Although I’ve been the development director for the past four years at the Omaha Community Playhouse, I have shied away from including any personal connections in our fundraising appeals, believing it more important to focus on the great organization that is OCP. My thought was that “it’s not about me, it’s about the Playhouse.” I still believe in principle that is and should be the case.
However, as I continue to talk to our supporters, it is becoming clear to me that we DO need to be talking about contributing to the Playhouse on a personal level because the majority of people still do not understand one of our core messages: donations of every size really do matter and make a difference.
This point was driven home to me recently as my very own mother apologized to me regarding the size of her donation. She, like many of our patrons, bought a season package and rounded up with a contribution to make her check an even $200. She then was surprised (and I believe a little embarrassed) when she received a thank you letter from me and a personal thank you call from Tim Schmad, our President. She told me “It wasn’t anything; you shouldn’t waste your time thanking me.” Unfortunately, we hear something similar from many of our donors.
Here are some facts to perhaps help you understand that we really mean it when we say that donations of every amount are needed and appreciated:
•Last year, 61% of all the donations OCP received were equal to or less than $100.
•Of NEW donors who gave a gift with their season ticket package, 87% of those gifts were equal to or less than $100.
You may have heard the saying “It takes a village…” The same is true of our friends at OCP. Yes, we need donors who can give more than $100. But we also need all those donors who give at whatever level they can. Both large and “small” gifts are significant to helping us provide our community with high-quality entertainment and educational opportunities.
Will you consider making a donation, of any amount, to OCP today? Click here to complete a secure online donation or feel free to send a check to my attention to 6915 Cass Street, Omaha, NE 68132. Thank you for your consideration and support.
Sincerely,
Alena Furlong
Development Director
Murder. Corruption. And all that jazz.
Based on the real lives of two women, Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner, the Tony-winning musical Chicago is a nearly identical depiction of the historical court cases of the accused women. Their real-life accounts became a source of inspiration for reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins, who put the murderesses in the public eye, gaining them publicity and celebrity status.
Beulah Annan, who is the inspiration for the character of Roxie Hart, was married to multi-millionaire Albert Annan. Beulah had an affair with laundry worker Harry Kalstedt whom she murdered in cold blood. Her defense took on many forms. She told stories of how Kalstedt threatened to leave her, how she shot him in self-defense and that she was pregnant. She was reported to have sat idly by, drinking a cocktail and listening to a record after his death.
Belva Gaertner was a famous cabaret singer, and the inspiration for character Velma Kelly, known for killing her lover Walter Law. The man was found slumped over the front seat of her car with a bottle of gin and a gun present. Belva claimed that he shot himself for she couldn’t remember the incident. Both women were acquitted which became a controversial issue in their day.
Years after their infamous trials, Watkin’s stories inspired her to write the storyline for the hit production of Chicago, forever immortalizing the ladies in a life of gin, glamour and jazz.
The character of Billy Flynn, a suave, cunning attorney who comes to the legal aid of Roxie, is based off of two prominent lawyers who practiced during the 1920s. Flynn and Roxie discover a way to dodge the bullet (no pun intended) and pull off a legal scheme so grandiose that it “razzle dazzles” the court. With justice on their side, Velma and Roxie ascend to new levels of notoriety as they pursue their vaudevillian aspirations.
Director Carl Beck touched upon some elements and key components of the show that make for a dazzling performance. According to Beck, the OCP production of Chicago is an “incarnation of the original Bob Fosse 1970s production,” but is divergent from the stylized Broadway concert version. The feel of this production is a hybrid of historical authenticity tinged with nostalgia. Beck said the initial Fosse concept was attributed largely to vaudeville influence. Each signature number in the show is an homage paid to a vaudeville performer of that era. For instance, the character of Roxie Hart pays homage to late singer Sophie Tucker.
A celebration of femme fatale exploits and justice for the not-so-innocent, Chicago is the razzle dazzle, roaring 20s hit you won’t want to miss.
