Cruise the World at Destination: World's Fare


Set sail Saturday, March 31 with ACT II at Destination: World’s Fare as you cruise to exotic ports of call without ever leaving the Omaha Community Playhouse. Please join Honorary Chairs Captain and Mrs. Carter and Vernie Jones aboard the S.S. Jones for an evening of fun, food and entertainment at ACT II’s annual benefit for OCP.

Behold the wonder of Alaska, enjoy the reggae sounds of Jamaica, experience the underwater world of the Caribbean and enjoy variety show entertainment at the Captain’s reception aboard the S.S. Jones. Patron travelers will enjoy access to the exclusive Pirate’s Cove for the duration of the evening, featuring the music of the Linoma Mashers and fabulous cuisine from Catering Creations.

Ports of Call:

•S.S. Jones: Featuring fabulous entertainment and delicious desserts, the Captain’s reception aboard ship is the place to be. We’ll be showcasing the cream of the crop in local performers—talented singers, amazing magic, flair bartending and more. Preserve your memories of the evening and have your photo taken by the ship photographer!

•Alaska: Prepare to have your heart stolen by the majesty of Alaska. Relax and sample the bounty offered in this scenic locale. Don’t forget to try the catch of the day!

•Jamaica: Let your hair down at the Barefoot Tiki Bar with a signature cocktail and enjoy Caribbean cuisine as the reggae sounds of Jamaica play in the background. Compete in the ring toss and have your hair braided in the local custom.

•Mystic Reef: You’ll be amazed at the watery world of the Caribbean. We’re taking you on an underwater adventure like you’ve never experienced. Marvel in this cool blue lagoon as you enjoy taste sensations.

Patron tickets for this special night are $125 per ticket and feature exclusive access to Pirates’ Cove, catering by Catering Creations and dancing to the sounds of The Linoma Mashers. General Boarding tickets are available for $75 per ticket. All tickets provide event access from 6 to 9 p.m. and include unlimited food and drink. To purchase tickets or for more information, contact the development coordinator at (402) 553-4890, ext. 145 or the Box Office at (402) 553-0800.

21 & Over Presents: The Encyclopedia Show



Back by popular demand, Omaha Community Playhouse's 21 & Over program is pleased to present The Encyclopedia Show.

Monday, Feb. 20, 2012
7:30 p.m.
Omaha Community Playhouse
Howard Drew Theatre
Free and open to the public, with an opportunity for donations. No tickets or reservations are necessary.

Brought to you from Omaha Spoken Word artist, Katie F-S and the minds of Chicago poets and producers Robbie Q. Telfer and Shanny Jean Maney, The Encyclopedia Show is a live variety extravaganza that commissions local and touring artists and experts from many disciplines to use their individual talents to present a different verbal encyclopedia entry each month. Get ready for a fun, interactive night; The Encyclopedia Show is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced.
The remainder of the 21 & Over schedule for the 2011-12 season is as follows:

March 12, 2012: Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker
May 7, 2012: The Candy Project (special guest artists)
June 18, 2012: Passion Play by Sarah Ruhl

The 21 & Over productions are intended for a mature audience and discretion is advised. For more information on 21 & Over and other OCP alternative programs, contact Amy Lane, Resident Director, at alane@omahaplayhouse.com or (402) 553-4890, ext. 164.

21 & Over is sponsored by Omaha Steaks and the Mammel Foundation and media sponsored by Omahype.

February Metro Arts Pass Deal



Enjoy the arts with a Metro Arts Pass! If you are a season subscriber to the Omaha Community Playhouse, in the month of February, you can receive $10 tickets to The Adventures of Nate the Great at The Rose and 10% off exhibitions and gift shop items at Love's Jazz & Arts Center.

The Metro Arts Pass is sponsored by The Reader and features various nonprofit arts organizations around Omaha. In order to be a Metro Arts Pass member, you only must be a member or subscriber to one of the participating organizations. Every month, OCP members can enjoy a discount at a different featured Omaha arts organization.

Other participating organizations include:
Omaha Children's Museum
Omaha Performing Arts
Bemis Center
Durham Museum
Opera Omaha
El Museo Latino
The Rose
Film Streams
Nebraska Shakespeare
Joslyn Art Museum
Fontenelle Nature Association
The Arts Center
Ballet Nebraska
Love's Jazz & Arts Center
Lauritzen Gardens
Bluffs Arts Council


For more information about the Metro Arts Pass, contact the director of sales at lkaup@omahaplayhouse.com or (402) 553-4890, ext. 147.

The Fantasticks: Steampunked

"This is the story that has been told a million times, that you have never heard before."

In 1894, a French poet by the name of Edmond Rostand wrote the romantic comedy, Les Romanesques. Nearly 70 years later, it was rewritten and adapted into the 1960s musical, The Fantasticks. For over 100 years, this story has been told and retold, but never quite like this...

Known as the longest running musical in history, The Fantasticks is a simple romantic comedy crafted with captivating music and whimsy. Through the creative genius of Director Carl Beck and Costume Designer Georgiann Regan comes a steampunk-inspired adaptation that will delight your senses and leave you completely fulfilled.

To help define 'steampunk,' Regan said, "It's retro-futurism. It's Victorian in style but punk in attitude." Steampunk, in many ways, is free to interpret, but it is known to have a general Victorian style that meshes with the 19th Century industrial modernism. "Cool," as Regan put it, is the overall consensus about this show. Taking techniques used from other shows, Regan and her team have created fabric for costumes by layering pieces of modern fabric and vintage fabric from the Victorian era.
"Another word that I use when I describe [steampunk] is ‘deconstruction,’" Regan said, while showing a piece she had deconstructed and put back together from the collar of a man's shirt. "It started more as a literary movement. Science-fiction writers were intrigued with Jules Verne and H.G. Wells," Regan said. According to research, science-fiction author, K.W. Jeter coined the term steampunk while trying to generalize the collective works of several 1980s science-fiction writers. As the style evolved throughout the decade, the fashion quickly became the passion. Regan also added, that according to certain steampunk fundamentalists, it has to employ an element of steam in order to be considered steampunk.

