City: Omaha, NE

Category: Tours & Attractions

Address: 1200 Douglas St.

Description: Two of the city’s largest performing arts venues—the Holland Center and the Orpheum Theater—both fall under the control of one organization: Omaha Performing Arts. Founded as a nonprofit organization in 2000, the group brings performing arts productions of all kinds to the city, including Broadway-caliber touring musicals, artists of all genre, dance, jazz, classical, and popular music performances, free outdoor entertainment in the summer, and programming aiming to specifically draw young, hip audiences.Its broad sweep of programs means that there’s almost always something going on at either the Holland or the Orpheum. The Orpheum has been an Omaha standby since 1927, when it was a vaudeville house, and recent $10 million renovations restored it to its original, art deco splendor, enhanced its acoustics, and bettered the views from around the auditorium. Today it serves as the home for most of the touring Broadway musical series as well as a regular schedule of concerts. Recent performances have included indie rockers Spoon and the Pixies, country pop band Lady Antebellum, and solo singer Melissa Etheridge, among many others.The Holland Performing Arts Center is downtown’s other performing arts venue, and with its modern façade of solid glass and strong, lean lines, it’s definitely one of the city’s most recognizable pieces of recent architecture. The building offers great views of downtown Omaha, the Gene Leahy Mall, and the Old Market. In 2010, the Holland opened Zinc, a full-service restaurant open two and a half hours before Omaha Symphony and Omaha Performing Arts events that take place at the Holland.The 1200 Club at the Holland offers programming aimed at a younger audience, and recent acts included comedian Jeff Daniels, The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, and Miguel Zenon.A full list of ticket prices and upcoming performances at both venues is available on the Omaha Performing Arts website.