Issue 6.09

shoutomaha.com

Comedian Ralph Harris Has Found His Voice

One LaugH at a time

apRiL 2015

this month’s feature

also inside...an interview with Chelsea Williams of “mamma mia”

don’t missanything!check out our calendar of events

a p r i l 2 0 1 5 • S h o u t o m a h a . c o m2

Event Details and Tickets Available at: habitatomaha.org/womenspowerlunch

You’re Invited Help Fight Poverty Housing

P O W E R L U N C H

Presented by Habitat Omaha FRIENDS

Women’s Power LuncheonThursday, April 30, 2015 ● 11:30 am - 1:00 pm

Omaha Hilton ● Grand Central Ballroom1001 Cass Street, Omaha, NE 68102

Michelle Koraleski Power Woman of the YearDawn Dinsdale Honorary Chair

Sid Dinsdale Honorary STUD Chair

$75 Patron • $50 Individual • $35 Young Professional

Join Us in Honoring:



P O W E R L U N C H










P O W E R L U N C H










P O W E R L U N C H








Women’s Power

LuncheonThursday, April 30, 2015

11:30 am - 1:00 pmOmaha Hilton

Grand Central Ballroom1001 Cass Street, Omaha, NE 68102

S h o u t o m a h a . c o m • a p r i l 2 0 1 5 3VISIT WWW.THEROSS.ORG FOR SHOWTIMES & INFORMATION


S h o u t o m a h a . c o m • a p r i l 2 0 1 5 5

contents

06

13 28

09

One LaugH at a time Comedian Ralph Harris Has Found His Voice

YOu Can DanCe MAMMA MIA! at the Orpheum

musiC q&a FasHiOn FeatuRe

Editorial: [email protected] • Calendar Listings:[email protected] [email protected] • Production: [email protected]

Shout!, 6969 Grover St., Omaha, NE 68106


One

at a timeLaugh

at a t meComedian Ralph Harris walked around San Francisco for three miles waiting for his gig to

start and still didn’t meet his 10,000-step FitBit goal. However, much like his career, he never gave up and there’s no doubt he accomplished what he set out to do that day. He’s been the star of the television show, On Our Own, had his own HBO Comedy Special, appeared in the movies Dreamgirls and Evan Almighty, and is the current host of My Momma Throws Down. In the meantime, he’s on the road making audiences around the country erupt with laughter.

Surprisingly, Harris was a quiet kid, which is the complete opposite of his on-stage persona. The Philadelphia native is known for his explosive, and often athletic, performances. You’ll never see him standing in one place for too long. Believe it or not, his first goal was to be in the circus.

“I didn’t talk much as a kid because I grew up around a bunch of women,” Harris says. When you’re a kid, you didn’t speak until you were spoken to, but I always wanted a voice. I went to the Ringling Brothers Circus as a kid. It was that last clown that got out of the car, that number 40 clown. He was a little tiny guy. I was like, ‘I want to be that.’ I guess by the time I got to working, I realized they weren’t going to let me be the little person because I was already 5-feet tall. I couldn’t get that job, but I volunteered to do clean up and stuff like that.”

As he got older, he was introduced to the stand-up routines of the great Eddie Murphy. It was over after that.

“My buddies introduced me to Eddie Murphy in 1980 or 1981,” he explains. “I said, ‘I want to do what this dude does.’ Some friends took me to open mic night right before my 20th birth-day and I just stayed with it.”

The moment he stepped on stage for the first time was not what most people would expect. Rather than a nervous, skittish young man, there was a confident firecracker ready to go.

Comedian Ralph Harris Has Found His Voice

By Kyle Eustice


LaughFeeatuRe stORY

“I was too foolish to be not confident,” he says. “I was too foolish to be scared. I knew Ed-die Murphy’s material word-for-word. I didn’t know it was protocol not to do other people’s material. It was open mic night and I wondered why people were wasting their time with all of this corny material when there’s already so much great stuff out there. So I thought, ‘Ok, I have seven minutes on stage so I’m going to do stuff that already blows people away.’ After nights of standing ovations, the club owner had enough of that and told the audience what I was doing. I couldn’t believe it. It was so not cool. He called me out, but I didn’t know why he was calling me out. I started working on my own stuff and never looked back. All you need is those first few laughs to know you have something.”

Clearly, Harris has more than ‘something.’ Now bouncing between Los Angeles and New York City, he’s constantly on the grind, auditioning for roles and writing his one-man show based on his life. He’s also on the road 45 weeks out of the year. Simply put, the man is a machine. He never stops and his fans have a lot to do with that.

“A sense of humor is sense of self,” he says. “To be humorous, you have to release your vanity. To be able to get humor and seek humor, it’s like getting or seeking medicine. It’s like going to the pharmacy and asking, ‘Can I have 15 dollars worth of that?’ I actually had a couple of people hit me up on Facebook. They wrote me after a Funny Bone performance in Des Moines and said, ‘Wow. Thanks for a great show in Des Moines. You make cancer treatment tolerable.’ I don’t think about it like that, but that’s how it’s impacting people. That gives me the fortitude to continue to work through these weeks on the road when I’m away from what is considered a normal life. I’m trying to reach people however I can. In the business of art, there is no right way to do it.”

Ralph Harris April 23-26

Funny Bone Comedy Club

Thur. 7:30 p.m. • Fri. 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.

Sat. 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. • Sun. 7 p.m.

