Photo Flash: MURDER BALLAD at the Omaha Community Playhouse

Murder Ballad, running at the Omaha Community Playhouse October 14 - November 20, 2016 in the Howard Drew Theatre, is an intimate, sung-through indie-rock musical that tells the dramatic tale of a love triangle gone wrong. At the center of it all is Sara, a young mother and wife who seems to have it all but longs for her dangerous past and begins a love affair with her old boyfriend. As events unfold, the audience is along for the ride with every twist of the story. Murder Ballad is a steamy and fun thriller with a razor's edge. Contains situations of infidelity, adult language and mild violence.

Murder Ballad is a brand new musical that was conceived by Julia Jordan, who also wrote the book and some lyrics for the musical with noted indie singer/songwriter, Juliana Nash. Jordan, initially a playwright, was interested in taking her idea of a murderous love triangle and turning it into a rock musical. She approached Nash, who had never written a musical before and was inspired by the dark narrative qualities of the music. The title is taken from the phrase, "murder ballad," which is a song that describes a murder, including the killer, the motive and the act itself. Popular examples of murder ballads include classics like "Mack the Knife" and Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe" or a number of songs by Johnny Cash.

A special highlight of this production is the functioning bar in the Howard Drew Theatre. The house will open an hour before the performance (6:30 p.m. for a 7:30 p.m. show and 1:00 p.m. for a 2:00 p.m. show), and patrons are welcome to go on stage to order a drink, sit on a barstool, play pool at the pool table, drop a quarter in the pinball machine or sit back and watch the television above the bar. In addition to the usual theatrical seating, there are both floor seats and bar seats available for purchase, for those who would like to watch the story unfold from a slightly different angle. There is no additional charge for these 12 seats and patrons may choose those seats at time of the ticket purchase.

Production: Murder Ballad

Credits: Book and lyrics by Julia Jordan, Music and lyrics by Juliana Nash

Director: Jeff Horger

Cast:

CHARACTER ACTOR

NARRATOR Mackenzie Dehmer

SARA Leanne Hill Carlson
MICHAEL John E. Jones

TOM Thomas Gjere

Show Dates: October 14 - November 20, 2016 (Thursday - Sunday matinee)

Tickets: At the OCP Box Office, by calling (402) 553-0800 or online at www.OmahaPlayhouse.com or www.TicketOmaha.com. Single tickets are $42 for adults and $25 for students. Tickets for groups of 12 or more are $30 for adults and $20 for students.

Discounts: Twilight Tickets - A limited number of tickets are available at half price after noon the day of the performance at the Box Office. Cash or check only. Subject to availability.

Sponsored by: Le Voltaire Restaurant/Le Petit Paris, The Berry & Rye, David and Anne Rismiller, Whitmore Charitable Trust and CW15 (media sponsor)

Location: Howard Drew Theatre | Omaha Community Playhouse

6915 Cass Street | Omaha, NE 68132

Photo credit: Colin Conces

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