Holland Center Further Energized Omaha’s Lively Culture

By Ashley Hassebroek, Omaha World-Herald, Neb.

Oct. 15–Omaha’s arts scene, pre-Oct. 22, 2005, was nothing to scoff at.

The Omaha Symphony and Opera Omaha had just elected new music directors. A successful membership program was in full swing at the Rose. The Omaha Community Playhouse had just opened a patio-plaza and was enjoying a string of nostalgic programs.

Then came Oct. 22.

The Holland Performing Arts Center opened downtown — and the arts scene exploded.

“(The Holland Center’s) grand opening underscored all of these activities and focused attention on arts and culture in Omaha in a completely new and exciting way,” said Joan Desens, general director of Opera Omaha. “The facility — literally and figuratively — became a cultural beacon, reminding the general public of the quality and importance of the arts in this community.”

Ticket sales for local arts organizations shot through the roof. Omaha groups popped on the national radar screen. Arts events became an entertainment option for some Omahans who had never set foot in a concert hall.

Now, nearly a year after the Holland Center opened, local artists and arts administrators will embark on the 2006-07 season living in an entirely different artistic climate.

“There is a new energy, and the arts scene is really buzzing right now,” said Mary Carrick, past president of the Theatre Arts Guild. “I think whenever you add something big to the mix, it creates a vibe that reverberates throughout the rest of the community.”

Most arts leaders and artists attribute much of the extra energy and changes to two things — an increase in the quantity and quality of programming.

The quantity of professional arts offerings alone is about double what it was a year ago. With the opening of the Holland Center came Omaha Performing Arts Presents, a series that presented nearly 40 new offerings, ranging from touring dance and jazz groups to orchestral performances and prestigious classical soloists from all over the country. On top of that were numerous top-selling concerts at the Qwest Center Omaha.

“There was a time when an opera in Omaha was among the few activities in any given week or month,” Desens said. “Now, an opera is one of several options at any given time.”

More offerings mean more options for consumers. But it also makes local organizations work harder.

“I will say that there is competition for both a patron’s entertainment purchase and for their time,” Carrick said. “The more offerings that are available, the more competitive the market becomes.”

A solution for many groups was to establish a niche.

Officials at the Rose narrowed the downtown theater’s offerings to productions exclusively geared toward children and families. Opera Omaha officials plan to focus their energy on a couple of “must-see” events rather than many throughout the year. Many of the smaller theaters have been evaluating what they need to do to set them apart from others, Carrick said.

“In order to be successful, the smaller houses especially need to evaluate how they are promoting themselves and positioning their organizations in the market, so they can make themselves stand out,” she said.

Along with quantity has come a better quality of performances, from both local and touring artists, many say.

The Omaha Performing Arts Presents series not only came on the scene with a large number of events, but it also offered ‘Grade A’ touring artists who had either never been to Omaha, or had only been here for special occasions. Among performances last year were those by the National Symphony Orchestra, Itzhak Perlman, Chick Corea and the Paul Taylor Dance Company.

“We are really looking at the top of the art form,” said Joan Squires, president of Omaha Performing Arts, which organizes the series. The group also manages the Holland Center and the Orpheum.

The arrival of the Holland Center has improved performances by local artists because of the sheer quality of the acoustics in the Peter Kiewit Concert Hall, said Thomas Kluge, principal violist for the Omaha Symphony. The orchestra began performing in the Holland late last year.

“I compare the move from the Orpheum Theater to the Holland like going from a nice sedan to a Formula One race car,” Kluge said. “The sedan is comfortable, smooth and undemanding of the driver — use cruise control if you want — but the race car demands the utmost attention to detail in every aspect of the driver.”

The acoustics in the concert hall are responsive to nuances, they easily point out discrepancies. This compels artists to be more particular than ever before, Kluge said.

“Artists performing in the Peter Kiewit Concert Hall have to be on top of their game at all times,” Kluge said. “This means ultimately, a greater and more rewarding — and indeed more exciting — experience for both those on stage and those in the audience.”

The new arts climate has generally meant good things for local groups.

The Omaha Symphony and the Rose were among many organizations that experienced major increases in ticket sales. Opera Omaha’s blockbuster production of Jun Kaneko’s “Madama Butterfly” received reviews in publications in England, Canada and cities across the United States.

Visitors from much larger cities, including Chicago and Los Angeles, who traveled to Omaha to see the center raved about the city’s ability to put together the resources for such a facility, said Jennifer Barlament, general manager for the Omaha Symphony.

“The country, as a whole, is becoming more aware of Omaha as a cultural center,” Desens said.

Just how long will the honeymoon last?

“Omaha is a midsize city and it is impossible to know how much, how little or what mix of programming will eventually work,” Desens said. “I suspect it will take several years to strike the right balance.”

That part is up to the audiences.

“I think the greatest challenge is maintaining the momentum,” Carrick said. “We’ll have to wait and see how this plays out.”

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Copyright (c) 2006, Omaha World-Herald, Neb.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

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