Tickets are $16.

www.standup-media.com



YOu Can DanCemamma mia! at the Orpheum

By Shout Omaha Staff

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’ MAMMA MIA!, the smash hit musical based on the songs of ABBA, returns to Omaha’s Orpheum Theater for five performances Friday, April 24 through Sunday, April 26. According to a press release, MAMMA MIA! has been seen by over 54 million people around the world and is celebrating 5,000 performances on Broadway and is the ninth longest-running show in Broadway history. The original West End produc-tion of MAMMA MIA! is now in its 15th year and has celebrated over 6,000 performances in London and the international tour has visited more than 74 foreign cities in 35 countries and been seen by over 4.3 million people. The blockbuster feature film ad-aptation of MAMMA MIA! is the most successful movie musical of all time grossing $600 million worldwide. Seen in 38 productions in 14 different languages globally and with a worldwide gross of over $2 billion, MAMMA MIA! is acclaimed by the Associated Press as “quite simply, a phenomenon.”

The story is about an independent, single mother who owns a small hotel on an idyllic Greek island. Donna is about to let go of So-phie, the spirited daughter she’s raised alone. For Sophie’s wedding, Donna has invited her two lifelong best girlfriends — practical and no-non-sense Rosie and wealthy, multi-divorcee Tanya - from her one- time backing band, Donna and the Dynamos. But Sophie has secretly invited three guests of her own. On a quest to find the identity of her father to walk her down the aisle, she brings back three men from Donna’s past to the Mediterranean paradise they visited 20 years earlier. Over 24 chaotic, magical hours, new love

will bloom and old romances will be rekindled on this lush island full of possibilities. Inspired by the storytelling magic of ABBA’s songs from “Dancing Queen” and “S.O.S.” to “Money, Money, Money” and “Take a Chance on Me,” MAMMA MIA! is a celebration of mothers and daughters, old friends and new family found.

Chelsea Williams, who plays the role of So-phie, had a few brief moments to answer a hand-ful of questions about the production.

Shout Omaha: What about MAMMA MIA! is so timeless, that people come back many times?

Chelsea Williams: When people choose to go see MAMMA MIA!, they know they’ll be getting two and a half hours of contagious, uplifting en-ergy. It’s a show that can turn your whole day around. You can rarely expect such pure joy from a night at the theater. Why wouldn’t you want to come back for that?

What is the best part about being involved

with this production and playing the role of Sophie?

It’s an absolute dream to play Sophie. I know that there may be pressure to appear as she does in the movie or in the many stage incarnations seen for years on Broadway and the road, but I really take delight in making her my own char-acter. When I started rehearsals, I had never seen the show before, and that gave me an interesting perspective that is (hopefully) completely my own.

How do you prepare to put on such a big production night after night?

tHeateR q&a


I definitely warm up my voice every day, usu-ally with the help of steam from my shower. I do a little plank routine with some other cast mem-bers, some stretching, and I’m off! I run around from the moment I’m on stage so there’s no real time for my body to get cold.

What’s your background? How did you get

involved with acting?I grew up a total athlete. I remember when I

was very young, my parents wanted to expose me to any extracurricular activity in which I might have expressed the slightest interest. I sampled ballet and the clarinet, both of which I tried and didn’t have the attention span for, and was even offered to be taken to community theatre auditions. I was petrified and refused. T-ball and

the soccer field were the places I felt like I could shine. Singing came later, though it was always a part of me. I sang in many choral groups from middle school to college, and somewhere along the way picked up voice lessons, where I finally gained the courage to audition for a production in high school. Everything moved pretty fast from that point on, sports slowly dropping by the wayside and acting taking its place, leading me to musical theatre training in college.

How did you get your role in Mamma Mia?Many, many auditions. I read about an open

call for singers online and waited in the crowd to be seen, as it often goes for young perform-ers. Over the course of about seven months I was seen several times until I finally got the call.




BaCk aFLOatso-so sailors get the Wind Back in its sails

By Kyle Eustice

So-So Sailors are back. After being relatively quiet for the better part of two years, the Omaha indie band is slowly starting to emerge from its hibernation.

Frontman Chris Machmuller (Ladyfinger), keyboardist Aaron Markley (Gus & Call), drummer Dan Kemp (Blood-cow), guitarist Mike Friedman and bassist Brendan Greene-Walsh have been busy with life. Machmuller is about to have his second child with his relatively new wife, which has (nat-urally) changed, well, just about everything.

Touring is no longer a priority and he has other things to worry about other than being a “rock star.” However, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t play the part well. So-So Sailors just opened for Matthew Sweet at the Holland Performing Arts Center, and according to local columnist and music enthusi-ast Tim McMahan, they sounded “exquisite.”

It’s been a solid four years since the group surfaced. Their debut EP, Young Hearts, was released in December 2011, and subsequently released in June 2012 in the UK/Ireland by No Dancing. So-So Sailors is finally getting ready to release its first full-length album, and it’s about time. Machmuller had a few spare moments in between daddy duty, mixing the new album and running two businesses (O’Leaver’s Pub and Worker’s Take Out) to talk starting a family, new music and why touring just doesn’t have the same appeal anymore.

Shout Omaha: Is it just me or have you been under the radar lately?

Chris Macmuller: Yeah, we haven’t been too active. It wasn’t a conscious decision. It just sorta ended up like that. I guess a big factor was our guitar player Alex McManus moved to British Columbia. That certainly made it difficult to play out, considering we would need to fully acclimate a new guitar player before doing so. In addition, the birth of my daughter shifted my priorities, as well. There just isn’t as much free time for rehearsals these days.

How has that changed you? Well, my daughter Ruby just turned 2 and the next one

is due Aug. 31. It’s all about perspective, I guess. Having children makes everything else in your life seem a lot less im-portant, you know, stuff like rock shows, deadlines, parties, and work-related bullshit.

Are your goals different now than before you started a family?

Yes, I’d say so. I have very little interest in touring these days. I just don’t want to be away from my girls (daughter and wife). They’re too much fun.

