Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
One thing that I'm always looking for is something to
take me away to a happy place, something to make
me smile, something to make me feel good about my
life and the world around me. And I'm going to
share some of that with you today. It's something that
makes a lot of people happy on a day to
day basis, and it is Omaha Performing Arts and the
amazing work that they do in our community. And I'm
(00:20):
blessed today to be joined by Jones, Squire's President of
Omaha Performing Arts. John, thanks so much for coming in today.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Okay, I got an email from MICHAELA or a good friend
here who came with you today, and she was like, Hey,
by the way, twentieth anniversary of the han Performing Arts Center,
which is really important because I've I didn't get to
go into the Holland until the season reveal show a
few months ago about this upcoming season, and I was like,
what an amazing venue. The symphony plays there a lot,
(00:51):
There's a lot of different shows that go there. It's
the perfect size and the acoustics are incredible. Talk about
the legacy of this amazing facility that now is selling
twenty years.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
We're so lucky to have a Holland Performing Arts Center.
It is. It truly is world class with the acoustics
and the architecture. It was the vision of Dick Hollin
over twenty years ago. We wanted a first class building
and the location now right on the new Gene Lahey Mall,
has been perfect and it has now become the home
of the Omaha Symphony plus so many artists. We've had
(01:23):
John Legend in there and Diana Krawl and you know,
Jane Goodall, Elvis Castell, so many people have come through
there along with the Symphony. It really has changed the community.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
It's so great and it's kind of a staple right
I drive downtown. I love the way that you guys
brand these buildings. You know, we talked about Steelhouse a lot.
Steelhouse not that far away from the Holland Performing Arts Center,
and this has become kind of an inspiration for how
to bridge that gap, and we are very close to
having that gap completely built, bridged however you want to
(01:58):
say it next to the Gene Lahem. I'm all downtown
with the new Dick and Mary Holland Campus is what
you guys are calling it. Talk to us, talk to
us about what this is going to look like and
feel like for people as this gets completed, and what
people can enjoy down there.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Sure, it really has three buildings now that come together
on the Dick and Mary Holland campus. So Steelhouse is
all of the shows with the touring bands that we're
skipping us. And in March we are going to open
the Tenaska Center for Arts Engagement. So all those education
and all the kids that we bring through those buildings
have not had enough places to take classes in dance
(02:32):
and Broadway and hip hop and everything else. The Tenaska
Center will open and will really complete it. But the
halland all through this is really the centerpiece of that campus.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Absolutely. We've got John Squire's here, president of Omaha Performing Arts,
joining us. I look at the Hall and center as
and you mentioned the Steelhouse kind of fitting a very
specific need for not just you guys, but for Omaha.
It's a perfect size venue that bands or artists or
comedians even that want to come through didn't really have
(03:03):
the right size. The venue Chi is too big. You
had some spots that might be a little too small.
This is the perfect right size, and you guys wanted
to make sure that you address that need. The Holland
Performing Art Center twenty years ago, when it was built
state of the art, and you designed it in a
way to where it still is the top of the
line for what it serves. So how do you best
(03:24):
describe for somebody who hasn't been in there, Not just
you know the artists that have been there, but what
the thought process is about what it serves as a
venue for the people who perform there.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Well, it really is about the acoustics. So it's about
shows that you want to hear. So whether it's the symphony,
it's jazz, it's speakers, you come in and you know
you're going to have a great experience. But the building
itself has all the amenities. We have a restaurant named Zinc,
We had the bars, it's transparent, you see other folks.
It's just it's an experience like you can't find anywhere
(03:54):
else in the city.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
That's no joke. You go to the Orpheum, very different
vibe from the Holland, which of course a very different
vibe than the Steelhouse. You guys have the ability to
kind of play amongst all three of these venues. And
I was excited to be at the Holland for the
season reveal party and the season you're about to have here.
