Omaha Community Playhouse

OCP 'Evil Dead' Blood Drive

The Omaha Community Playhouse is hosting a blood drive through the American Red Cross on Wednesday, March 13 from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. at OCP on 69th and Cass.
OCP is using 200 gallons of fake blood in Evil Dead: The Musical. Help replace the blood lost in the Splatter Zone!

You can schedule an appointment at www.redcrossblood.org and search sponsor code 0092840.

All those that donate blood will recieve a coupon for $10 off any performance of All Night Strut! A Jumpin' Jivin' Jam. For more information, call Lora Kaup at (402) 553-4890, ext. 147.

It's Destination: Vegas, Baby!

Join us Saturday, April 6, 2013 for a night of bright lights and big action. It’s the most anticipated fundraiser this year...It’s Destination: Vegas, Baby!, a fundraiser to support the Omaha Community Playhouse.

Bring your Benjamins and head to the best carpet joint in town. The Playhouse is doing up Vegas old style with showgirls, poker on the patio, scotch tasting, the star of the Las Vegas Lab Band Mike “Gooch” Gurcuillo, Mitch Towne in the Piano Bar, BossPhilly in the lounge and much, much more! Elvis has NOT left the building! Our games are hot and our drinks are cold. You’re on our VIP list. Here’s how to get in:

Patron Party tickets are available for $125 with the party starting at 6 p.m. until 10 p.m., catered by Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar. General Admission tickets are available for $75 with the party starting at 7 p.m. until 10 p.m., catered by Catering Creations. Young Professional (age 21-35) tickets are available for $50. For tickets, call (402) 553-0800.

We’re calling in the favors, so bring your friends, staff, preferred clients and those that “owe you one” to the Omaha Community Playhouse on Saturday, April 6 for this fabulous fundraiser.

And remember: What happens at the Playhouse, stays at the Playhouse.

All Night Strut!: Not your typical theatre production

Are you looking for a jumpin’ and jivin’ time? Well, boogie on down to the Omaha Community Playhouse for a musical celebration featuring hits from the Great Depression, World War II and the post-war boom.

Susie Baer Collins, director of All Night Strut! A Jumpin’ Jivin’ Jam, explained what this atypical production is all about.

This musical is an updated version of All Night Strut!, which had always been “a little too small to put on the mainstage,” according to Collins. However, she “loved this musical” and always felt that Omaha audiences were “very nostalgic for that kind of music.” The major improvements of the updated version include “adjusted musical arrangements…a bigger band and dancers.” OCP had always wanted to bring this musical to the Hawks Mainstage, and with this updated version, All Night Strut! A Jumpin’ Jivin’ Jam, they finally can.

As a longtime director of more traditional plays, Collins has to step out of her comfort zone.

“Well for me, I’m all about words,” said Collins. “That’s what I do. So when I’m looking at a project that’s primarily music and dance, I’m very reliant on the collaboration I have with my music director and choreographer.”

She acknowledges that she has the best in Musical Director Jim Boggess and Choreographer Roxanne Nielsen. The three spent countless hours educating the cast on the legendary composers and their works in order to make this production as sincere and authentic as possible. The collaboration creates a balance between dialogue, song and dance similar to Cirque du Soleil.

Collins revealed that the host for the production is a “little clown character, played by Anthony Clark-Kaczmarek, who’s basically your silent narrator.” He will take you back through time for a musical revue of the ‘30s and ‘40s. Brief dialogue scenes are used throughout the musical to provide historical context to the different musical numbers. The first act includes musical genres like swing, jazz and more. Act two becomes more contemporary as it introduces music inspired out of the post-World War II era.

All Night Strut! A Jumpin’ Jivin’ Jam will take you back to the period of live and thrilling music that just doesn’t compare to modern day melodies. Enjoy classics from infamous songwriters such as Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Frank Loesser, Jerome Kern and much more.

Collins reminds us that “this is not just your grandma’s music.” The musical revue revisits the songs that document America’s progression and music’s progression throughout an important period of our history. Take part in the get-up-and-go jivin’/jitterbug dancing that will have you swinging out of the theatre.

Don’t miss out on All Night Strut! A Jumpin’ Jivin’ Jam live on the Howard and Rhonda Hawks Mainstage Theatre, March 1–30, 2013; Wednesday–Saturday, 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, 2 p.m.

Tickets are $40 for adults and $24 for students. For groups of 12 or more, tickets are $29 for adults and $18 for students. To purchase tickets, or for more information, call (402) 553-0800, visit the OCP Box Office or click here.

Article by Anna Venditte

February Metro Arts and Culture Pass Deal

Enjoy the arts with a Metro Arts and Culture Pass! If you are a season subscriber to the Omaha Community Playhouse, in the month of February, you can receive $1 off admission to Love's Jazz and Arts Center. You can also buy $10 tickets to "Tomas and the Library Lady" at The Rose.

The Metro Arts and Culture Pass is sponsored by The Reader and features various nonprofit arts organizations around Omaha. In order to be a Metro Arts and Culture 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 and Arts Center
Lauritzen Gardens
Bluffs Arts Council

Strategic Air and Space Museum
Nebraskans for the Arts
BlueBarn Theatre
Kaneko
For more information about the Metro Arts Pass, contact the director of sales at lkaup@omahaplayhouse.com or (402) 553-4890, ext. 147.

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

A bloody good conversation series presented by
Omaha Community Playhouse and UNMC in conjunction with Evil Dead: The Musical.

Sunday, February 17 – Zombie Apocalypse: Are you prepared?

Join Dr. Shawn Gibbs, associate dean for Student Affairs in the College of Public Health at UNMC, as he explores the possibility of a zombie outbreak. How do we prepare? What are the rules from the Center for Disease Control that apply?