Are you working on new material?We don’t have new material yet. Or at least I hav-

en’t written anything new. The group has a substantial back catalogue of unfinished and/or unreleased mate-rial. But, to properly answer you question, our first full-length is nearly completed…finally. We started recording two years ago. So, yes, a new release is com-ing soon. I guess I don’t consider those songs “new” anymore considering how long we’ve been working on them.

How has your musical style evolved over the years? It’s funny, but I feel like I’m a lazier songwriter

now. Or maybe it’s just easier to write now. It’s hard to say. But ultimately, I feel that I’m a more honest song-writer these days. It’s easier to tell the truth than lie. By that I mean, I tend to be a little less cryptic nowadays.

Do you think Omaha’s music “scene” keeps getting better?

I don’t know. There’s a lot of quality music around. Yeah, I’ll say it keeps getting better. But, why? Shit. I dunno. I guess as long as new artists continue to be inspired and/or influenced by quality predecessors and are talented enough to channel that into their own ver-sion of quality, then we’ll be OK.

What’s up for this year?New record and new baby.

musiC q&a


What’s going on in Omaha? You’ll find out here! Submit calendar listings to [email protected]. Be sure to include NAMES, DATES, TIMES, ADDRESSES and COSTS, and please give us AT LEAST 7 days notice. Events are included as space allows.

tHuRsDaY, apRiL 23Verbal GumbOHouse of Loom, 1012 S. 10th St., 7 p.m. Admission is $7. www.houseofloom.com

Weekly Jazz Jam402 Arts Collective, 6051 Maple St.8 p.m., Free

The bOxmasTers feaTurinG billy bOb ThOrnTOnBourbon Theatre, 1415 O St., Lincoln8 p.m., $35

DurTy ThursDayBar 415, 415 S. 13th St.9 p.m., Free

DJ keVin kThe Candlelight Lounge, 5031 Grover St10 p.m.

ralph harrisFunny Bone Comedy Club17305 Davenport St #2017:30 p.m.

i haTe hamleTOmaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St., 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $36. www.omahaplayhouse.com

naTure COnneCTs 2 leGO® exhibiT aT lauriTzen GarDensLauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft Street9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, $10 for adults, $5 for children 6-12 and free for garden members and children under six. www.lauritzengardens.org

branDOn sanTini WiTh GraCie CurranThe 21st Saloon, 4727 S. 96th St5:30 p.m., $12

OzOne hOsTs feel GOOD ThursDaysLive Music from the Jules and Joe BandOzone, 7220 F St.6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Open mikeCrescent Moon Coffee, 140 N. 8th St. #10, Lower Level, Lincoln7 p.m.

ameriCan TapesTry biennialKaneko, 1111 Jones St9 a.m. to 5 p.m., This event is free

pilObOlus DanCe TheaTreOrpheum Theatre, 409 S. 16th St.7:30 p.m.

kurT ellinG1200 Club at Holland Performing Arts Center1200 Douglas St7:30 p.m.

liVe blues sax anD pianO WiTh eD arChibalD anD Jeff sCOTTThe Omaha Lounge, 1505 Farnam St7:30 p.m.theomahalounge.com

in The JunGle yOu musT WaiTShelterbelt Theatre, 3225 California St8 p.m., $15 adults, $12 students and senior citizens, Thursdays and Sundays all seats $10shelterbelt.org

The infamOus sTrinGDusTersThe Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St.9 p.m.

film sTreams’ sprinG fOreVer yOunG series“Chicken Run”Film Streams, 1340 Mike Fahey St$2.50 for children ages 12 and under. Adult tickets are $9 general, $7 for seniors, students, teachers, military and those traveling to the theater by bicycle, and $4.50 for Film Streams Members and Lincoln Financial employees.5 p.m., www.filmstreams.org

feeDbaCkKaneko, 1111 Jones St., 7 p.m. Admission is free. www.thekaneko.org

DOn Trip WiTh rayTeD r, GO liVe, bash Wise, & m.W.Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St., 8 p.m. Tickets are $20. www.theslowdown.com

‘TeCh CiTy’ exhibiTStrategic Air and Space Museum28210 West Park Highway, Ashland, NE 680039 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Museum admission: Adults: $12.00, Senior Citizens: $11.00 (65 +), Active/Retired Military: $11.00, Children: $6.00 (Ages 4 to 12)

hOWlin rain

CaLenDaR OF eVents


Reverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave., 9 p.m. Tickets are $10-$12. www.onepercentproductions.com

sailinG in sOupBarley Street Tavern, 2735 N. 62nd St., 9 p.m. Admission is $5.

heCTOr anChOnDOThe Omaha Lounge, 1505 Farnam St., 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. www.theomahalounge.com

flOrabunDaKANEKO, 1111 Jones St., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. www.thekaneko.com

aksarben CurlinG leaGue Ralston Arena, 7300 Q St., Days and Times Vary. www.ralstonarena.com

sTOrm Chasers Vs. memphisWiTh ThirsTy ThursDayWerner Park12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 680466:35 p.m.

publiC iCe skaTinGRalston Arena, 7300 Q St., Check website for times and admission prices. www.ralstonarena.com

fiber leGenDs KANEKO, 1111 Jones St., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. www.thekaneko.org

The QuilTeD COnsCienCe prOJeCTKANEKO, 1111 Jones St., Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and Saturday, 1–5 p.m. Admission is free. www.thekaneko.org

mOVie TriVia niGhTThe Sydney, 5918 Maple St., 8 p.m. Admission is free. www.thesydneybenson.com

FRiDaY, apRiL 24bOTh WiTh zay Gaines & OkeTOThe Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St., 9 p.m. Tickets are $7. www.onepercentproductions.com


ralph harrisFunny Bone Comedy Club17305 Davenport St #2017:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.

