BOOK OF MORMON, ELF, WAR HORSE and More Set for Omaha Performing Arts' 2013-14 Season

Omaha Performing Arts is packing more than 100 performances with dozens of Tony and Grammy Award-winners into seven great series for its 2013/2014 season. From the creators of South Park and winner of nine Tony Awards, THE BOOK OF MORMON will play a limited nine-day, 11-performance engagement Saturday, October 12 through Sunday, October 20, 2013 at the Orpheum. The New York Times calls it "the best musical of this century" and Entertainment Weekly says it's "the funniest musical of all time." Season Ticket Holders receive priority ticket opportunities to shows so season tickets are the best way to guarantee seats to THE BOOK OF MORMON.

The upcoming season was announced during a members' event at the Holland Performing Arts Center, March 7. "Joey," the amazing life-sized puppet and star of the Broadway play War Horse helped introduce the season and performed for the audience.

Season Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. Omaha Performing Arts Season Ticket Holders for the 2012/2013 season may renew their Season Tickets beginning Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 10:00 a.m.

Two new Omaha Performing Arts series - Children's and National Geographic Live Speaker Series - have been added to the season lineup that already includes Broadway, Dance, Family, Jazz and Showcase performances, as well as a broad selection of additional performances.

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, featuring Edie Brickell kick off the 2013/2014 season and will perform songs from their remarkable new collaboration, Love Has Come for You. The performance will showcase new material performed by Martin and Brickell, along with the unique hybrid of bluegrass and comedy that Grammy-winners Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers have been delighting audiences with at their sold-out, critically acclaimed shows. Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers featuring Edie Brickell will perform Sunday, July 21, 2013 in the Kiewit Hall of the Holland Center.

Omaha Performing Arts' 2013/2014 Season is bursting with top names in all entertainment genres, including Larry the Cable Guy, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom starring Peter Gros, the Martha Graham Dance Company, Sid the Science Kid LIVE!, The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra with New York Voices, as well as a variety of extra and 1200 CLUB performances.

Season Tickets for the seven Omaha Performing Arts' series will go on sale Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at OmahaPerformingArts.org/SeasonTickets. Season Ticket packages, each containing two to five performances of the same genre, start as low as $50.

Patrons may add performances to their Season Ticket order at a savings of up to 15% off the single ticket price.

For more information about Omaha Performing Arts' Season Tickets, visit OmahaPerformingArts.org/SeasonTickets or call 402.345.0606 or toll-free at 866.434.8587. Groups of 10 or more may also purchase tickets to the 2013/2014 season starting Tuesday, May 26, 2013. THE BOOK OF MORMON and WICKED require a minimum of 15 people to qualify for group sales. For more information on Group Sales, visit OmahaPerformingArts.org/Groups or call 402.661.8516. Single tickets for the 2013/2014 Omaha Performing Arts season will go on sale at a later date. Due to the nature of live entertainment, all programs, performers, prices, dates and times are subject to change.

The Broadway Series also includes: ELF THE MUSICAL, one of the most beloved Hollywood holiday hits of the past decade is coming to the Orpheum in November, 2013. It's the uplifting and hilarious tale of Buddy, an orphan who believes he's really one of Santa's elves. The Tony Award- winning Broadway musical MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET brings to life the electrifying true story of the famed recording session that brought together rock 'n' roll icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins for the first and only time. This February show will feature hit after hit, including "Blue Suede Shoes," "Fever," "That's All Right," "Sixteen Tons," "Great Balls of Fire," "I Walk the Line" and many more.

SISTER ACT, featuring original music by eight-time Oscar-winner Alan Menken, opens in March, 2014. SISTER ACT is the story of Deloris Van Cartier, a wannabe diva whose life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a crime and the cops hide her in the last place anyone would think to look - a convent!

War Horse, the heart-warming tale of loyalty and friendship and winner of five 2011 Tony Awards, gallops onto the Orpheum stage in April, 2014. This powerfully moving and imaginative drama is filled with stirring music and songs as it tells the story of Alfred, a young boy and his beloved horse, Joey. Life-sized puppets, strong enough for men to ride, were created by South Africa's Handspring Puppet Company. War Horse brings to life the breathing, galloping, hard-working, hard-charging horses that helped change world events.

WICKED, a Broadway special and not part of the Season Ticket package, is back by "popular" demand in May, 2014. Winner of 35 major awards including a Grammy and three Tony Awards, WICKED is one of Broadway's mega-hits.

New to the Omaha Performing Arts Season is the Children's and National Geographic LIVE Speaker Series. The youngest arts patrons will have opportunities for interactive experiences and adventures when they attend the Children's Series featuring Sid the Science Kid Live! in February, 2014.This popular Emmy-nominated PBS Kids television show produced by The Jim Henson Company comes to life in this incredible live theatrical experience. Also part of the Children's Series is ERTH: Dinosaur Petting ZooTM with five performances in March, 2014. Youngsters will take a journey through prehistoric ages in an interactive experience featuring an amazing selection of dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures. Each performance in the Children's Series includes a special Kids' Zone where youngsters can enjoy face painting, coloring and balloon artists one hour prior to each show.

The National Geographic Live Speaker Series opens in February, 2014 with Polar Obsession with Paul Nicklen, photographer. Nicklen will share a visual journey to vast Polar Regions of the planet. Just in time for spring storm season, Chasing Tornadoes with Tim Samaras, severe storms researcher, will speak in March, 2014. Guests will follow Samaras' race through the Midwest's Tornado Alley in a van packed with weather recording instruments and sensing probes that he designed. Exploring the Red Planet in April offers audience members a chance to meet NASA engineer Kobie Boykins, who helped design the famous Mars Rovers. He'll describe the rovers' success and provide the latest images of Mars.

