Ranky Tanky

Feb 05 2021 - 7:30 PM Holland Performing Arts Center

Join us for a preshow curtain warmer discussion with Eric Ewing, Executive Director for the Great Plains Black History Museum, on the history of jazz in Omaha. Preshow curtain warmers will take place in the theater lobby one hour prior to the start of the show. 

Translated loosely as “Work It,” or “Get Funky!” Grammy Award winning Ranky Tanky performs timeless music born from the Gullah culture with mixtures of gospel, funk, R&B and jazz. Ranky Tanky’s music ranges from playful game songs to ecstatic shouts, from soulful spirituals to delicate lullabies.

The group features singer Quiana Parler, singer/guitarist Clay Ross, trumpeter/singer Charlton Singleton, bassist Kevin Hamilton, and drummer Quentin Baxter, accomplished artists have come together to revive a “Heartland of American Music” born in their own backyards.

KODO One Earth Tour 2021: Legacy - Canceled

Feb 24 2021 - 7:30 PM Holland Performing Arts Center

KODO, one of the best-known taiko drum ensembles in the world, brings pulse-pounding music from Japan to Omaha! Kodo’s newest production, Legacy, looks back at seminal creations from the ensemble’s 40-year history, and brings early works into the present through stunning visuals, lighting effects, and sleek new choreography.

Alicia Olatuja Intuition: Songs From The Minds Of Women

Mar 11 2021 - 7:30 PM Holland Performing Arts Center

Join us for a preshow curtain warmer discussion with Omaha’s own “Queen of Soul” Kathy Tyree on the landmark, ground-breaking black women in jazz. Preshow curtain warmers will take place in the theater lobby one hour prior to the start of the show.

Once you have listened to acclaimed vocalist, composer and arranger Alicia Olatuja, you won’t forget her. Praised in The New York Times as “a singer with a strong and luscious tone,” Alicia has shared the stage with Chaka Khan, Christian McBride, Billy Childs, and others, astounding audiences with her exquisite vocals and artistic versatility.

Her program: “Intuition,” celebrates the works of female icons including songs of Brenda Russell, Sade, Tracy Chapman, Kate Bush, Angela Bofill and Linda Creed and feature classics such as "Give Me One Reason" and "This Woman's Work."

Raul Midón

Mar 20 2021 - 7:30 PM Scott Recital Hall

Along with releasing 10 studio albums as a solo artist, Midón – dubbed “an eclectic adventurist” by People magazine – has collaborated with such heroes as Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder and Bill Withers, along with contributing to recordings by India.Arie, Queen Latifah, Snoop Dogg and the soundtrack to Spike Lee’s "She Hate Me".  

Akashinga: The Brave Ones with conservationist Damien Mander - Canceled

Apr 13 2021 - 7:30 PM Holland Performing Arts Center

Be inspired by the incredible story of the first all-female ranger unit in Zimbabwe: Akashinga! Formed by conservationist Damien Mander, Akashinga works to protect Africa's wildlife.

Meaning "The Brave Ones," Akashinga recruits were survivors of domestic violence, single mothers and AIDS orphans.

The Allman Betts Band

Apr 16 2021 - 7:30 PM Orpheum Theater

Featuring original music from their two recent albums, songs from their solo projects as well as classic songs by the legendary Allman Brothers Band, the sons of Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts join forces to form the Allman Betts Band.

Chick Corea: Vigilette - Postponed

Apr 16 2021 - 7:30 PM Holland Performing Arts Center

Chick Corea is a jazz icon and living legend, playing with the genre-shattering bands of Miles Davis and Stan Getz in the late ’60s and early ’70s.  From straight-ahead to free-form, bebop to jazz-rock fusion, Chick has touched an astonishing number of musical bases.

The keyboardist, composer, and bandleader is an NEA Jazz Master, as well as the fourth-most nominated artist in Grammy Awards history with 22 wins. 

PHILADANCO!

Apr 29 2021 - 7:30 PM Orpheum Theater

Join us for a preshow curtain warm-up with acclaimed, local dancer Aaron Derell. Preshow curtain warmers will take place in the theater lobby one hour prior to the start of the show. 

The Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO) is dancing its way to Omaha! Celebrated for its innovation, creativity, PHILADANCO has a legacy of breaking barriers and building bridges across cultural divides. Tonight’s performance will showcase works by Omaha native Ray Mercer as well as electrifying showpieces set by Donald Bryd, Ronald K. Brown and Rennie Harris.

Founded in 1970 by Joan Myers Brown, PHILADANCO is known for using the language of dance to explore Black history, social justice and civil rights.

Youn Sun Nah - Postponed

Apr 30 2021 - 7:30 PM Scott Recital Hall

Youn Sun Han, a South-Korean born singer, studied jazz at the CIM Jazz School, the National Music Institute of Beauvais, and the Boulanger Conservatory where she was awarded the “Officer of the Order des Arts et des Lettres” by the French Ministry of Culture. She has been featured at the Sochi Winter Olympics, the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Monterey Jazz Festival, and International Jazz Day (2017) with Esparanza Spauding and Regina Carter, where she performed jazz arrangements of typical standards as well as Astor Piazzola, Conseulo Velazquez, Richard Rodgers, Jimi Hendrix, and Nirvana.