COinCiDe CD release shOWSlowdown, 729 N. 14th St8 p.m.

Jay peasley COnCerTSozo Coffehouse, 1314 Jones 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Free

speCial shOWinG Of “sOme like iT hOT”Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge St7 p.m., $23

mamma mia!Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St8 p.m., $45 to $90omahaperformingarts.org

pass The flask, WhaTs kaGsWOOD neeD, TOO fasT fOr frank, COrDial speW, Dsm5Down Under Lounge, 3802 Leavenworth St8 p.m., $5

Taxi DriVerAmerisports Bar, 2200 River Road, Council Bluffs8:30 p.m.

maTT WallaCe fusiOn fOrCeHarney Street Tavern, 1215 Harney St9 p.m., Free

hOusekaTsBar 415, 415 S. 13th St9 p.m., $5

3D in yOur faCe21st Saloon, 4727 S. 96th St9 p.m., $5

DOWn TO 2Horseshoe Casino, 2701 23rd Ave., Council Bluffs9 p.m., Free

CharlOTTe’s WebRose Theater, 2001 Farnam St7 p.m., $18rosetheater.org

Dr. JOhn Walker, GunTer VOelker, GerarDO mezaCrescent Moon Coffee, 140 N. 8th St. #10, Lower Level, Lincoln8 p.m.

GOODlife COunTry Jamwith Dylan Bloom Band, Emmett Bower Band, Tim Zach and the Whiskey Bent Band, Evan Bartels and the Stoney Londesomes and moreBourbon Theatre, 1415 O St., Lincoln8 p.m., $10 in advance, $12 21 and older day of show, $14 18 to 20 day of show

‘TeCh CiTy’ exhibiT


Strategic Air and Space Museum28210 West Park Highway, Ashland, NE 680039 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Museum admission: Adults: $12.00, Senior Citizens: $11.00 (65 +), Active/Retired Military: $11.00, Children: $6.00 (Ages 4 to 12)

Omaha symphOny masTerWOrksHolland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St.7:30 p.m., $19 to $80omahasymphony.org

biG al’s free musiC fesTiVal anD fOOD DriVe 2015The Hideout, 320 S. 72nd St8 p.m., Free


neTa COnferenCe 2015CenturyLink Center, 455 N. 10th St., 8:30 a.m. www.netasite.org

an eVeninG On The TiTaniCThe Apollon, 1801 Vinton St.,7 p.m., $25-$35 (includes dinner)apollonomaha.com


liVe Jazz VOCalisT CarOl rOGersThe Omaha Lounge, 1505 Farnam St7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., freetheomahalounge.com


esme paTTersOn WiTh simOn JOyner, + sean praTT & The sWeaTsReverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave., 9 p.m. Tickets are $10. www.onepercentproductions.com

reVel House of Loom, 1012 S. 10th St., 9 p.m. Admission is $5. www.houseofloom.com

The hOOliGans Barley Street Tavern, 2735 N. 62nd St., 7 p.m. Admission is $5.

el DrifTe WiTh TOWnship & ranGe, + JaCOb raDley DunCanBarley Street Tavern, 2735 N. 62nd St., 9 p.m. Admission is $5.

DJ TasTy JCandlelight Lounge, 5031 Grover St10 p.m.

sTOrm Chasers Vs. memphis Friday FireworksWerner Park, 12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion7:05


Opera Omaha’s fiDeliOOrpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St., 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $19-$99. www.omahaperformingarts.org

beef Vs. siOux CiTy banDiTs Ralston Arena, 7300 Q St., 6 p.m. Tickets are $20-$49. www.ralstonarena.com





satuRDaY, apRiL 25raDar Vs WOlf WiTh sOCieTy Of brOken sOuls, & maTT COxBarley Street Tavern, 2735 N. 62nd St., 9 p.m. Admission is $5. www.barleystreet.com

in The JunGle yOu musT WaiTShelterbelt Theatre, 3225 California St8 p.m., $15 adults, $12 students and senior citizens, Thursdays and Sundays all seats $10


shelterbelt.org

mamma mia!Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St2 p.m. and 8 p.m., $45 to $90omahaperformingarts.org


ralph harrisFunny Bone Comedy Club17305 Davenport St #2017:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.


flOyD (pink flOyD TribuTe shOW) WiTh peaCe, lOVe, eTC.The Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St., 9 p.m. Tickets are $7. www.onepercentproductions.com


neTa COnferenCe 2015CenturyLink Center, 455 N. 10th St., 8:30 a.m. www.netasite.org



an eVeninG On The TiTaniCThe Apollon, 1801 Vinton St.,7 p.m., $25-$35 (includes dinner)apollonomaha.com


sOmO WiTh JOhnny sTimsOn, & spenCer suTherlanDSokol Auditorium, 2234 S. 13th St., 8 p.m. Tickets are $20-$22. www.sokolunderground.com

freakabOuT WiTh fake planTs, & kaiT berreCkmanReverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave., 9 p.m. Tickets are $5. www.onepercentproductions.com

WeekenD DanCe DesTinaTiOn House of Loom, 1012 S. 10th St., 10 p.m. Admission is free.www.houseofloom.com

Will DOuGherTy lOVes COmpany fT. sam TallenT & naThan lunD The Backline, 1618 Harney St., 10 p.m. Tickets are $5. www.backlinecomedy.com


This b**** is GOin’ DOWn: an eVeninG On The TiTaniCApollon, 1801 Vinton St.,10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. every Friday and Saturday). Tickets are $25-$35 (includes dinner). www.apollonomaha.com


luke pOlipniCk

Harney Street Tavern, 1215 Harney St., 9 p.m. Admission is free. www.harneystreettavern.com