The three Dance Series performances highlight both classical and modern dance. The world- renowned Martha Graham Dance Company will present its timeless and uniquely American style of dancing with a January, 2014 performance of "Appalachian Spring." In March, 2014, Ronald K. Brown/Evidence Dance Company, founded in 1985, draws inspiration from history, traditions and dance forms from multiple cultures and blends traditional African dance with contemporary choreography and spoken word. The dramatic tale of love lost and found in Swan Lake, featuring the Moscow Festival Ballet, will close the Dance Series in April, 2014.

The Family Series, popular with both children and adults, opens in November with Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Starring Peter Gros who will share his vast animal knowledge, travel experiences and timeless tales including his experience on Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom now seen on the Animal Planet. PSY: Mid-Blowing Circus comes to the Orpheum in January, 2014. This innovative cirque troupe and creators of the off-Broadway hit Traces, Les 7 Doigts de la Main, includes mind-bending feats and dazzling circus stunts.

TAO: Phoenix Rising completes the Family Series in March, 2014. TAO offers a young and exciting take on the traditional Japanese art form that includes whirlwind martial arts display, pulsating rhythms and energetic choreography.

A Night inTreme: the Musical Majesty of New Orleans opens the Jazz Series. This concert features music and musicians from the popular HBO series Treme (pronounced truh-MAY), the music born in the New Orleans Brass band tradition of the Treme neighborhood. In February, 2014 the Legendary Count Basie Orchestra featuring New York Voices will appear in a reunion 20 years after their Grammy-winning collaboration, Live at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild. This orchestra helped define the big band sound and has won 17 Grammy Awards. Six-time Grammy-winner Wayne Shorter will present his distinctive style of jazz in concert April, 2014 and will be performing with his long-running quartet, featuring Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade.

Joining Steve Martin in the Showcase series is Big Bad Voodoo Daddy bringing its swinging, big band style and high energy nine-piece ensemble back to Omaha in October, 2013. Elvis Lives, the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artists Event will be presented in February, 2014. This is a multi-media and live musical journey through Elvis' life and features finalists from Elvis Presley Enterprises' annual worldwide Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest.

The 2013/2014 Season also includes five uniquely different performances. Larry the Cable Guy with special guest Reno Collier opens in October, 2013.This Pawnee City, Nebraska native will bring his humorous observations and celebration of the working man to the Orpheum. Also in October, Grammy- winning composer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Taj Mahal will perform with "The Voice of South Africa" Vusi Mahlasela, the celebrated singer known for his distinct, powerful voice and poetic, optimistic lyrics. They will be joined by New Zealand's premier female vocalist Deva Mahal with her energetic soul group Fredericks Brown. Taj Mahal's music draws inspiration from virtually every corner of the world.

In November, 2013 virtuoso composer and organist Cameron Carpenter will demonstrate how the organ comes alive as a definitive musical instrument when he plays the Orpheum Theater's mighty Wurlitzer. His accomplished performance breaks the stereotypes of organ music by creating live performances with the glitz and glamour you'd expect from a pop star. Next is Sounds of Christmas, Empire Brass Featuring Elisabeth von Trapp, in November. North America's finest brass quintet, the Empire Brass will be joined by the granddaughter of the legendary Maria and Baron von Trapp, whose story inspired The Sound of Music. The Grammy-winning ensemble, Soweto Gospel Choir celebrates the unique and inspirational power of African Gospel music in a March, 2014 concert. The 52 members of the choir come from the churches in and around Soweto, an urban area in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Also included in the 2013/2014 Season is The 1200 CLUB currently featuring five artists. Jazz ensembles Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio and Sean Jones Quartet will be in the 1200 CLUB in February and Delfeayo Marsalis in April. The informal club atmosphere will also have two crossover artists - Christopher O'Riley, in March, 2014 and Zoe Keating in May. More jazz and blues artists will be added to the 1200 CLUB roster.

Omaha Performing Arts is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing world-class performances to the Omaha metropolitan area. Omaha Performing Arts' commitment to the arts extends into its own series, Omaha Performing Arts Presents, as well as education and community involvement programs that help ensure the arts have a far-reaching impact. In partnership with Broadway Across America, Omaha Performing Arts also brings the finest in touring Broadway productions to Omaha.

Core to its mission, Omaha Performing Arts manages two landmark venues, the Holland Performing Arts Center and the Orpheum Theater - the former, which includes the acoustically acclaimed Kiewit Concert Hall and Scott Recital Hall and the latter, which includes Slosburg Hall, a proscenium theater. Omaha Performing Arts also provides comprehensive ticketing services for cultural and performing arts within the region through Ticket Omaha (www.TicketOmaha.com).

Broadway Across America is owned and operated by theatre producer John Gore (CEO). Broadway Across America is a leading Broadway producer and the foremost presenter of first-class touring productions in North America. As a presenter, Broadway Across America operates in 40 cities, bringing first-class touring musicals and plays to audiences across the U.S. and Canada. Its recent Broadway production credits include Promises, Promises starring Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes; How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying starring Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette; On a Clear Day You Can See Forever starring Harry Connick, Jr.; Million Dollar Quartet (Broadway, off-Broadway, West End, US Tour); Jerusalem; Memphis; One Man, Two Guvnors; War Horse (Toronto, Tour); and West Side Story (Broadway, Tour). Broadway Across America is also dedicated to the creation and development of new and diverse theatre; upcoming original works include Hands on a Hardbody, Tuck Everlasting, Little Miss Sunshine, and The Blonde Streak. BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com