One long wait is over, but another is just beginning.
“Hamilton” will arrive in Omaha on Sept. 10.
In 2019.
A near-capacity crowd received that news Monday night during an Omaha Performing Arts season reveal party at the Holland Center. Curiosity about Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking hip-hop musical no doubt fueled attendance at the event.
At the same party last year, OPA leaders announced that “Hamilton” was coming in the 2018-19 season, but other details — would it open or close the season, for example — were scarce. Patrons did learn that they needed to purchase season tickets for the 2017-18 season to be in line for “Hamilton” seats.
On Monday, current subscribers were told they needed to renew their subscriptions by April 30 to get their “Hamilton” tickets. Subscriptions for every OPA series will be available at 10 a.m. Tuesday through ticketomaha.com or at 402-345-0606.
“Hamilton” will be here for three weeks, but it’s only one element in a packed Broadway season, said OPA President Joan Squires. The Broadway series is expanding from five shows to seven. Subscribers can buy separate tickets for a special eighth show.
“It’s our biggest and arguably our best,” Squires said of the series.
Several big titles were available. Highlights include four shows on their first national tours: Disney’s “Aladdin,” based on the fable about a poor man who woos a woman with help from a genie; “Come From Away,” about the relationships that occurred when thousands of jet passengers were diverted to a small town in Newfoundland after Sept. 11; “Miss Saigon,” noted director Cameron Mackintosh’s revival of a show that was here in 2002; and a nonmusical comedy, “The Play That Goes Wrong.”
With the exception of “Miss Saigon,” which just closed, each of those shows still is running on Broadway, where Omaha native Q. Smith is part of the current “Come From Away” cast.
Other Broadway series shows include musicals “On Your Feet,” School of Rock” and “The Phantom of the Opera,” a return engagement for the Mackintosh revival that played the Orpheum in 2016.
Faced with such abundance, Squires said, she decided to expand the Broadway series rather than have to choose what not to offer.
“I told my team I just couldn’t say no,” she said.
Other notable acts in the 2018-19 season include:
Dance Series: Paul Taylor Dance Company, a modern dance troupe that was part of OPA’s initial season in 2005.
Family Series: iLuminate, a group from “America’s Got Talent” that combines technology, dance and glow-in-the-dark costumes.
Jazz Series: Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour, featuring Cécile McLorin Salvant, who was here a couple of years ago.
National Geographic Live Series: “Capturing the Impossible” with filmmaker Brian Smith, who thrives on extreme challenges.
Showcase Series: “An Evening With Rita Moreno,” Academy Award-winning actress and singer.
Specials Series: “An Evening With Gladys Knight,” iconic soul singer and actress.
1200 Club: “Etienne Charles: Creole Soul,” with a trumpeter and bandleader who plays calypso and Haitian voodoo music.
Broadway series prices range from $230 to $715 (not including “Phantom,” which can be added for an additional fee). Other series range from $30 to $111.
Single tickets will go on sale later.
The lineup, with dates:
Broadway Series (Orpheum Theater)
Oct. 30 to Nov. 4: “The Play That Goes Wrong.” A comedy that combines elements of Sherlock Holmes and Monty Python.
Nov. 21 to Dec. 2: “The Phantom of the Opera.” A beloved Omaha favorite that was here in 2016.
Jan 16-27, 2019: “Aladdin.” From the producers of “The Lion King.”
Feb. 26 to March 3, 2019: “On Your Feet!” The story of musicians Emilio and Gloria Estefan.
March 27 to April 13, 2019: “Come From Away.” Based on a true “Sept. 12” story.
April 23-28, 2019: “School of Rock.” Based on the movie starring Jack Black , with new songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
May 28 to June 2, 2019: “Miss Saigon.” The story of a young Vietnamese woman and an American soldier.
Sept. 10-29, 2019: “Hamilton.” The story of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, George Washington’s aide during the Revolutionary War.
Dance Series (Orpheum)
Oct. 24: Dorrance Dance, a New York-based troupe that celebrates the history of tap.
Jan. 30, 2019: Russian National Ballet Theatre “Romeo and Juliet.” Based on the Sergei Prokofiev ballet.
April 20, 2019: Paul Taylor Dance Company. A popular group offering thought-provoking pieces that push boundaries.
Family Series (Orpheum)
Oct. 6: iLuminate. A show done with lights and electrified costumes in total darkness.
Feb. 23, 2019: The Aluminum Show. Music, materials and artists combine visual theater, dance and humor.
March 16, 2019: Air Play. Featuring flying umbrellas and larger-than-life balloons.
Jazz Series
Dec. 10: Dave Koz and Friends Christmas Tour 2018 (Orpheum). The Grammy-nominated saxophonist performs holiday tunes and other hits.
March 26, 2019: Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour (Holland Center). Featuring Cécile McLorin Salvant, Bria Skonberg, Melissa Aldana, Christian Sands, Yasushi Nakamura and Jamison Ross.
May 16, 2019: Lizz Wright (Holland). Acclaimed alto jazz vocalist sings original songs and standards.
National Geographic Live (Holland)
Feb. 19, 2019: “A Planet to Call Home” with planetary geologist Ellen Stofan. Stofan explores the connection between climate and the possibility of life on other planets, and its impact on Earth.
March 19, 2019: “Capturing the Impossible” with filmmaker Brian Smith. Smith has encountered angry locals with machetes and has been ice climbing on Niagara Falls.
April 16, 2019: “Social by Nature” with photographer Ronan Donovan. He explores how closely humans can identify with various mammals.
Showcase Series
Sept. 6: The Temptations with The Four Tops (Orpheum). Two legendary Motown groups sing their hits.
Nov. 2: “An Evening With Rita Moreno” (Holland). She’ll share career anecdotes and songs.
March 29, 2019: Jay Leno (Holland). The former “Tonight Show” host will entertain.
Specials
Oct. 4: Black Violin (Holland). Hip-hop duo performs a mix of popular and classical music.
Oct. 19: OK Go: The Live Video Tour (Holland). Known for their creative videos featuring treadmill dancing, among other things.
Oct. 20: “An Evening With Gladys Knight” (Holland). Solo work from the seven-time Grammy Award winner who used to front the Pips.
Nov. 16: “Wild Kratts Live!” (Orpheum). The popular show will bring a new adventure to Omaha.
Dec. 2: “Joyful Noise: A Gospel Christmas” (Holland). Featuring Omaha’s Salem Baptist Church choir.
Dec. 15: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical” (Orpheum). A return engagement for the show based on the animated TV classic.
Feb. 14, 2019: Damien Sneed’s Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Holland). Repertoire from across African-American music traditions.
March 23, 2019: Havana Cuba All-Stars present “ASERE!” (Orpheum). Cuban music and dance styles from the cha-cha to the rumba.
1200 Club (Holland Center Scott Recital Hall)
Nov. 3: Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet. Guiliana blends acoustic and electronic drumming.
Jan. 25, 2019: Sidewalk Chalk. Chicago-based group that blurs genres with its combination of jazz, funk, hip-hop and R&B.
Feb. 22, 2019: Etienne Charles: Creole Soul. Bandleader taps into his Afro-Caribbean roots.
March 14, 2019: Veronica Swift featuring the Benny Green Trio. A 23-year-old jazz singer whose prowess belies her age.
April 6, 2019: Velvet Caravan. Blending gypsy, honky-tonk, swing and Latin tunes with virtuosity and humor.
May 10, 2019: Thornetta Davis. Known as Detroit’s queen of the blues.