Open miC pOeT niGhT


Sozo Coffeehouse, 1314 Jones St., 7 p.m. Admission is free. www.sozocoffeeshop.com


Dinner DeTeCTiVe murDer mysTery shOWDoubletree Hotel, 1616 Dodge St., 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $54.50. www.thedinnerdetective.com

sunDaY, apRiL 26CharlOTTe’s WebRose Theater, 2001 Farnam St2 p.m., $18rosetheater.org

salsa sunDaysHouse of Loom, 1012 S. 10th St., 7 p.m. Tickets are $7. www.houseofloom.com

ralph harrisFunny Bone Comedy Club17305 Davenport St #2017 p.m.


sprOuTs anD symphOnyHolland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St2 p.m.

raise The rOOTsThe Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St5 p.m.

amy laVere WiTh Will sexTOnReverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave9 p.m.

mamma mia!Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., $45 to $90omahaperformingarts.org

in The JunGle yOu musT WaiTShelterbelt Theatre, 3225 California St2 p.m., $15 adults, $12 students and senior citizens, Thursdays and Sundays all seats $10

shelterbelt.org

I haTe hamleTOmaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St., 2 p.m. Tickets are $36. www.omahaplayhouse.com


asian/paCifiC islanDer heriTaGe mass & pOTluCk Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, 6 p.m. Admission is free. www.creighton.edu


sunDay rOaDhOuse presenTs: amy laVere WiTh Will sexTOnReverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave., 5 p.m. Tickets are $15-$20. www.onepercentproductions.com





lanCers: Clark Cup playOff Game 1Ralston Arena, 7300 Q St., 5:05 p.m. Tickets are $16.95-$22.95 (Advance Tickets); $20.95-$26.95 (Day Of Tickets).


www.ralstonarena.com

mOnDaY, apRiL 27firsT CuT: serViCe inDusTry niGhTHouse of Loom, 1012 S. 10th St., 9 p.m. Admission is free. www.houseofloom.com


inDusTry niGhTReverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave, All Day

Geeks WhO Drink pub QuizWilson & Washburn, 1407 Harney St., 8 p.m.

peelanDer-zThe Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St, 9 p.m.

pub QuizThe Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St9 p.m.


Open miC niGhT 402 Collective, 6051 Maple St., 6 p.m. Admission is free. www.402artscollective.org




tuesDaY, apRiL 28Open miC niGhT WiTh DusTy sTahlBarley Street Tavern, 2735 N. 62nd St., 10 p.m. Admission is free.

www.barleystreet.com


Tap TuesDayReverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave, All Day

CarlOs menCiaFunny Bone Comedy Club17305 Davenport St #2017:30 p.m.

arlO GuThrieHolland Center, 1200 Douglas St7:30 p.m.

lOT Walks anD buffalO rODeOThe Slowdown, 729 N 14th St9 p.m.


hOT Jazz WiTh luiGi, inC.Mr. Toad’s, 1002 Howard St., 9 p.m. Admission is free. www.mrtoadspub.com

karaOke TheaTreHouse of Loom, 1012 S. 10th St., 9 p.m. Admission is free. www.houseofloom.com




syDney pub QuizThe Sydney, 5918 Maple St., 8 p.m. Admission is free. www.thesydneybenson.com


WeDnesDaY, apRiL 29free shOW WeDnesDays: fOrk in The rOaD Barley Street Tavern, 2735 N. 62nd St., 9 p.m. Admission is free. www.barleystreet.com


The WOrD aliVe/Chelsea Grin WiTh like mOThs TO flames & sylarThe Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St.7 p.m. lauGhs fOr lifeFunny Bone Comedy Club17305 Davenport St #2017:30 p.m.

GOlDen DraGOn aCrObaTsOrpheum Theatre, 409 S. 16th St7 p.m.

DJ spirale anD GuesTsHouse of Loom, 1012 S. 10th St., 10 p.m. Admission is free. www.houseofloom.com





tHuRsDaY, apRiL 30film sTreams’ sprinG fOreVer yOunG series“Chicken Run”Film Streams, 1340 Mike Fahey St$2.50 for children ages 12 and under. Adult tickets are $9 general, $7 for seniors, students, teachers,

military and those traveling to the theater by bicycle, and $4.50 for Film Streams Members and Lincoln Financial employees.4:30 p.m., www.filmstreams.org

Cash leVyFunny Bone Comedy Club17305 Davenport St #2017:30 p.m.


‘TeCh CiTy’ exhibiTStrategic Air and Space Museum28210 West Park Highway, Ashland, NE 680039 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Museum admission: Adults: $12.00, Senior Citizens: $11.00 (65 +), Active/Retired Military: $11.00, Children: $6.00 (Ages 4 to 12)The Cactus Blossoms with Burkum BoysReverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave9 p.m.

sir miChael rOCks WiTh rObb banks & pOuyaThe Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St. 9 p.m.