Is this the best one ever? Or like, how excited
(04:17):
are you for the shows that you were able to
get on the books for the Orpheum specifically coming up
this fall and into next year.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
I probably say it's the best season ever, ever year,
But yeah, this one really is. It's the Outsiders, it's
the Wiz, It's the Noble Gang, Juliet, Mama Mia is
coming back, six Wicked. There's so many great shows at
the Orphum. So it's all part of Omaha Performing Arts
and you know, all those shows we bring. We've had
almost six million people through all of those venues through
(04:47):
these last twenty years. It's been extraordinary, really, like that's
the number it's been. It's been giant. So we'll bring
we're bringing sixty one million in economic impact to the city.
All those folks are coming downtown, they're going to restaurants,
they're parking. It really has changed downtown and we like
to think we're a big part of that.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Well, you definitely are, because that's my experience and we
go to we haven't missed an Orphium show in the
two years that I've lived here to be honest with you,
and we go down, we pay for parking, we go
inside to the Orphum, we have a great time, and
then after the show we always go to a restaurant
our bar after and talk about the show. So you're right,
(05:28):
you're talking about economic impact. And you know how many
people If you haven't been the show with the Orphum,
you do not know how crazy it is out there
before a show of how many people from every direction
trying to get into the Orphum for these shows. What
can you say about Almaha's place in this style of show?
You know, Broadway off Broadway. These are like The Outsiders
itself an award winner. We had Kimberly a Kimbo come
(05:51):
last year, which is a twenty award winner. Plus all
these really legendary shows that people know, like The Whiz
and Wicked and Mama Mia that are synonymous with Broadway shows.
In general, Omaha is really becoming a player and is
able to attract this How can you kind of describe
Omaha's place in the United States with this type of show.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Well, we really have elevated Omaha, so they know where
we are. They want to play it. The audience as
a receptive. They're buying lots of tickets, and I've spent
a lot of time in New York working with it.
In fact, the producer for The Outsiders had the unfortunate
opportunity to sit next to me at a dinner where
I just talked to him the entire time to make
sure we got one of the first shows of The
Outsiders and it worked. So but they know, Omaha, they
(06:36):
know the level of the artistic quality of the buildings
and what they're going to experience, and really the warm
welcome these audiences here give them, which has been super.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Yeah, the enthusiasm for the audience. You can every single show,
the audience is always up for it, no matter what
the show is, no matter if it's super high through
its something people hadn't seen before. Audience is always so
excited to give their response to the people on stage.
We're speaking with Jones Squires, who's the president of MoMA
Performing Arts. So the Dick and Mary Holland Campus as
it opens, as it gets completed into early next year,
(07:10):
what do you think the impact on having that completed,
not just because the building's done, but also just how
many people that may not have come downtown or had
a reason to be downtown in that regard to access
this new building and how you know this is going
to grow the arts in the city of Omaha and
(07:30):
the surrounding area. What do you think the impact is
going to be once this entire campus is completed and
is looking bright and shiny for people downtown.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Well, it's going to continue to grow everything that we're offering.
So first of all, it connects community investments, so the
riverfront and the Capital District and further north. It makes
it more walkable and livable on eleven Street. But most
of all, it's inside the buildings. Top quality artists are
going to want to come here. We're going to have
classes for all ages and types of art, forums, dance
(08:00):
and jazz, and music and Broadway. So you can come
to our buildings and find something for your family, for
your friends, if you want to have a date night.
There's going to be something in one of these buildings
that's going to appeal to you and you're going to
hear the best that you could hear in the entire country.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
I see you at the Orphia sometimes when we're walking
in to get ready to see a show. You get
a chance to go see some shows at the Holland
and also the Steelhouse is there, you know, kind of
a show you're excited for that you got coming up
sometime in the next few months.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
I like everything. Well, like tomorrow night, I'm going to
go to Lake Street Dive.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Oh yeah, there I go.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
I really go to a little bit of everything like
Street Dives.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Awesome like that. Yeah, we saw them at the Hinterland's
Festival in Iowa. Like my wife has been growing on
them ever since.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Yeah, I could get your tickets to Marrissel let me know.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Oh, I know, I'll have to run that past the wife.
