See you next year!

Thank you for making "Christmas with the Symphony" such a spectacular success! We hope you enjoyed the beautiful orchestra music, the dancing Santas, and the live reindeer... make sure to join us for Christmas 2009, too!

Speaking of the new year, the Omaha Symphony Blog will be on holiday until January 5.

Have a warm & wonderful holiday!

One of many special Santas..

Who could it be? Here's a hint: "Santa" knows his sports.

Come see Santa and the symphony all this weekend...

Friday @ 8 PM
Saturday @ 2 PM & 8 PM
Sunday @ 2 PM & 7 PM

There are tickets still available online and at the door. Click here to buy now!

Almost Opening Night!

You will be blown away by the talent in "Christmas with the Symphony!" For more on CWTS star, N'kenge, click here.

Don't let the cold outside keep you away... maybe this will warm you up!

Meet N'Kenge... featured star of "Christmas with the Symphony"

Meet N'Kenge... a talented singer and actress who is featured in this year's "Christmas with the Symphony." We talked with her about the rehearsal process and why music is so vital in tough economic times.

Practice makes perfect...

Watch N'Kenge, Mike Eldred, and our fantastic dancers in one of their first rehearsals. Get your tickets quickly to see the final product! 342.3560 or www.omahasymphony.org.

Mike Eldred on rehearsing, Omaha, and "Christmas with the Symphony"

Behind the Scenes for "Christmas with the Symphony"

Meet Rachel Lafer, our lovely and talented assistant choreographer for "Christmas with the Symphony." Enjoy... and keep checking our Web site and blog for more behind-the-scenes scoop and preview performances.

Most importantly, get your tickets... $10 ALL Tickets to All Shows this weekend, online only... check it out!

Who can resist this?

Tickets are going fast... and we mean it. Sunday's matinee is already sold out. If you're looking for a sure-fire way to get into the Christmas spirit, get your "Christmas with the Symphony" tickets NOW. Or call 342-3560. You won't regret it...after all, look at what you'd be missing?

WIN The Ultimate Omaha Christmas Experience

If you love first-class entertainment, fun shopping, and fantastic food, register here to win our fabulous holiday prize package!
Village Pointe Shopping Center, The Omaha Symphony and Star 104.5 have teamed up to offer a prize package that captures the best of the holiday season!

Win it for your family!

GRAND PRIZE PACKAGE
Register* to WIN:
1. Four (4) prime seats to Omaha’s favorite holiday concert, “Christmas with the Symphony” on Sat., Dec. 20;
2. Dinner for four (4) at The Melting Pot, including a romantic horse and carriage ride around Village Pointe; and
3. $200 Village Pointe gift card

Listen to Star 104.5 to win other valuable prizes, including:
- $50 Village Pointe gift cards
- 9 Family 4-Packs to “Christmas with the Symphony”

Be sure to sign up online or at The Melting Pot and you’re one step closer to creating a magical Christmas memory that you and your family will cherish for years to come!


CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

*Must be 18 to register for this prize. No purchase necessary. Need not be present. Winner will be drawn on-air during the Glennboy & Glo show from written registrations and online registrations on Tues., Dec. 16, 2008 on air.

So good, it should be an annual tradition...

That's what John Pitcher (of the Omaha World-Herald) thought about the Omaha Symphony's performance of Handel's Messiah.

How did the audience respond to Thomas's interpretation of this great choral work?

Which soloists stole the show?

Read it all here...

Featuring Mike Eldred...

The Omaha Symphony is excited to welcome Mike Eldred for this year's production of "Christmas with the Symphony."

Here's what people have said about this talent from Tennessee:

“Mike Eldred gives a soul-piercing performance....”
Variety Magazine
“…..But, among the highlights, Mike Eldred sings "Maria"…”
Billboard Magazine
“The voices are stellar. Mike Eldred (as the Husband) soars in what may be the show's loveliest, most personal song.”
Chicago Sun-Times
“His amazing voice - a high-flying, full-bodied tenor, intensely romantic, alternately wrenching and joyful - was so compelling that you forgot you were in a theater, forgot everything but the sound pouring out of his throat.”
Tennessean

To hear him for yourself, click here.