FRiDaY, maY 1‘TeCh CiTy’ exhibiTStrategic Air and Space Museum28210 West Park Highway, Ashland, NE 680039 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Museum admission: Adults: $12.00, Senior Citizens: $11.00 (65 +), Active/Retired Military: $11.00, Children: $6.00 (Ages 4 to 12)

Cash leVyFunny Bone Comedy Club17305 Davenport St #2017:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.



balleT nebraska presenTs: mOmenTumWitherspoon Concert Hall, Joslyn Art Museum7:30 p.m.


hairballRalston Arena8 p.m.

karaOke aT The Cali barThe California Bar, 510 N. 33rd St9 p.m.

satuRDaY, maY 2film sTreams’ sprinG fOreVer yOunG series“Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness”Film Streams, 1340 Mike Fahey St$2.50 for children ages 12 and under. Adult tickets are $9 general, $7 for seniors, students, teachers, military and those traveling to the theater by bicycle, and $4.50 for Film Streams Members and Lincoln Financial employees.12 p.m., www.filmstreams.org

Cash leVyFunny Bone Comedy Club17305 Davenport St #2017:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.




sunDaY, maY 3film sTreams’ sprinG fOreVer yOunG series“Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness”Film Streams, 1340 Mike Fahey St$2.50 for children ages 12 and under. Adult tickets are $9 general, $7 for seniors, students, teachers, military and those traveling to the theater by bicycle, and $4.50 for Film Streams Members and Lincoln Financial employees.12 p.m., www.filmstreams.org

Cash leVyFunny Bone Comedy Club17305 Davenport St #201

7 p.m.


ChurCh fOr sinnersReverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave12 p.m.

salsa sunDaysHouse of Loom, 1012 S. 10th St.9 p.m.



mOnDaY, maY 4‘TeCh CiTy’ exhibiTStrategic Air and Space Museum28210 West Park Highway, Ashland, NE 680039 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Museum admission: Adults: $12.00, Senior Citizens: $11.00 (65 +), Active/Retired Military: $11.00, Children: $6.00 (Ages 4 to 12)

sTOrm Chasers Vs rOunD rOCkWerner Park, 12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion6:35 p.m.

inDusTry niGhTReverb Lounge, 6121 Military AveAll Day

Geeks Who Drink Pub QuizWilson & Washburn, 1407 Harney St.8 p.m.


tuesDaY, maY 5‘TeCh CiTy’ exhibiTStrategic Air and Space Museum28210 West Park Highway, Ashland, NE 680039 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily,


Museum admission: Adults: $12.00, Senior Citizens: $11.00 (65 +), Active/Retired Military: $11.00, Children: $6.00 (Ages 4 to 12)

Tap TuesDayReverb Lounge, 6121 Military AveAll Day

2015 bOys TOWn bOOsTer banQueTWindsor Ballroom, Embassy Suites La Vista, 12520 Westport Pkwy5:30 p.m.

sTOrm Chasers Vs rOunD rOCkWerner Park, 12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion6:35 p.m.

WeDnesDaY, maY 6‘TeCh CiTy’ exhibiTStrategic Air and Space Museum28210 West Park Highway, Ashland, NE 680039 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Museum admission: Adults: $12.00, Senior Citizens: $11.00 (65 +), Active/Retired Military: $11.00, Children: $6.00 (Ages 4 to 12)

sTOrm Chasers Vs rOunD rOCkAARP Senior DayWerner Park, 12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion11:05 a.m.

tHuRsDaY, maY 7sTOrm Chasers Vs rOunD rOCkDr. Pepper Thirsty ThursdayWerner Park, 12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion6:35 p.m.

TerenCe blanCharDHolland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St7:30 p.m.

pJ WalshFunny Bone Comedy Club17305 Davenport St #2017:30 p.m.

film sTreams’ sprinG fOreVer yOunG series“Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness”Film Streams, 1340 Mike Fahey St$2.50 for children ages 12 and under. Adult tickets are $9 general, $7 for seniors, students, teachers, military and those traveling to the theater by bicycle, and $4.50 for Film Streams Members and Lincoln Financial employees.5 p.m., www.filmstreams.org

in The JunGle yOu musT WaiTShelterbelt Theatre, 3225 California St

8 p.m., $15 adults, $12 students and senior citizens, Thursdays and Sundays all seats $10shelterbelt.org


FRiDaY, maY 8‘TeCh CiTy’ exhibiTStrategic Air and Space Museum28210 West Park Highway, Ashland, NE 680039 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Museum admission: Adults: $12.00, Senior Citizens: $11.00 (65 +), Active/Retired Military: $11.00, Children: $6.00 (Ages 4 to 12)

pJ WalshFunny Bone Comedy Club17305 Davenport St #2017:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.



CreiGhTOn baseball Vs neVaDaTD Ameritrade Park, 1200 Mike Fahey St6:30 p.m.

sTOrm Chasers Vs OklahOma CiTy Star Wars Night & Friday FireworksWerner Park, 12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion7:05 p.m.

satuRDaY, maY 9sTOrm Chasers Vs OklahOma CiTy Sarpy Sports Commission National Championship Ring GiveawayWerner Park, 12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion7:05 p.m.

pJ WalshFunny Bone Comedy Club17305 Davenport St #2017:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.

film sTreams’ sprinG fOreVer yOunG


series“Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness”Film Streams, 1340 Mike Fahey St$2.50 for children ages 12 and under. Adult tickets are $9 general, $7 for seniors, students, teachers, military and those traveling to the theater by bicycle, and $4.50 for Film Streams Members and Lincoln Financial employees.1:15 p.m., www.filmstreams.org




sunDaY, maY 10film sTreams’ sprinG fOreVer yOunG series“Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness”Film Streams, 1340 Mike Fahey St$2.50 for children ages 12 and under. Adult tickets are $9 general, $7 for seniors, students, teachers, military and those traveling to the theater by bicycle, and $4.50 for Film Streams Members and Lincoln Financial employees.1:15 p.m., www.filmstreams.org


pJ WalshFunny Bone Comedy Club17305 Davenport St #2017 p.m.


‘TeCh CiTy’ exhibiTStrategic Air and Space Museum28210 West Park Highway, Ashland, NE 680039 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily,

Museum admission: Adults: $12.00, Senior Citizens: $11.00 (65 +), Active/Retired Military: $11.00, Children: $6.00 (Ages 4 to 12)

sTOrm Chasers Vs OklahOma CiTy US Bank Family FundayWerner Park, 12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion2:05 p.m.

