Omaha Performing Arts Announces 2014-2015 Season

I had the absolute pleasure of attending the Omaha Performing Arts Season Announcement last night. It was a wonderful Gala event with some sneak peek performances by a couple of the upcoming season shows. 

RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR WITH THE RADIO CITY ROCKETTES will make its Omaha debut November 13-30, 2014.

The first announcement was The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Starring The Rockettes. I always wanted to be a Rockette, but I didn't make the height requirement (and if we can be honest, my talent isn't high enough either). But, it doesn't stop me from loving the Rockettes and I plan to be first in line to see the Christmas Spectacular. It was noted that a full sized Double Decker Bus begins taking the Rockettes and the audience on a journey around New York City at Christmastime. It should be a holiday spectacular event. 

Keep it going with Broadway shows such as Pippin and Motown the Musical. Special engagements of Blue Man Group and Sinbad. Then the other series feature Dinosaur Train Live and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. It is a season packed with something for everyone. Be sure to check out the National Geographic Live! series and the Jazz entertainers coming. Below is the full list of the series and shows. 

Sinbad, ranked by Comedy Central as one
of the 100 best comedians of all time,
will be at the Holland Center February 6, 2015.

2014/2015 Broadway Series 
The Omaha Performing Arts 2014/2015 Broadway Series has five productions, opening with the Omaha debut of THE RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR, STARRING THE ROCKETTES, running November 13-30, 2014. This all new production features dazzling scenery and special effects, glamorous Rockettes costumes and choreography and a 50-foot LED screen that will enhance the show with breathtaking imagery, including the amazing “New York at Christmas” scene. The RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR is a beloved family holiday tradition and is the perfect show for all ages.

Performing January 27 through February 1, 2015 is the four-time Tony Award®-winning 
CAMELOT®, which tells the story of the infamous love triangle between King Arthur, Queen Guinevere and Sir Lancelot. Next in the series is the 2013 Tony®-winning revival PIPPIN, running March 3-8, 2015. 
PIPPIN tells the story of a young prince on a death-defying journey to find meaning in his existence, and features breathtaking acrobatics. MOTOWN THE MUSICAL also opens that month, with performances March 25-29, 2015. MOTOWN recounts the true American dream story of Motown founder Berry Gordy’s journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson and many more. Eight-time Tony Award®-winner ONCE closes out the Broadway Series May 12-17, 2015. Featuring an ensemble of actor/musicians who play their own instruments onstage, ONCE tells the tale of a Dublin street musician who's about to give up on 
his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his songs. 

There are three special Broadway performances available to Season Ticket holders outside of the Broadway Series package. BLUE MAN GROUP returns to perform its popular multimedia show blending the lines of comedy and music October 24-26. The international sensation, Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, is back for a limited engagement December 19- 21. The feel-good show that has audiences coming back again and again, MAMMA MIA!, has a repeat engagement in Omaha April 24-26, 2015. 

2014/2015 Dance Series 
The 2014/2015 Dance Series begins with the contemporary dance company Aspen Santa Fe 
Ballet, which returns to the Orpheum on February 19, 2015, with a new production featuring the 
incredible piece, Square None. The Brazilian dance ensemble Compagnie Käfig performs March 18, 2015, entertaining the audience with their hip hop and Latin dance-inspired program. Pilobolus Dance Theatre returns to Omaha April 23, 2015 with a program featuring a Penn & Teller piece described as, "the ultimate in gripping, do-not-try-this-at-home choreography." 

2014/2015 Family Series 
Omaha Performing Arts’ 2014/2015 Family Series starts on January 23, 2015 with the live 
theatrical production of the PBS series Dinosaur Train Live! Buddy’s Big Adventure. The one-of-a-kind live black-light puppet show, John Tartaglia's ImaginOcean, will be presented February 20, 2015. The Chinese acrobatic touring company Golden Dragon Acrobats will perform at the Orpheum April 29, 2015. 

Rock Legends with Billy McGuigan will be
May 15, 2015 at the 1200 CLUB inside the Holland Performing Arts Center.

2014/2015 Jazz Series 
The six-time Grammy®-winning saxophonist, David Sanborn, opens the 2014/2015 Jazz Series on Sunday, February 15, 2015. Grammy® winning jazz musician, vocalist and songwriter Cassandra Wilson celebrates Billy Holiday's 100th birthday anniversary in a unique performance on March 7, 2015. Terence Blanchard, a Grammy®-winning jazz trumpeter from New Orleans, rounds out the series with a performance May 7, 2015. 