Tickets are going fast to this show - we expect sold-out crowds - so get your tickets now to "Christmas with the Symphony!"

All the trimmings for "Christmas with the Symphony"

What: “Christmas with the Symphony” – Omaha’s Favorite Holiday Tradition
When: Friday, December 19 8 PM
Saturday, December 20 2 PM & 8 PM
Sunday, December 21 2 PM & 7 PM

Where: Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas Street

Tickets: $15-$80; 402.345.0606, 402.342.3560 or www.omahasymphony.org

Omaha, Neb – Omaha’s favorite holiday tradition, “Christmas with the Symphony,” is back in a big way. Due to its extreme popularity, a fifth performance has been added this year. With a cast of more than 150 people, the stage will be packed with tremendous talent. The Omaha Symphony is joined by dozens of dynamic singers, actors, and dancers, from Omaha and beyond.

Director Darren Lee comes to Omaha direct from Broadway. After serving as assistant director of “Christmas with the Symphony” in 2007, Lee was eager to return and combine the show’s nostalgia with a fresh vision. This New Yorker enjoys the creativity and collaboration that make the production unique. “Rarely do you get to create theatrical pieces with full symphonic support,” Lee said. Moviegoers may recognize Lee from his lead dancing role in the movie Chicago. Notable Broadways credits include Shogun – the Musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Seussical, and Victor/Victoria.

This year’s “Christmas with the Symphony” also showcases the vocal talents of Mike Eldred, one of America’s most in-demand and beloved tenors. Eldred recently completed a national tour with pianist Jim Brickman. He performed on Broadway in the final cast of Les Misérables in the starring role of Jean Valjean. Other Broadway shows, national tours, and regional productions include Jesus Christ Superstar, My Fair Lady, Godspell, and Camelot. In his hometown of Nashville, Eldred has been honored with the Tennessean Actor of the year Award and nominated for Nashville Music Awards’ Male Vocalist of the Year. He frequently performs with the greatest symphony orchestras across the country and is excited to spend this holiday with the Omaha Symphony.

WOWT TV personality Dave Webber brings his signature spirit to the production, along with local favorites Anne DeVries and Derek Richardson. “Christmas with the Symphony” also highlights our city’s talented young people, featuring students of Omaha Symphony violinist Anne Nagosky and the Burke High School choir. Add in several dynamic Broadway performers and you’ve got a spectacular cast of more than 150 people that’s sure to delight and dazzle audiences.

The program will also include the popular audience sing-along and the beloved dancing Santas. To make the experience even more magical, the Holland Performing Arts Center will be transformed into an enchanting holiday wonderland — complete with real reindeer!

The Symphony Pops Series is sponsored by the Nebraska Medical Center. The symphony’s holiday sponsor is ConAgra Foods. The Omaha Symphony is proud to be a part of the ConAgra Foods Arts for the Holidays Celebration. This collaboration features a food drive at all symphony Christmas concerts. Patrons are encouraged to bring canned food and other non-perishable items when attending these performances. All donations will support The Food Bank of Omaha.

Single tickets for “Christmas with the Symphony” range from $15 to $80 and are available at 402.345.0606, 402.342.3560, www.omahasymphony.org, or at the Omaha Symphony Box Office at 1605 Howard Street. Children 12 and under also qualify for half-price tickets for the matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday.

A "holiday host of hallelujahs"

"The longest-running hit in the history of Christmas will take the stage in Omaha this weekend.

Handel's "Messiah," the 1741 choral masterwork about the life of Christ, will get its first Omaha Symphony performance under the direction of Thomas Wilkins."

So begins John Pitcher's article on Messiah in Thursday's Omaha World-Herald. Read more. He features mezzo-soprano Lorraine DiSimone. Find out why this concert will be "something of a reunion" for DiSimone and Maestro Wilkins.

Powerful voices back up Symphony this Saturday

Hi everybody... hope your Thanksgiving was happy and hearty!

Don't forget we've got Handel's Messiah coming up this Saturday, December 6.

The orchestra will perform with members of 3 local choirs. To read more about the ensembles that will make up this powerful sound, click the links below.

UNO Concert Choir

Omaha Symphonic Chorus

Omaha Chamber Singers

And if you don't have tickets to Messiah, it's not too late.