ChurCh fOr sinnersReverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave12 p.m.

salsa sunDaysHouse of Loom, 1012 S. 10th St.9 p.m.

mOnDaY, maY 11sTOrm Chasers Vs OklahOma CiTyWerner Park, 12356 Ballpark Way11:05 a.m.

inDusTry niGhTReverb Lounge, 6121 Military AveAll Day

Geeks WhO Drink pub QuizWilson & Washburn, 1407 Harney St.8 p.m.


tuesDaY, maY 12Tap TuesDayReverb Lounge, 6121 Military AveAll Day

CreiGhTOn baseball Vs arkansasTD Ameritrade Park, 1200 Mike Fahey St.6:00 p.m.

OnCeOrpheum Theatre, 409 S. 16th St7:30 p.m.

WeDnesDaY, maY 13OnCeOrpheum Theatre, 409 S. 16th St7:30 p.m.

alex ThOmasFunny Bone Comedy Club17305 Davenport St #2017:30 p.m.






WORkin’ itBrook Hudson of Omaha Fashion Week Does it all

By Kyle Eustice

Brook Hudson was working at Creighton University’s Business School as the marketing director when her department was approached to become Omaha Fashion Week’s (OFW) first sponsor.

Creighton decided to support it to bal-ance the many sports-related sponsorships the school had going at the time and to attract a female demographic.

Fast-forward two years later and Hudson found herself walking down the aisle to marry the OFW’s founder, Nick Hudson. A year after that, she accepted the job as OFW’s produc-er and has been doing it ever since. She now runs the day-to-day operations of OFW and its off-shoot activities like Omaha Fashion Camp. With her extensive background in marketing, public relations and event production, she’s a perfect fit for her current role as the OFW pro-ducer.

Hudson said she is thrilled to kick off an-other new year.

“For our designers, we are expanding our prize packages in August,” Hudson says. “We will award a $500 cash prize each night to the top designer. Those designers will then com-pete in the Finale on Saturday night for a prize package worth $10,000. All of the prizes are made possible by SAC Federal Credit Union, our presenting sponsor. SAC is also making fi-nancial packages available to support a number of the new creative businesses that are emerg-ing locally, such as our fashion designers.

“For our guests in the audience, we are al-ways stepping up the show experience each year with more red carpet photos, more fashion, more retail ideas and of course more cocktails,” she adds. “There are a lot of moving parts, but I think people will be wowed again. We love it when guests tell us, ‘That was such a unique night’s entertainment, I didn’t feel like I was in Omaha.’”


Hudson is also the founding member of Le Fleur Academy, a place where young girls learn about beauty, fashion, communication and entertainment industries from seasoned experts. Although she has a strong passion for empowering young women, she never would have imagined her career would involve run-ning a fashion show.

“I knew nothing about fashion until I started spending more time listening to our designers and watching them work,” she re-veals. “They are amazing artist-entrepreneurs, driven by the need to create. It’s really enjoy-able watching them do their thing, and seeing the pride in their eyes when they walk down the runway after presenting their collection. I also love working with our wide team of peo-ple who make it possible to stage the show. We are a close knit group, kind of like family, and those relationships are really wonderful. There’s something rewarding in working hard together to pull off this crazy feat no one, including me, would have thought possible 10 years ago.”

Hudson occasionally runs into a question about the use of ultra-thin models to present the clothing. In a society that equates “thin-

ness” with “beauty,” the message sent out to young women across the world is curves are not desirable. Thankfully, that is beginning to change albeit on a small scale. The line between thin and too thin is, well, thin.

“There’s a lot of buzz in the media right now about plus sized models finally making it into runway shows and on the pages of major publications,” she explains. “France has gone so far as to ban models who have what their government considers an unhealthy body mass index. I think it’s an interesting conversation that is certainly taking place here in Omaha, as well. We are fortunate to have a diverse set of designers who each have their own target market, so we have been featuring models of all body sizes for a number of years now. Some designers serve the plus sized market, some are serving tweens, and some are serving the every day working woman. We try to find models that best fit those requirements. There’s noth-ing wrong with a model who is thin, as long as she comes by that in a healthy way, but it’s refreshing to see curves on the runway, too.”

Omaha Fashion Camp kicks off June 8. There are two week-long program for children

FasHiOn stORY


6-11 years old and another one for 12-17 year olds. This is the ideal scenario for young people to get an idea of what fashion is and how they can have a role in it.

“At camp, kids get a well-rounded perspec-tive of the industry,” she says. “It is led by our friends at Develop Model Management. Kids are introduced to modeling, photography, sew-ing and patterns. They get to create a mood board defining their personal style and we take them on a shopping spree to Goodwill where they find items that reflect their newly defined style. The camp culminates with a special fash-ion show where each kid models a garment or accessory that they have made themselves. Par-ents are invited to watch the show. This year, the top looks from camp will be featured on live platform models at the OFW pre-parties. It’s good to start them young. Omaha is quick-ly becoming known for the high quality of its high school fashion designers. We are very proud of that and it all starts at camp.”

While Omaha may not be a fashion capitol

like New York City or Los Angeles, the fashion scene is bigger than one may expect. OFW is the nation’s fifth largest fashion event and larg-est in the Midwest. By promoting local design-ers for free, it leveled the playing field for cre-ative talent, which helped unlock showcasing opportunities for many people in the area and not just fashion designers.

