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Season tickets on sale for Omaha Performing Arts' upcoming season

Courtesy of Omaha Performing Arts

Omaha Performing Artsoffers five different series: Broadway, Dance, Family, Jazz and Showcase, formerly the Popular Series.  

Executive Director Joan Squires says several of the shows offered during this season’s Broadway series are coming to Omaha for the first time.  The season begins with Shrek! The Musical in October.  Squires says that’s followed by Billy Elliot in November.

Another show coming to Omaha is  Memphis the Musical, in January 2013.  Squires says Memphis won the Tony Award last year for Best Musical. 

"Everybody I’m sending to New York, I’m telling them to go see Memphis and they come back just raving about the show.  It’s an incredible production inspired by actual events at pretty much the beginning of rock and roll in Memphis, when a young DJ discovers the African American culture and brings it onto the white radio station.  It’s a phenomenal musical."

Squires says The Lion King will return in March and April 2013 for a four-week run.  The Addams Family wraps the Broadway series next May. 

The Jazz series kicks off in September with a performance by Esperanza Spalding.  Spalding was last here as part of Omaha Performing Arts’ 1200 Club several years ago.  Joan Squires, Executive Director for Omaha Performing Arts, says she’s excited to have Spalding back onstage in Omaha.

“She won best artist at the Grammy Awards last year, beating out even Justin Bieber.  She beat out everybody.  And she is just an amazing young woman who plays the bass.  She sings.  And she has this great new album coming out so we are thrilled to bring her to the Holland Center.”

Spalding is followed in November by a performance from Branford Marsalis.  The Preservation Hall Jazz Band performs New Orleans jazz in April 2013.  

Season tickets are currently on sale for all of Omaha Performing Arts’ Series.  Details on the 2012-2013 season are available online at omahaperformingarts.org.