"It's not an intrusive concept. It seems like the allegoric-quality can blend with the fantasy, giving it a quasi-period feel," Beck said. "Making for a stronger statement than [The Fantasticks] usually gets." Beck added that the story is not being re-written or changed in any way. Outside of the costumes, set and props, this show is, in its entirety, the original.

"It's classical simplicity. It's not a contemporary character tale. It's about a boy who is overly in love with a girl. [Their] father's are trying to keep them together by pulling them apart," Beck said. Steampunk seems to lend itself to this story by finding beauty among the broken pieces.

The OCP production of The Fantasticks allows for an experimental collective that provides an unparalleled experience. If you are revisiting this show or seeing it for the first time, it guarantees entertainment and surprise.

The Fantasticks runs Feb. 10-March 18, Thursday–Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. in the Howard Drew Theatre. Tickets are $40 (adults) and $24 (students). Groups of 15 or more are $29 (adults) or $18 (students). For tickets, visit the Box Office, call (402) 553-0800 or click here.


Article by Chad Cunningham

21 & Over Casts

Auditions were recently held for Circle Mirror Transformation and Passion Play, part of the Omaha Community Playhouse's 21 & Over series. More than 50 talented area actors auditioned! Below are the casts for these two shows.

Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker
March 12, 2012

Laura Leininger….Marty
Doug Hayko….Schultz
Bailey Newman….Lauren
Christina Rohling….Theresa
Mark Thornburg….James


Passion Play by Sarah Ruhl
June 18, 2012

Chris Fowler….John/Eric/J (Jesus)
Brian Zealand….Pontius/Foot Soldier/P (Pontius Pilate)
Suzanne Withem….Mary 1/Else (Virgin Mary)
Shannon Jaxies….Mary 2 (Mary Magdalene)
Colin Ferguson….Carpenter 1
Brendan Reilly….Machinist/German Officer/Special Effects Guy/Ronald Reagan
Randy Vest….Friar/Visiting Englishman/VA Psychiatrist
Amy Schweid….Village Idiot/Violet
Colt Neidhardt….Carpenter 2
Bill Grennan….Director/Hitler
Charleen Willoughby….Queen Elizabeth I
Katlynn Yost….Prologue

Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. 21 & Over productions are intended only for a mature audience. Events are free and open to the public with an opportunity for donations. No tickets or reservations are needed.

Thank you Producing Partners!

Ticket sales alone do not cover the costs of producing the high-quality entertainment and educational opportunities for which the Omaha Community Playhouse is so well known. Generous donors help make up the difference by sponsoring productions. These Producing Partners help us bring the gift of live theatre to the Omaha community.

Please join us in recognizing the sponsors of our upcoming productions. Thank these generous donors if you see them and patronize their businesses. Their support is pivotal to the success of the Omaha Community Playhouse!

On Golden Pond
Sponsored by: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska and Koley Jessen Attorneys
Guest Director Sponsor: Tom and Mary Jetton Charitable Fund through the Omaha Community Foundation
Costume Sponsor: Dr. and Mrs. Rudy Kotula
Stage Manager Sponsor: Mr. and Mrs. Hal Daub
Media Sponsor: COX

The Fantasticks
Sponsored in part by: Friend of the Playhouse
Orchestra Sponsor: The Paul and Oscar Giger Foundation
Costume Sponsor: Continuum Worldwide
Media Sponsor: COX

Altar Boyz
Sponsored by: TD Ameritrade
Orchestra Sponsor: Whitmore Charitable Trust
Media Sponsor: KXVO/KPTM

Lend Me A Tenor
Sponsored by: Woodmen of the World, Tenaska and David & Anne Rismiller
Costume Sponsor: Friend of the Playhouse
Stage Manager Sponsor: Dr. Edgar and Carol Smith
Media Sponsor: Metro Magazine

A Streetcar Named Desire
Sponsored by: Carter and Vernie Jones
Stage Manager Sponsor: Griffith and Margaret Evans
Media Sponsor: Omaha World-Herald

Hairspray
Sponsored by: Mutual of Omaha
Orchestra Sponsor: Friend of the Playhouse
Wig Sponsor: Friend of the Playhouse
Media Sponsor: WOWT

Sweets and Treats at OCP


Whether your young love is far better than a metaphor or in your tried and true relationship you refer to your significant other as an "Old Poop," this special Valentine’s Day event is sure to delight!

Enjoy sugary treats paired with your favorite drinks! Learn about why certain flavors mix well with wines, beers and other alcoholic drinks. Then complete your evening with a heartfelt performance of On Golden Pond or The Fantasticks. Whether you want to wow your valentine or treat yourself, this event guarantees to make Valentine’s Day special!

Saturday, Feb. 11, 6:30 p.m.

Rising Star Ticket (either show) & Reception: $25
On Golden Pond Ticket & Reception: $38
The Fantasticks Ticket & Reception: $44
Reception only: $15

Reserve your tickets before February 6 to take advantage of this special event. Reservations must be made by calling (402) 553-4890, ext. 147 or emailing lkaup@omahaplayhouse.com. Tickets for this event can not be reserved through the Box Office or through the website. You must be over 21 to attend this event.