Chicago plays in the Howard and Rhonda Hawks Mainstage Theatre Sept. 16-Oct. 16, Wednesday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $40 for adults and $24 for students. For groups of 15 or more, adult tickets are $29 and student tickets are $18. To purchase tickets, call (402) 553-0800, stop into the Box Office on 69th and Cass or click here.
Article by Natalie McGovern
Beulah Annan, who is the inspiration for the character of Roxie Hart, was married to multi-millionaire Albert Annan. Beulah had an affair with laundry worker Harry Kalstedt whom she murdered in cold blood. Her defense took on many forms. She told stories of how Kalstedt threatened to leave her, how she shot him in self-defense and that she was pregnant. She was reported to have sat idly by, drinking a cocktail and listening to a record after his death.
Belva Gaertner was a famous cabaret singer, and the inspiration for character Velma Kelly, known for killing her lover Walter Law. The man was found slumped over the front seat of her car with a bottle of gin and a gun present. Belva claimed that he shot himself for she couldn’t remember the incident. Both women were acquitted which became a controversial issue in their day.
Years after their infamous trials, Watkin’s stories inspired her to write the storyline for the hit production of Chicago, forever immortalizing the ladies in a life of gin, glamour and jazz.
The character of Billy Flynn, a suave, cunning attorney who comes to the legal aid of Roxie, is based off of two prominent lawyers who practiced during the 1920s. Flynn and Roxie discover a way to dodge the bullet (no pun intended) and pull off a legal scheme so grandiose that it “razzle dazzles” the court. With justice on their side, Velma and Roxie ascend to new levels of notoriety as they pursue their vaudevillian aspirations.
Director Carl Beck touched upon some elements and key components of the show that make for a dazzling performance. According to Beck, the OCP production of Chicago is an “incarnation of the original Bob Fosse 1970s production,” but is divergent from the stylized Broadway concert version. The feel of this production is a hybrid of historical authenticity tinged with nostalgia. Beck said the initial Fosse concept was attributed largely to vaudeville influence. Each signature number in the show is an homage paid to a vaudeville performer of that era. For instance, the character of Roxie Hart pays homage to late singer Sophie Tucker.
A celebration of femme fatale exploits and justice for the not-so-innocent, Chicago is the razzle dazzle, roaring 20s hit you won’t want to miss.
Chicago plays in the Howard and Rhonda Hawks Mainstage Theatre Sept. 16-Oct. 16, Wednesday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $40 for adults and $24 for students. For groups of 15 or more, adult tickets are $29 and student tickets are $18. To purchase tickets, call (402) 553-0800, stop into the Box Office on 69th and Cass or click here.
Article by Natalie McGovern
September 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 September, you can receive $1 off admission at the Omaha Children's Museum. You can also receive a free ticket with the purchase of a ticket for The Passing Zone at The Arts Center at Iowa Western Community College on Sept. 16.
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
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.
Goodbye $7 Sundays...Hello Whatta Deal Wednesdays!
The beginning of the 2011-12 season marks the end of Sunday evening regular season performances on the Howard and Rhonda Hawks Mainstage. Though we're sad to see this performance go, our volunteer actors will enjoy performing only one Sunday show and having the rest of the day for themselves. The end of Sunday evening performances means the end of $7 Sundays. For years, our patrons have enjoyed $7 tickets on the first Sunday evening of a Mainstage series show. But fear not! We have a couple new (and existing) deals up our theatrical sleeves.
WHATTA DEAL WEDNESDAYS
On the first Wednesday performance for Mainstage Series shows only, patrons can purchase tickets for only $10 for that performance. Whatta Deal Wednesday tickets must be purchased with cash only at the Box Office after 4 p.m. the day of the show. This offer is not valid for A Christmas Carol or other special engagements.
TWILIGHT TICKETS
After noon on the day of a production for regular season shows, patrons can buy tickets for half price! Tickets must be purchased with cash or check only in person at the Box Office.