“We have over 1,000 people behind the scenes each season of OFW, including; hair styl-ists, makeup artists, photographers, bloggers, journalists, models, personal assistants, dressers and volunteers,” she says. “One of the amazing advantages Omaha has over other fashion cities is the significant number of high school design-ers. The talent of our high school student-de-signers constantly amaze experts in other mar-kets. As they graduate, they are starting to attend some of the top schools around the country. The strength of young talent here makes us especially excited about Omaha’s future as a design city. I feel very proud of our fashion community and can’t wait to see what the future holds.”







Omaha Wing Challenge

The Pheasant with a total score of 48. And, for shits and giggles (mostly to get the

shits) the worst score has been the severed toe wings at LaVista Keno which flatlined at a 2. Just click right here to get the complete list of HitThat-Dive wings reviews. Even the ones that I’d rather not remember.

First impressions: I knew there was going to be a problem when, in a completely empty bar, an order of wings came out of the kitchen in less than 8ish minutes. Why is that a problem you ask?

Well, I figured since the cook literally had nothing to do, it would have been the perfect time to throw some wings in a fryer and watch them sizzle for the appropriate amount of time of ...12 to 15 minutes. It would at least beat watching the paint in the kitchen dry.

But son of a gun, here they are in the blink of an eye. And at least from initial impression...they were indeed steaming hot. I just know that some-thing seems “fishy” with these wings (and boy was I right...you’ll see why in just a bit). Something seemed off with the sauce too, but I think there’s an actual section in the wing reviews that addresses that topic...but it’s been awhile since I wrote one of these so I can’t seen to remember.

sCORe: 5 out of 10

sauce: A ha! I do write about the sauce. I knew it! You can order the wings here with three pret-ty bland-sounding sauces. The closest I assumed to Buffalo sauce said something to the effect of “Frank’s Hot Sauce” as one of the options...so I went with that.

In something I had never seen before, it was like the wings were coated with Rain-X and the chicken literally seemed to be repelling the “sauce”. Which actually, was neither here nor there because so far the stuff masquerading at Frank’s Hot Sauce is as uninspired as everything about this order of wings. In fact, the sauce was so bland and uninteresting I never even made a note about it.

I’ll be fair to start this one off, I actually like the food at the Pipeline Tavern...but until last night I had never ordered the wings. Let’s get to the moral of this entire story...if you’re here on a Saturday...order the pretty awesome burger and fries for $5. Now, about these wings. Oy vey...where to begin?

Oh, I know, I’ll start with something pleasant. I was at the Pipeline in the first place to catch up with Bob Bruce to see how his colonoscopy went from a few days ago. Yeah...this is the pleasant part. For those that don’t know...Bob Bruce and the BBRE can be heard Monday-Friday on the Mighty 1290 KOIL with yours truly joining the fun every Friday from 5-6.

Now, let’s review some wings.

How it Works: Wings are rated in five categories for a total potential perfect score of 50. The current reigning champion (by virtue of a committee vote) is

Pipeline Tavern


Since it practically was invisible, I’d like to make a suggestion to rename the stuff so they have their own signature wing flavor. So next time I order wings at the Pipeline, I would like to have the “Claude Rains Sauce” as one of my options. Ask for it by name.

score: 2 out of 10

Crispy: Here’s my guess as to how they could pump out an order of wings in eight minutes. These wings gave off a distinct baked flavor, so I’m guess-ing that they bake up a whole batch, keep them in the refrigerator and then wait for some unsuspect-ing sucker to order them.

Once ordered, a few of the baked (and cold) wings get tossed into a fryer for a minute or so, then get slapped into a bowl with some Claude Rains sauce, hustled onto a plate and brought out faster than you can say “pass the Tums.”

Not only were they not crispy, in the least, they had the same slimy consistency of swallowing a raw oyster...remember I said something seemed a little fishy (ZING!). Not to mention that they were slightly undercooked and suddenly you have a rather un-remarkable plate of $7.95 wings that there was no chance I was going to eat all of.

score: 0 out of 10

size: This is a direct quote from the HTD Face-book page that I could not agree more with. “I can only imagine what they even did to make a chick-en that big...I wouldn’t eat if even if it were cooked properly.” And that’s the problem, far too often anymore, bars are serving GIANT mutant wings and they have no idea how to cook them properly.

When you take a nearly cooked pterodactyl wing, let it cool, and then toss it in they fryer for a bit, there is no chance that it’s going to be remotely close to being cooked properly. It might technically be “done”...but this isn’t horseshoes. Close does not

come close to cutting it. I was not surprised in the least when I bit into

one of the biggest of the Solomon Grundy-looking chicken toes to find that it was cold on the inside. Not frozen like some of the ones I’ve had recent-ly...but still. Cold chicken that came to the bar with steam coming off of it? How do you even pull that one off? Oh wait, I think I just did figure that out.

score: 3 out of 10

extras: Oh, you know, I have to immediately de-duct five points for no celery. But other than that, I guess I don’t have much to bitch about on this one. Extra napkins? Check. Not horrible blue cheese? Check. All the other food I’ve ever had here before. Usually great. So I’m not going to nit-pick too much here.

score: 5 out of 10Final score: 15 out of 50

Every now and then I’ll offer my suggestions on how to improve things in the places that I write about. And, I feel that I need to do that with the wings at the Pipeline. So here it goes...just take them off the menu! Please.

Places that make great wings care about every aspect of the wings they serve to their customers. That clearly is not the case here. Wings are not a priority, and that’s fine, focus on the food that you do make well and leave the wing making to to places that give a damn.

That being said, I’ll be back here soon (I’ll never order the wings again) but the burgers are great and it’s a fun bar to kickback in and have a few beers. Just do us all a favor, get a Sharpie and cross any reference to your sad and uninteresting wings off them menu...the world will be a happier place when you do.




90th & Fort, Omaha Nebraska Crossing Outlet Mall, Gretna

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Issue 6.09