Theater productions at the Orpheum keep Omaha residents coming back for more!

By J1 Reporter Moira Harr

For some, the Orpheum provides a relaxing environment and entertaining musicals. Others find the Orpheum has superb entertainment value and is the perfect place to develop a love for live theater. No matter what it is, the live theater productions at the Orpheum captivate patrons and encourage them to return. 

Omaha’s Orpheum Theater, open since 1927, has held comedy shows, concerts, ballets, private events, and even film productions in its earliest stages. However, it is most known for bringing the talented Broadway actors to a stage close to home for residents of Nebraska. 

Although buying tickets for individual shows is a popular option, musical lovers such as sophomore Nora Fitzpatrick and English teacher Ms. Susie Sisson have taken advantage of the arts in Omaha by purchasing season tickets to attend these Broadway shows. 

Similar to season tickets for a sports team, the Broadway bundle at the Orpheum includes several Broadway shows per season. 

Fitzpatrick has attended multiple Orpheum shows over the past five years. Fitzpatrick attends shows with her dad because they both share a love for musicals.

Season bundles for the seven Broadway shows at the Orpheum range from $360 to $845, depending on which seats are included. Individual ticket prices are dependent on the show and seating chosen, but generally range from $30-$200 or more. 

Fitzpatrick says that the ticket prices are worth it “because there’s a lot of different seats and some are more expensive than others, so even if you don’t want to spend a lot of money, you can still get a decent view and the productions are always really well done.”

Sisson, who has held season tickets for about 10 years, values her experience as a ticket holder. For her, the best aspect is that it ensures that she actually gets around to seeing the shows and that it “provides a sense of consistency.”

For Sisson, each show also functions as a social outing. Sisson attends shows with a friend from college who also holds season tickets. “We always go out to dinner beforehand, and sometimes we’ll pick a restaurant that is thematically connected to the show,” Sisson said. 

Being a season ticket holder also gives the opportunity to attend shows that are not as well known. One of Sisson’s favorite productions is a unique musical: “Come From Away”, which tells the story of a small town in Canada that hosts passengers of the grounded planes after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It might not have been on her radar without her season tickets. 

In addition to holding tickets at the Orpheum, Sisson holds tickets to the Omaha Community Playhouse, another local theater. Sisson has been “very impressed with the Omaha Community Playhouse because their production value and the quality of their talent has increased in the years that [she] has been going there.”

Fitzpatrick notes that the high quality of the Orpheum and talented actors and actresses make for a great environment. Although she has attended shows at other theaters, Fitzpatrick enjoys the production value of shows at the Orpheum and notes that “shows at the Orpheum have a lot more experience” as they have a much higher budget and include the professional actors. 

If someone has never been to a live theater performance, he or she does not necessarily have to have background knowledge or experience in theater to enjoy the show. Fitzpatrick said that she did not have much background knowledge about musicals or shows, but that she still enjoyed the first productions she saw. Sisson advises to “have an open mind and willingness to suspend judgment and allow [yourself] to just kind of be immersed into the moment.” 

For those who would like to support the arts and their classmates or experience a theatrical environment for the first time, Marian will perform Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” on April 3-6 this spring.