Omaha, NE.–The Omaha Community Playhouse (OCP) has announced the titles to be produced during their 96th season, which will run from August 2020 through June 2021. Subscriptions for OCP’s 2020/21 season are now available for purchase through the OCP Box Office at 6915 Cass Street, Omaha, NE 68132, by phone at (402) 553-0800 or online at OmahaPlayhouse.com.
OMAHA COMMUNITY PLAYHOUSE 2020/21 SEASON PRODUCTIONS
*Billy McGuigan’s Pop Rock Orchestra
Aug. 7–16, 2020
Hawks Mainstage Theatre
Featuring Billy McGuigan | Music Director Steve Gomez | ©2007 by Rave On Productions
Billy McGuigan’s Pop Rock Orchestra is a high-energy concert experience packed with rock ‘n’ roll mega hits from the 50s, 60s and 70s. Led by international touring artist Billy McGuigan and backed by the 14-piece Pop Rock Orchestra, these all-star musicians serve up fresh, original arrangements covering everything from the Beach Boys to Billy Joel, and everything in between.
*Special Event—Not part of the regular season series.
Clybourne Park
Aug. 21–Sept. 20, 2020
Howard Drew Theatre
By Bruce Norris
Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award®-winning comedy Clybourne Park serves as prequel and sequel to A Raisin in the Sun. A 1950s couple faces sharp backlash from neighbors for selling their home in the all-white Clybourne Park to a black family. Fifty years later, a white couple attempts to purchase the same home in the now predominantly black neighborhood, igniting fears of gentrification.
Disclaimer: Contains adult language and themes of racial tension.
Kinky Boots
Sept. 25–Oct. 25, 2020
Hawks Mainstage Theatre
Book by Harvey Fierstein | Music and Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper
Original Broadway Production Directed and Choreographed by Jerry Mitchell
Based on the Miramax motion picture Kinky Boots
Written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth
Flashy, inspiring and downright fun, Kinky Boots is the Tony Award®-winning musical warming hearts around the world. After returning to his hometown to manage his late father’s failing shoe factory, Charlie meets Lola, an outspoken and unapologetic drag queen in need of a sturdy pair of exotic boots. Together, the unlikely pair cobble a heartwarming tale of acceptance and friendship.
Orchestra Sponsor: Woodmen Life
Hawks Series Sponsor: Immanuel Communities
Water by the Spoonful
Oct. 16–Nov. 8, 2020
Howard Drew Theatre
By Quiara Alegría Hudes
Winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Water by the Spoonful follows Elliott, an Iraq war vet struggling to care for his dying aunt, and Odessa, a recovering drug addict fighting to stay sober with the support of her online companions. When their two worlds unexpectedly collide, everyone’s progress comes crashing down in this thought-provoking and beautifully human tale.
Disclaimer: Contains adult themes and language.
Presenting Sponsor: Conagra Brands Foundation
*A Christmas Carol
Nov. 20–Dec. 23, 2020
Hawks Mainstage Theatre
Written by Charles Dickens | Adapted by Charles Jones
Musical Orchestration by John J. Bennett
It just isn’t Christmas without A Christmas Carol! Experience Omaha’s favorite holiday tradition as Ebenezer Scrooge takes us on a life-changing journey to discover the true meaning of Christmas. Filled with stunning Victorian costumes, festive music and crisp, wintry sets, A Christmas Carol is a beautiful reminder that love and generosity are the heart of the Christmas holiday.
*Special Event—Not part of the regular season series.
Presenting Sponsor: First National Bank
Artistic Team Sponsor: Omaha Steaks
Orchestra Sponsor: KPMG
Bakery Shoppe/Special Effects Sponsor: Rotella’s Bakery
*Yesterday and Today: An Interactive Beatles Experience
Nov. 27–Dec. 31, 2020
Howard Drew Theatre
Featuring Billy McGuigan | Music Director Matthew McGuigan | ©2007 by Rave On Productions
Cap off 2020 with a shot of Beatlemania! Yesterday and Today is the smash hit, all-request Beatles show controlled by the audience. Share your favorite stories and relive your fondest memories with the songs that defined a generation. With no two shows the same, fans will be dancing in the aisles and singing along to all their favorite hits.
