From Cedar Rapids to Aspen: Mike Harrington’s journey to the Wheeler Opera House

Mike Harrington has had a lifelong connection to the performing arts. As a young boy growing up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he credits his sister for first exposing him to what would become a driving force in his life.

“My oldest sister was a dance teacher and she was responsible for watching me after school. Sometimes both my parents worked, so she started taking me to dance class,” Harrington explained. “Instead of sitting there and not being engaged, I started getting up and being a part of the class, which ended up being something that I was interested in and happened to be good at.”

His talent in dance progressed to musical theatre in high school, which in turn propelled him to New York City to attend New York University’s Steinhardt School (NYU), where he earned a bachelor’s degree in music with a major in vocal performance and got to fulfill his dream of performing and being exposed to all that the city had to offer.

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“There’s a Broadway musical called ‘A Chorus Line,’ and there’s a character named Mike. His story is almost exactly the same as mine,” Harrington said. “He sings a song called ‘I Can Do That,’ where he talks about his sister going to dance class. It is very much aligned with my life story.”

From there, Harrington gained an interest in the administrative side of the business, earning an executive master of business administration degree.

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Notable roles over his 22-year career include executive director and president of TheaterWorksUSA, where he successfully negotiated strategic partnerships that added over $2 million in value to the organization. 

At NYU Skirball Center, he further demonstrated his leadership by cultivating collaborations with prestigious organizations like The Public Theater, DOC NYC, Hip Hop Theater Festival, and Live Nation, and more.

Harrington’s background is further enriched by his tenure as the university director of arts advancement at Long Island University.

And in September 2024, he officially joined the Wheeler Opera House as the new executive director. He replaced Lisa Rigsby Peterson, who began as Opera House executive director in 2021. 

“It’s a beautiful historic venue in a culturally vibrant market that comes to life through a combination of exceptional events produced and promoted by the venue, as well as with the very important, valuable relationships with cultural organizations that also exist here,” he said of why he chose to leave New York to take the helm of the historic Wheeler.

In the two months since Harrington has served as executive director, he’s already creating a buzz with the announcement of upcoming shows featuring big-name talent, like comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who will close out the Aspen Laugh Festival on March 15, and a new Insiders program geared toward locals.

The Wheeler Insiders Program is a membership program designed to give residents access to performances and exclusive benefits, before tickets go on sale to the general public. For $20 annually, members will enjoy priority announcements and pre-sale windows; be the first to secure tickets to popular performances; special ticket pricing on select Wheeler Presents events, and exchange privileges for when plans change.

The Wheeler Insiders Program is open to patrons who confirm primary residence in the following local zip codes: 81611, 81615, 81621, 81623, 81654, and 81656. Proof of residence can be shown with a Colorado State driver’s license or Military ID. Employees of the city of Aspen qualify with an employee ID badge.

To sign up, visit the Wheeler Opera House box office in person (noon-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday) with proof of eligibility.

“We very much want the vibe of the Wheeler to be rooted locally but recognized globally,” he said. “Aspen is a very sophisticated environment. Its residents have high expectations of wanting the best of the best. And the Wheeler wants to be the best of the best. The Radio City of the Rockies is what I think the Wheeler could be.”

The Wheeler Opera House’s programming is supported by the city of Aspen Real Estate Transfer Tax. For tickets and more information, visit aspenshowtix.com or wheeleroperahouse.com.

Sarah Girgis is the Arts and Entertainment Editor for The Aspen Times. She can be reached at 970-429-9151 or sgirgis@aspentimes.com.