Dr. Gibbs received his B. S. in Biology from Ohio State University, followed by an M. S. in Environmental Science from University of Cincinnati and an M. B. A. in Agribusiness from University of Nebraska –Lincoln, and then received a Ph. D, in Environmental Science from the University of Cincinnati. His research area is environmental exposure assessment, including environmental microbiology. The focus is on environmental bioaerosals (bacterial, antibiotic resistant bacteria, fungal, viral) from both the indoor and ambient environments. Dr. Gibbs has previously done work and has ongoing projects in a wide range of environmental health topics from decontamination, pesticide exposure, pregnancy outcomes and health disparities.

Sunday, March 3 – Zombie-ism: It’s infectious!

Shawn Gibbs, Ph.D., associate dean for Student Affairs in the College of Public Health, discusses different types of infection and how they spread. Could a zombie outbreak occur? How fast would it spread? Can zombie-ism be contained?

Sunday, March 10 – Real life zombies: They do exist!

Real life is often more shocking and horrifying than the creations of our imaginations. Dr. Michael McCaskill, assistant professor in Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health, will discuss the toxicology of “bath salts,” designer drugs that cause “zombie-like” behavior.

Dr. McCaskill received his B.S. from the University of Florida in 1999, a M.P.H. from the University of South Carolina in 2002, and a Ph.D. from Florida A7M in 2009. Dr. McCaskill’s research interests include toxicology, metabolic pathways, zenobiotic induced reactive oxygen species, mediated protein, hormone and vitamin dysmetabolism.

The conversations will occur after the Sunday matinees of Evil Dead: The Musical and are free to those attending that day’s performance. No reservations are necessary for the conversation.

Tickets to Evil Dead: The Musical are $40 for adults, $24 for students (K – 12 and full-time undergraduates). This conversation series is offered free and is open to the public. For tickets, visit omahaplayhouse.com, call 402-553-0800 or visit the OCP Box Office.

UNMC staff, faculty and students can take advantage of a $25 ticket by call the director of sales at
(402) 553-4890 ext. 147.

Get Dramatic at First Stage Theatre Academy

In its 16^th year, First Stage Theatre Academy will examine the world of Imagination. Participants will be challenged in this two-week camp to dive deeper into the theatrical experience. Workshops and seminars will address everything from stage combat, dance and music to writing for the stage, acting styles, mask work and audition techniques. Additionally, students will prepare for an original production performed on OCP’s Hawks Mainstage for invited family and friends. Please note there is only one session this year, space is limited so register now! $100 dollar deposit due at time of registration.

Don’t forget we have a variety of summer camps during the month of June for our younger campers; for more information, click here.

To register for First Stage, click here, call (402) 553-4890, ext. 131 or email dchapman@omahaplayhouse.com.

Evil Dead: The Musical - blood, gore and more!

Everyone is buzzing about Evil Dead: The Musical, the Splatter Zone and all the fun that goes along with it. But what has the cast excited about the show? They’re just dying to tell you!

Name: Amanda Rounds

Character: Annie

Were you a fan of the movies in the Evil Dead series before auditioning for this show? My older brother and I used to watch Army of Darkness all the time. He even had a movie poster up in his bedroom, and I think, a t-shirt. I don’t even think I understood the plot – I just thought it was so cool that funny people came out of the ground and that guy had a chainsaw for a hand.

Why did you want to audition for Evil Dead: The Musical? I remember how excited I was when I heard about Evil Dead: The Musical off-Broadway. And the splatter zone sounded so cool! When I heard the Omaha Community Playhouse was doing it, I knew it would be literally off the chain…saw.

What is your favorite part about this show? It’s a tight piece with so much to catch that the audience will literally have to sit on the edges of their seats in order to eat it all up. And for those in the splatter zone – wow. They’re going to be catching more than quips and punch-lines, for sure!

What is your favorite part about your character? I honestly get to have so much fun. Every moment in every scene is basically my favorite.

Brian Zealand as Ash and Amanda Rounds as Annie

Name: Lindsey Tierney

Character: Linda

Why did you want to audition for Evil Dead: The Musical?

It is a musical that is full of fun and energy, and I wanted to be a part of a project like this. Also, my friends and I love zombie movies, so I was really hoping to get cast.

What is your favorite part about your character?

Linda is this goody-goody that is quite innocent in the beginning, but when she turns to the dark side, a whole new personality takes over her, and I enjoy playing with that contrast.

Name: Brian Zealand

Character: Ash

Did you see any of the movies in the Evil Dead series before auditioning for this show?

You bet; all three! I loved them! Evil Dead 2 is my favorite.

Why did you want to audition for Evil Dead: The Musical?

The idea of having the opportunity to kill zombies or be a zombie on stage was definitely on the actor bucket list for me!

Brian Zealand as Ash

Name: Thomas Gjere

Character: Ed

Were you a fan of the movies in the Evil Dead series before auditioning for this show? Army of Darkness was a movie I've liked since I saw it as a kid.

What is your favorite part about this show?

Is it cliche to say "the splatter zone?"

What is your favorite part about your character?

He can never get a word in edgewise. Poor guy. But it makes memorizing lines a snap!

What advice would you give someone who is coming to this show?

Join us! Ha ha, oh the puns are even getting to me. But seriously, come ready to laugh and be covered in copious amounts of gore. It'll be a good time. I promise.

Evil Dead: The Musical plays in the Howard Drew Theatre Feb. 10-March 17, Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $40 for adults and $24 for students. For groups of 12 or more, tickets are $29 for adults and $18 for students. For tickets, visit omahaplayhouse.com, call 402-553-0800 or visit the OCP Box Office. Indicate whether or not you want seats in the Splatter Zone! And for more bloody, good fun, join us for the Splatter Bash on Feb. 15.