LUCKY 7 TICKETS
Grade school, middle school, high school and full-time undergraduate students can see an opening weekend performance of any regular season production for only $7! The Omaha Community Playhouse wants everyone to enjoy the thrill of live theatre! But we know budgets can get tight. That’s why we offer various deals throughout the season.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
OCP offers a wide variety of subscriptions throughout the year. Patrons can choose which shows they want to see or see them all and save nearly 50%!
With all these great deals available, the best way to guarantee a great seat for the show you can’t wait to see is by purchasing a ticket ahead of time or a subscription!
WHATTA DEAL WEDNESDAYS
On the first Wednesday performance for Mainstage Series shows only, patrons can purchase tickets for only $10 for that performance. Whatta Deal Wednesday tickets must be purchased with cash only at the Box Office after 4 p.m. the day of the show. This offer is not valid for A Christmas Carol or other special engagements.
TWILIGHT TICKETS
After noon on the day of a production for regular season shows, patrons can buy tickets for half price! Tickets must be purchased with cash or check only in person at the Box Office.
LUCKY 7 TICKETS
Grade school, middle school, high school and full-time undergraduate students can see an opening weekend performance of any regular season production for only $7! The Omaha Community Playhouse wants everyone to enjoy the thrill of live theatre! But we know budgets can get tight. That’s why we offer various deals throughout the season.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
OCP offers a wide variety of subscriptions throughout the year. Patrons can choose which shows they want to see or see them all and save nearly 50%!
With all these great deals available, the best way to guarantee a great seat for the show you can’t wait to see is by purchasing a ticket ahead of time or a subscription!
21 & Over Presents End Days
Omaha Community Playhouse's 21 & Over program is pleased to present End Days!
Monday, Sept. 12, 2011
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.
End Days by Deborah Zoe Laufer
Sixteen-year-old Rachel Stein is having a bad year. Her father, a World Trade Center survivor, hasn’t changed out of his pajamas since that fateful day. Her mother has begun a close, personal relationship with Jesus. Her new neighbor, a teenage Elvis impersonator, has fallen for her hard. And the Apocalypse is coming Wednesday. Her only hope is that Stephen Hawking will save them all. Commemorating the tenth anniversary of 9/11, End Days is an enormously funny, warm and uplifting play.
End Days is performed in collaboration with the University of Nebraska at Omaha in commemoration of 9/11.
The remainder of the 21 & Over schedule for the 2010-11 season is as follows:
October 24, 2011: Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom by Jennifer Haley
November 7, 2011: Manouche Moustache (special guest artists)
January 9, 2012: Live Broadway Karaoke! (special event)
February 20, 2012: The Encyclopedia Show (special guest artists)
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
Theatre Career Expo
THIS EXPO HAS BEEN POSTPONED. FURTHER INFORMATION WILL BE POSTED AT A LATER DATE.
Do you have a passion for theatre? Do you consider yourself creative? Are you a behind-the-scenes kind of person?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, explore all of the career opportunities theatre has to offer at the Omaha Community Playhouse’s Theatre Career Expo!
Do you have a passion for theatre? Do you consider yourself creative? Are you a behind-the-scenes kind of person?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, explore all of the career opportunities theatre has to offer at the Omaha Community Playhouse’s Theatre Career Expo!
Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011
9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Omaha Community Playhouse, Owen Lobby
Attend at any time throughout the day, stay for however long you like!
9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Omaha Community Playhouse, Owen Lobby
Attend at any time throughout the day, stay for however long you like!
All Day Events
• Venue Tables: Meet representatives from regional colleges, theatres and businesses in the theatre and entertainment industry.
• OCP Tours: Tour the Omaha Community Playhouse (Teachers are welcome to schedule private tours).
• Résumé Critiques: Have your students bring their résumés to be critiqued by industry professionals.
Workshops
• OCP Tours: Tour the Omaha Community Playhouse (Teachers are welcome to schedule private tours).
• Résumé Critiques: Have your students bring their résumés to be critiqued by industry professionals.