2014/2015 Showcase Series 
The Showcase Series for 2014/2015 begins with football great Terry Bradshaw in Terry 
Bradshaw: America’s Favorite Dumb Blonde … a life in four squares. The program features 
Bradshaw in a funny night of storytelling, comedy and singing on November 20, 2014. January 21, 2015 heats up when stars from American Idol pair up with professional dancers from Dancing with the Stars for Ballroom with a Twist at the Orpheum Theater. The Texas Tenors – the highest scoring vocal group ever on America's Got Talent – will bring cowboy charm and breath-taking vocals to the Holland Center on March 19, 2015. Folk singer Arlo Guthrie will be at the Holland Center April 28, 2015 with a performance celebrating the 50th anniversary of Alice’s Restaurant. 

Brian Skerry, a photojournalist, presents Ocean’s Soul on March 10, 2015, which is a speaking engagement featuring stunning images from his vast career as an underwater photographer.

2014/2015 National Geographic Live Series 
The 2014/2015 National Geographic Live Series features three exciting speakers and many 
stunning images. On February 10, 2015, Extreme Planet with Carsten Peter, extreme weather 
photographer, will feature tales of adrenaline and danger. Photojournalist Brian Skerry will present Ocean Soul on March 10, 2015, featuring stories and spectacular images from his vast career as an underwater photographer. Presenting Pink Boots and a Machete on April 7, 2015 is a wildlife expert, primatologist and television personality Mireya Mayor, dubbed by some as a female Indiana Jones. 

2014/2015 1200 CLUB Series 
The intimate performances in the 1200 CLUB Series begin January 15, 2015 with 
singer/songwriter José James, who is regarded as an underground sensation in both the modern jazz and DJ culture scenes. The gypsy jazz band Hot Sardines celebrates Mardi Gras in the club on February 17, 2015 with their unique sound that’s akin to wartime Paris via New Orleans. Later that month, jazz trumpeter and composer Randy Brecker plays on February 27, 2015. The six-time Grammy®-nominated vocalist and Omaha native, Tierney Sutton, performs two shows on March 27, 2015 featuring material from her recent album “After Blue,” a re-imagining of the legacy of Joni Mitchell. The classically-trained musicians in Black Violin will perform a show blending hip-hop, rock, R&B and bluegrass April 12, 2015. 
An Omaha favorite closes out 1200 CLUB Season: Rock Legends with Billy McGuigan will be May 15, 2015. 

2014/2015 Special Performances 
Omaha Performing Arts’ 2014/2015 Special performances can be added to any Season Ticket package with most performances offering a savings of at least 15%. The first of the Special performances is Comedy's Lovable Queen of Mean, Lisa Lampanelli, July 17-20, 2014. In partnership with the River City Theatre Organ Society and just in time for Halloween, the classic silent film “Phantom of the Opera” will be screened October 22, 2014 at the Orpheum Theater with music played by organist Clark Wilson. David Sedaris returns to the Holland Center for more wickedly witty observations of the ordinary-bizarre on October 30, 2014. Christmas with The King’s Singers, featuring one of the world’s most celebrated vocal ensembles, will be December 3, 2014. Sinbad, ranked by Comedy Central as one of the 
100 best comedians of all time, will be at the Holland Center February 6, 2015. The Grammy®-winning South African a capella group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, returns to the Holland Center on February 19, 2015. Food Network star Chef Robert Irvine will be at the Holland Center March 6, 2015 for an interactive theatrical event that takes cooking to new places. The Irish-American Celtic ensemble, Cherish the Ladies, performs March 11, 2015 just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. 

For more information about Omaha Performing Arts’ Season Tickets, visit OmahaPerformingArts.org/SeasonTickets or call 402.345.0606 or toll-free at 866.434.8587. Groups of 10 or more may also purchase tickets to the 2014/2015 season; groups can save up to 25% on select shows. For more information on Group Sales, visit OmahaPerformingArts.org/Groups or call 402.661.8516. Single tickets for the 2014/2015 Omaha Performing Arts season will go on sale at a later date. Due to the nature of live entertainment, all programs, performers, prices, dates and times are subject to change.