*Special Event—Not part of the regular season series.
The Miracle Worker
Jan. 15–Feb. 7, 2021
Hawks Mainstage Theatre
By William Gibson
The Miracle Worker is the incredible true story of Helen Keller, deaf and blind since age one, and the extraordinary woman who changed her life. Unable to communicate with their daughter, the Keller family enlists the help of Annie Sullivan, a woman determined to rescue Helen from the dark, tortured silence imprisoning her mind. A story that has inspired audiences for generations.
Hawks Series Sponsor: Immanuel Communities
The Scottsboro Boys
Feb. 12–March 14, 2021
Howard Drew Theatre
Music and Lyrics by John Kander & Fred Ebb
Book by David Thompson
Original Direction and Choreography by Susan Stroman
The Scottsboro Boys follows the wrongful conviction of nine black teenagers in Scottsboro, Alabama in the 1930s—an infamous case that helped ignite the modern civil rights movement. From the composers of Chicago and Cabaret, this 12-time Tony® Award nominee alternates toe-tapping musical numbers with heart-wrenching ballads to tell a harrowing tale of bravery and strength in the face of great adversity.
Disclaimer: Contains themes and language related to racial tension.
In the Heights
Feb. 26–March 21, 2021
Hawks Mainstage Theatre
Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda
Book by Quiara Alegría Hudes
Before there was Hamilton, there was In the Heights. From the revolutionary musical mind of Lin-Manuel Miranda, this Tony® Award-winning musical recounts three days in the vibrant Latino neighborhood of Washington Heights, NYC, where the Spanish-speaking residents chase American dreams. This bubbly fusion of rap, salsa, Latin pop and soul music boasts an infectious enthusiasm from beginning to end.
Presenting Sponsor: Heider Family Foundation
Producing Partner: Physicians Mutual
Hawks Series Sponsor: Immanuel Communities
*THE CANDY PROJECT PRESENTS:
Gutenberg! The Musical!
March 18–21, 2021
Howard Drew Theatre
By Anthony King and Scott Brown
Starring Steve Krambeck and Dan Chevalier
Join The Candy Project, friends of OCP, for a special presentation of Gutenberg! The Musical! A pair of aspiring playwrights audition their newest work—a big, splashy musical about the inventor of the printing press—for an audience of potential investors. This two-man musical spoof offers an unending supply of enthusiasm and laughs.
*Special Event—Not part of the regular season series.
Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express
April 16–May 9, 2021
Hawks Mainstage Theatre
Adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig
A thrilling whodunit set aboard the world’s most famous luxury locomotive, Murder on the Orient Express will keep you guessing until the very end. When the Orient Express becomes stranded by a snow storm, a passenger is found stabbed to death in his private room. With the murderer still on board, a detective must solve the crime before the train reaches its destination.
Producing Partner: UNMC
Hawks Series Sponsor: Immanuel Communities
Outside Mullingar
May 7–30, 2021
Howard Drew Theatre
By John Patrick Shanley
This charming romantic comedy follows Anthony and Rosemary, two introverts who grew up on neighboring farms in rural Ireland. Rosemary secretly fell in love with Anthony at age six, but after a bought with heartbreak, Anthony swore off women forever. The now middle-aged pair must overcome their own aloofness—as well as a family property dispute—to find their way to one another.
Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka
May 28–June 27, 2021
Hawks Mainstage Theatre
Music and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley
Adapted for the Stage by Leslie Bricusse and Timothy Allen McDonald
Based on the Book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Oompa-Loompa-Doom-Pa-Dee-Doo! We’ve got a family favorite for you! Grab your golden ticket as Willy Wonka takes your family on a whimsical tour of the chocolate factory—with Charlie Bucket, Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, and all of your favorite characters. Featuring songs from the hit film, Willy Wonka will open up a world of pure imagination.
Presenting Sponsor: Mutual of Omaha
Orchestra Sponsor: Kiewit
Hawks Series Sponsor: Immanuel Communities
Chris' Corner 