I think she'd be very excited for that. But how
can people learn more kind of look ahead to the
shows and try to find themselves some tickets?
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Sure? Well, first of all, I want to do mention
the Holland Performing Arts Center is going to have a
twentieth anniversary on October three, So folks should join us
there because they're going to hear lots of great local groups,
so Angelie, River City Mixed Chorus, Markeye Moniculee and Salem
Church Choir, Marcus more on others. So only for twenty
six bucks, you could come in and celebrate with the
(09:17):
Omaha Symphony and lots of local artists and say here's
to the next twenty. But go online ticket Omaha dot com.
They can get tickets for all of our shows. For Steelhouse,
it's on Ticketmaster, but check out our website at odashpa
dot org. We've got everything listed. They should come on
down and pick a show that they like.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
And honestly, it's the best getting a chance to go
down enjoy the arts or a big show at Lake
Street Dive. They're pretty rocking, you know. I want to
go to All Time Low next month, which is a
punk rock band from my teenage years, and I can
go see them at Steelhouse. There's something for everybody on this.
But I do want to make sure people go to
ticket omaha dot com because we've had people say I
(09:58):
was confused and I bought tickets. They are way more
expensive than I thought they were. What happened YE accidentally
ran into a website that has like secondary market tickets
and they're reselling them for a lot more than they
actually were on sale force. So ticket Omaha dot com or.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Op Opaodashpa dot org. Everything's listed and for Steelhouse it's
on Ticketmasters. So please do those websites. You're exactly right.
We've had some disappointed folks over the years.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Yeah, but we're gonna take care of them. We're gonna
make sure that they get the tickets the right way,
and John Squire is gonna continue to make sure there's
amazing shows for us at all of these different venues
across Omaha. Thank you so much for coming in and
talking to us. Hopefully we get a chance to chat
again very soon, and I can't wait for a Broadway
season to start.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Thanks Emory, look forward to seeing you there.
One thing that I'm always looking for is something to
take me away to a happy place, something to make
me smile, something to make me feel good about my
life and the world around me. And I'm going to
share some of that with you today. It's something that
makes a lot of people happy on a day to
day basis, and it is Omaha Performing Arts and the
amazing work that they do in our community. And I'm
(00:20):
blessed today to be joined by Jones, Squire's President of
Omaha Performing Arts. John, thanks so much for coming in today.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Okay, I got an email from MICHAELA or a good friend
here who came with you today, and she was like, Hey,
by the way, twentieth anniversary of the han Performing Arts Center,
which is really important because I've I didn't get to
go into the Holland until the season reveal show a
few months ago about this upcoming season, and I was like,
what an amazing venue. The symphony plays there a lot,
(00:51):
There's a lot of different shows that go there. It's
the perfect size and the acoustics are incredible. Talk about
the legacy of this amazing facility that now is selling
twenty years.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
We're so lucky to have a Holland Performing Arts Center.
It is. It truly is world class with the acoustics
and the architecture. It was the vision of Dick Hollin
over twenty years ago. We wanted a first class building
and the location now right on the new Gene Lahey Mall,
has been perfect and it has now become the home
of the Omaha Symphony plus so many artists. We've had
(01:23):
John Legend in there and Diana Krawl and you know,
Jane Goodall, Elvis Castell, so many people have come through
there along with the Symphony. It really has changed the community.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
It's so great and it's kind of a staple right
I drive downtown. I love the way that you guys
brand these buildings. You know, we talked about Steelhouse a lot.
