Watie White creates art that reflects Joslyn Castle neighborhood
"Home Alone," widely considered to be one of the best Christmas movies ever, will be shown two times Saturday on a big screen at the Holland Center.
That's cool, but even cooler is the fact that the Omaha Symphony will accompany the screening with a live performance of the soundtrack by Academy Award-winning composer John Williams.
The 1990 film, which was No. 1 at the box office for 12 consecutive weeks, is the story of 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin), who's accidentally left behind when his family flies to Paris for the holidays. He has to fight off a couple of feckless home invaders and, along the way, learns his next-door neighbor isn't the evil guy he's rumored to be and the two help each other out.
Chris Columbus was the director and John Hughes wrote the script. Other stars include Catherine O'Hara, John Heard, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern.
Principal Pops Conductor Ernest Richardson will conduct the orchestra in two shows, at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $45 to $93 and are available at omahasymphony.org.
Holiday treats at the Orpheum
The Orpheum Theater will be busy in the days leading up to Christmas.
"The Rat Pack" will present a show of holiday favorites Friday at the theater, 409 S. 16th St. The name of the group harkens back to the 1960s and '70s when three huge talents -- Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin -- performed together at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas.
Touring singers Kyle Diamond (Davis), Chris Jason (Sinatra) and Drew Anthony (Martin) will portray the icons in the Orpheum concert.
Regular tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show range from $29.50 to $65. VIP tickets are $150 and include a premium seat, a custom laminate from the tour, an autographed picture and a selfie with the performers.
Omaha's own Mannheim Steamroller will take over the Orpheum on Sunday and Monday for its annual Omaha shows.
The ensemble is known for its neoclassical and new-age renditions of Christmas favorites such as "Deck the Halls," "Silent Night" and many other carols. Omaha percussionist and composer Chip Davis formed the group in 1974 and it has sold 28 million albums in the U.S. alone.
It travels extensively during the Christmas season but traditionally ends its tour in Omaha a few days before the holiday.
Mannheim Steamroller will perform three shows at the Orpheum: 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Monday. Tickets range from 45 to $65.
For more information and to purchase tickets, go to ticketomaha.com.
Rose Theater changes membership model
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Omaha's only theater aimed at kids is changing the way it offers memberships.
It had been offering memberships on a season-to-season basis but now will give families the chance to join whenever they want to, making live performances more accessible and affordable.
Members will get free tickets to six consecutive member shows produced in their year of membership, along with exclusive discounts on premium shows during the same time frame.
In conjunction with that, the Rose recently announced the first three shows in the 2025-26 season, months ahead of the usual schedule:
Sept. 5-21, 2025: "Giraffes Can't Dance: The Musical," a member show that tells a heartwarming tale of self-discovery and courage, based on a book by Giles Andreae.Oct. 10-25, 2025: "Goosebumps The Musical: Phantom of the Auditorium," adapted from R.L. Stine's book series.Dec. 5-21, 2025: "The Pigeon Gets a Big Time Holiday Extravaganza," the working title for a rolling world-premiere show that will feature characters from author Mo Willems who have never before been onstage together.
The rolling model means that memberships sold now will include those new shows next fall.
Visit rosetheater.org for more information about the theater, its productions or the rolling membership program.
Cabaret at TADA Theatre in Lincoln
Professional actor and singer Kevin Paul Hofeditz will be featured in an original new cabaret show this weekend at the TADA Theatre in Lincoln.
"When the Songs Make Sense" will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday and will feature the music of Stephen Sondheim, Henry Mancini, Michel LeGrand and other composers.
Hofeditz, a Nebraska native, was the associate dean of the Hixson-Lead College of the Performing Arts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Tickets, $10, are available at tadatheatre.info,
New event at Omaha's Mr. Toad
Mr. Toad, a bar at 1002 Howard St. in the Old Market, is launching Omaha Broadway Bar this weekend.
The event will run from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and will feature holiday tunes, sing-alongs and performances from some of Omaha's top performers, including Curtis Reynolds, Tyler Marshall, Stacie Haneline, Analisa Swerczek, John Jones, James Verderamo, Heather Wilhelm, Mackenzie Zielke, Leanne Hill Carlson, Jason Cook and Wyndhem Ennaemba.
Admission is free. Information about future Omaha Broadway Bar performances will be available on Omaha Broadway Bar social media pages.
Omaha Community Playhouse through the years