broadway tune and witty lyrics? Well, if you have never heard a classically trained voice sing your favorite Broadway number, you are missing something wonderful. Opera singers love to sing Broadway!

The event will be in our new, beautiful Inspiration Point Center For The Arts.

This extraordinary evening will be packed with songs and complete with a buffet dinner and a cash bar.

These events sell out quickly, so get your tickets  today!

Opera Watching 101

Get the most out of our unique experience! Check out our FAQ below.

If you have a question you don’t see answered here, email us or call us at (479) 253-8595.

Just because you’re attending an opera doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be comfortable! Opera in the Ozarks doesn’t have a dress code; so if you’d like to dress up or dress down, please feel free to do so. Because our opera season is in the summe, we recommend you dress comfortably and dress cool. The good news is that air-conditioning was installed for our 64th season.

Although Opera in the Ozarks performs many of its operas in their original languages, we also project English supertitles above our stage. While our artists are singing in French, German, or Italian, you’ll be able to follow the words and the actions in English.

Our performances begin at 7:30 p.m. with an Opera Talk at 7:00 p.m. If you would like to hear the Opera Talk we suggest you arrive 20-30 minutes before 7:00 to find a parking spot and look around. If you’re only coming for a performance, arriving 30-40 minutes before 7:30 p.m. should leave you enough time to find a parking spot and your seat.

Our Sunday matinee shows, in our own theater at Inspiration Point, begin at 3:00 pm. Opera Talk will begin at 1:30PM.

Being on time to a performance is a courtesy to other opera goers who are seated and listening attentively. Late-comers may not be seated until a break or an intermission.

The Opera Talk is your chance to hear a sneak preview of the opera you’ll be seeing that evening. Our General Director, Nancy Preis, generally leads our Opera Talks and you’ll also hear from 2 or 3 of our singers. The singers usually talk about the characters they play and musical devices  you should listen for. Time allowing, they will answer any questions you have about the opera or their experiences at Opera in the Ozarks.

We do have a small concession stand where we sell water and soft drinks.  We suggest making an evening out of attending one of our performances and enjoy one of the many fine restaurants in Eureka Springs, just 6 miles east of our theatre. Please see our area attractions page for some dining ideas. 

As a general rule of thumb, there are a few key places where clapping is a good idea:

When the conductor comes out to start the overture.
After a particularly well-sung aria.
At the end of an act or the end of the opera when the singers are taking bows.

If you’re unsure of where to clap, following the crowd is always a good idea for your first experience at an opera.

Also, feel free to shout “Bravo!” if you’ve heard or seen something you really enjoyed. Although, the word you shout changes depending on the situation. Here is a quick “Bravo” guide:

Say Bravo (Brah-voh) for a male performer’s exceptional performance.
Say Brava (Brah-vah) for a female performer’s exceptional performance.
Say Bravi (Brah-vee) for a group’s exceptional performance.

  • Please turn off all cell phones and beepers before the opera begins.
  • Please refrain from talking during the performance. This includes talking during the Overture because in many operas the overture can be a “highlight reel” of what to expect musically and dramatically on stage.
  • Please do not hum or sing along with the performers. If you’d like to sing with us, please ask about our auditions!

Past Productions

Each year we perform three fully produced operas. Click to explore photos from our past shows.

Special feature

Here is our 2021 production of The Magic Flute. Due to Covid, our 2021 Family Opera could not go in to the community, so we decided to perform it live on our MainStage, and video for our audiences that could not get to our theater. This is a re-working of the classic opera, that has been themed around ecology and the preservation of our planet. Below is the full production video, photo gallery with concept art, as well as behind the scenes videos from our Costume Designer Kim Welborn and Director Robert Swedberg.

Magic Flute Production & Bonus Videos

The Magic Flute Photos

BTS: Costume Design Concepts

USITT- The Association for Performing Arts and Entertainment Professionals asked Kim Welborn to come on their podcast “TECHnically Speaking” to share her experience creating the costumes for “The Magic Flute”.

Performance DVDs & Streaming Past Productions

We have selected one performance of each cast of three of our 2024 operas that you can purchase in our store: either streaming or DVD. Each show has been recorded with multiple microphones for clear, balanced audio, English translation subtitles and in HD.

L’Enfant Et Les Sortilèges

7-14-24 Performance

L’Enfant Et Les Sortilèges

7-14-24 Performance

L’Enfant Et Les Sortilèges

7-14-24 Performance