Steelhouse not that far away from the Holland Performing Arts Center,
and this has become kind of an inspiration for how
to bridge that gap, and we are very close to
having that gap completely built, bridged however you want to
(01:58):
say it next to the Gene Lahem. I'm all downtown
with the new Dick and Mary Holland Campus is what
you guys are calling it. Talk to us, talk to
us about what this is going to look like and
feel like for people as this gets completed, and what
people can enjoy down there.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Sure, it really has three buildings now that come together
on the Dick and Mary Holland campus. So Steelhouse is
all of the shows with the touring bands that we're
skipping us. And in March we are going to open
the Tenaska Center for Arts Engagement. So all those education
and all the kids that we bring through those buildings
have not had enough places to take classes in dance
(02:32):
and Broadway and hip hop and everything else. The Tenaska
Center will open and will really complete it. But the
halland all through this is really the centerpiece of that campus.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Absolutely. We've got John Squire's here, president of Omaha Performing Arts,
joining us. I look at the Hall and center as
and you mentioned the Steelhouse kind of fitting a very
specific need for not just you guys, but for Omaha.
It's a perfect size venue that bands or artists or
comedians even that want to come through didn't really have
(03:03):
the right size. The venue Chi is too big. You
had some spots that might be a little too small.
This is the perfect right size, and you guys wanted
to make sure that you address that need. The Holland
Performing Art Center twenty years ago, when it was built
state of the art, and you designed it in a
way to where it still is the top of the
line for what it serves. So how do you best
(03:24):
describe for somebody who hasn't been in there, Not just
you know the artists that have been there, but what
the thought process is about what it serves as a
venue for the people who perform there.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Well, it really is about the acoustics. So it's about
shows that you want to hear. So whether it's the symphony,
it's jazz, it's speakers, you come in and you know
you're going to have a great experience. But the building
itself has all the amenities. We have a restaurant named Zinc,
We had the bars, it's transparent, you see other folks.
It's just it's an experience like you can't find anywhere
(03:54):
else in the city.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
That's no joke. You go to the Orpheum, very different
vibe from the Holland, which of course a very different
vibe than the Steelhouse. You guys have the ability to
kind of play amongst all three of these venues. And
I was excited to be at the Holland for the
season reveal party and the season you're about to have here.
Is this the best one ever? Or like, how excited
(04:17):
are you for the shows that you were able to
get on the books for the Orpheum specifically coming up
this fall and into next year.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
I probably say it's the best season ever, ever year,
But yeah, this one really is. It's the Outsiders, it's
the Wiz, It's the Noble Gang, Juliet, Mama Mia is
coming back, six Wicked. There's so many great shows at
the Orphum. So it's all part of Omaha Performing Arts
and you know, all those shows we bring. We've had
almost six million people through all of those venues through
(04:47):
these last twenty years. It's been extraordinary, really, like that's
the number it's been. It's been giant. So we'll bring
we're bringing sixty one million in economic impact to the city.
All those folks are coming downtown, they're going to restaurants,
they're parking. It really has changed downtown and we like
to think we're a big part of that.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Well, you definitely are, because that's my experience and we
go to we haven't missed an Orphium show in the
two years that I've lived here to be honest with you,
and we go down, we pay for parking, we go
inside to the Orphum, we have a great time, and
then after the show we always go to a restaurant
our bar after and talk about the show. So you're right,
(05:28):
you're talking about economic impact. And you know how many
people If you haven't been the show with the Orphum,
you do not know how crazy it is out there
before a show of how many people from every direction
trying to get into the Orphum for these shows. What
can you say about Almaha's place in this style of show?
You know, Broadway off Broadway. These are like The Outsiders
itself an award winner. We had Kimberly a Kimbo come
(05:51):
last year, which is a twenty award winner. Plus all
these really legendary shows that people know, like The Whiz
and Wicked and Mama Mia that are synonymous with Broadway shows.
In general, Omaha is really becoming a player and is
able to attract this How can you kind of describe
Omaha's place in the United States with this type of show.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Well, we really have elevated Omaha, so they know where
we are. They want to play it. The audience as
a receptive. They're buying lots of tickets, and I've spent
a lot of time in New York working with it.