Workshops
• Tuning In: Louder is Not Always Better: Sound basics and what makes the event you are attending audible for everyone.
• Puppetry-Bunraku to Avenue Q: The beginnings of puppetry in theatre and a demonstration in front of you!
• Dialects: Basics on how to speak other dialects with an interactive exercise in Standard British.
• Moving Light Magic: Take a look at moving lights, programming boards and the gadgets that make our stages glow with beauty (presented by Theatrical Media Services).
• Scenic Painting: Magic In Front of Your: How do you get into commercial work? How is it different than stage work? Learn how this world is so different, and yet the same in our industry.
For more information, call (402) 553-4890, ext. 135.
• Puppetry-Bunraku to Avenue Q: The beginnings of puppetry in theatre and a demonstration in front of you!
• Dialects: Basics on how to speak other dialects with an interactive exercise in Standard British.
• Moving Light Magic: Take a look at moving lights, programming boards and the gadgets that make our stages glow with beauty (presented by Theatrical Media Services).
• Scenic Painting: Magic In Front of Your: How do you get into commercial work? How is it different than stage work? Learn how this world is so different, and yet the same in our industry.
For more information, call (402) 553-4890, ext. 135.
A Birthday Gift to Remember!
What’s the best Birthday Gift you’ve ever gotten?
Some might say it’s a new car or a vacation. Others might say it was new earrings or a good book. For some, it was a card, a phone call or a home-cooked meal by someone who, lets face it, really doesn’t know how to cook. Some years it is a complete surprise, others it is sweet, but mildly generic. And then, there are those years you get a play from your husband written just for you.
Wait a minute. What was that?
Yep, you read correctly. A play. From your husband. Written just. For. You. Or at least, that was the case for theatre-loving Seattle native Benita Staadecker, whose husband Charles commissioned a play for his wife for a memorable and long-lasting 60th birthday present.
Some might say it’s a new car or a vacation. Others might say it was new earrings or a good book. For some, it was a card, a phone call or a home-cooked meal by someone who, lets face it, really doesn’t know how to cook. Some years it is a complete surprise, others it is sweet, but mildly generic. And then, there are those years you get a play from your husband written just for you.
Wait a minute. What was that?
Yep, you read correctly. A play. From your husband. Written just. For. You. Or at least, that was the case for theatre-loving Seattle native Benita Staadecker, whose husband Charles commissioned a play for his wife for a memorable and long-lasting 60th birthday present.
Benita and Charlie Staadecker
It was all a part of a new program launched by ACT Theatre in Seattle, where anybody could commission a play to be written as a gift. Enter, Steven Deitz, one of America’s most widely-produced and published contemporary playwrights. It took Dietz two years to write the script, but on Benita’s birthday, he sent her the first scene.
Becky’s New Car is a whirlwind ensemble comedy, which follows a middle-aged woman, who is working at a car dealership when a man walks into the shop and turns her life topsy-turvy. When the man, who just happens to be a gazillionaire, assumes incorrectly that Becky is a widow, Becky doesn’t exactly steer him in the right direction. Soon, Becky finds herself muddled up in a double-life whose families become hilariously and impossibly twisted together!
L-R: Mark Thornburg as Joe Foster, Kim Jubenville as Becky Foster, Mike Markey as Walter Flood
Now don’t start thinking this is a true story of the Staadeckers! The couple put no restrictions on the playwright, apart from keeping the play more light than dark. Dietz spun the idea from all of those “little stories” that turn up in newspapers about everyday people having secret double lives.
Enjoy Benita’s birthday present as it appears in the Howard Drew Theatre at the Omaha Community Playhouse!
Becky’s New Car runs August 19–September 18, 2011; Thursday–Saturday, 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, 2 p.m.
To purchase tickets, or for more information, call (402) 553-0800, or visit the Box Office located in the southeast corner of the Omaha Community Playhouse at 6915 Cass St.
Article by Deborah Trecek
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