In fact, the producer for The Outsiders had the unfortunate
opportunity to sit next to me at a dinner where
I just talked to him the entire time to make
sure we got one of the first shows of The
Outsiders and it worked. So but they know, Omaha, they
(06:36):
know the level of the artistic quality of the buildings
and what they're going to experience, and really the warm
welcome these audiences here give them, which has been super.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Yeah, the enthusiasm for the audience. You can every single show,
the audience is always up for it, no matter what
the show is, no matter if it's super high through
its something people hadn't seen before. Audience is always so
excited to give their response to the people on stage.
We're speaking with Jones Squires, who's the president of MoMA
Performing Arts. So the Dick and Mary Holland Campus as
it opens, as it gets completed into early next year,
(07:10):
what do you think the impact on having that completed,
not just because the building's done, but also just how
many people that may not have come downtown or had
a reason to be downtown in that regard to access
this new building and how you know this is going
to grow the arts in the city of Omaha and
(07:30):
the surrounding area. What do you think the impact is
going to be once this entire campus is completed and
is looking bright and shiny for people downtown.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Well, it's going to continue to grow everything that we're offering.
So first of all, it connects community investments, so the
riverfront and the Capital District and further north. It makes
it more walkable and livable on eleven Street. But most
of all, it's inside the buildings. Top quality artists are
going to want to come here. We're going to have
classes for all ages and types of art, forums, dance
(08:00):
and jazz, and music and Broadway. So you can come
to our buildings and find something for your family, for
your friends, if you want to have a date night.
There's going to be something in one of these buildings
that's going to appeal to you and you're going to
hear the best that you could hear in the entire country.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
I see you at the Orphia sometimes when we're walking
in to get ready to see a show. You get
a chance to go see some shows at the Holland
and also the Steelhouse is there, you know, kind of
a show you're excited for that you got coming up
sometime in the next few months.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
I like everything. Well, like tomorrow night, I'm going to
go to Lake Street Dive.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Oh yeah, there I go.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
I really go to a little bit of everything like
Street Dives.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Awesome like that. Yeah, we saw them at the Hinterland's
Festival in Iowa. Like my wife has been growing on
them ever since.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Yeah, I could get your tickets to Marrissel let me know.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Oh, I know, I'll have to run that past the wife.
I think she'd be very excited for that. But how
can people learn more kind of look ahead to the
shows and try to find themselves some tickets?
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Sure? Well, first of all, I want to do mention
the Holland Performing Arts Center is going to have a
twentieth anniversary on October three, So folks should join us
there because they're going to hear lots of great local groups,
so Angelie, River City Mixed Chorus, Markeye Moniculee and Salem
Church Choir, Marcus more on others. So only for twenty
six bucks, you could come in and celebrate with the
(09:17):
Omaha Symphony and lots of local artists and say here's
to the next twenty. But go online ticket Omaha dot com.
They can get tickets for all of our shows. For Steelhouse,
it's on Ticketmaster, but check out our website at odashpa
dot org. We've got everything listed. They should come on
down and pick a show that they like.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
And honestly, it's the best getting a chance to go
down enjoy the arts or a big show at Lake
Street Dive. They're pretty rocking, you know. I want to
go to All Time Low next month, which is a
punk rock band from my teenage years, and I can
go see them at Steelhouse. There's something for everybody on this.
But I do want to make sure people go to
ticket omaha dot com because we've had people say I
(09:58):
was confused and I bought tickets. They are way more
expensive than I thought they were. What happened YE accidentally
ran into a website that has like secondary market tickets
and they're reselling them for a lot more than they
actually were on sale force. So ticket Omaha dot com or.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Op Opaodashpa dot org. Everything's listed and for Steelhouse it's
on Ticketmasters. So please do those websites. You're exactly right.
We've had some disappointed folks over the years.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Yeah, but we're gonna take care of them. We're gonna
make sure that they get the tickets the right way,
and John Squire is gonna continue to make sure there's
amazing shows for us at all of these different venues
across Omaha. Thank you so much for coming in and
talking to us. Hopefully we get a chance to chat
again very soon, and I can't wait for a Broadway
season to start.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Thanks Emory, look forward to seeing you there.
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