Omaha's Orpheum Theater Gains a Spot on 'Wicked' Tour

The lines were forming late Thursday night in front of the box office of the Holland Performing Arts Center in Omaha, Nebraska, each person anxious to get their hands on tickets for the Broadway smash, "Wicked." According to the Omaha World Herald, lines were forming by 11 PM Thursday and amounted to about 200 people when the box office opened at 7 AM this morning.

My "Wicked" ticket experience involved back-and-forth phone calls and emails to friends, coincidentally starting at 11 PM Thursday night. Except, we were able to reserve them that night and didn't have to wait in line. Myself and many others were given the opportunity to buy tickets early if you were a season subscriber to the Omaha Performing Arts' Broadway series.

I first became a subscriber when I purchased tickets for my husband and I to see Monty Python's hysterical musical "Spamalot." Based on the 1975 classic, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, it was only my third real musical experience, my second at Omaha's Orpheum Theater. The first had been seeing "Hairspray" on Broadway in New York. The second had been when I saw "Jesus Christ Superstar" at the Orpheum. Seeing "Wicked" had always been a goal that I wasn't sure would be attainable any time soon.

When you live in Nebraska, things like "Wicked" and "Spamalot" are hard to come by. Especially if you live in a smaller town, the Broadway series at the Orpheum gives you the opportunity to dress up, get into the city and spend a day at the luxurious Orpheum Theater. For many, it's the closest to New York they'll ever get and they're alright with that. So when opportunities like this do come around, you bet people will wait in line for tickets.

It's really quite an honor that Omaha has a place on the "Wicked" tour. The tour is visiting only 18 cities, which includes places like San Diego, Seattle and Jacksonville. "Wicked" shows regularly at the Gershwin Theatre in New York and at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco.

"Wicked," the musical based on Gregory Maguire's bestselling novel of the same name, first debuted on Broadway in October 2003. Ever since, the story about the future Wicked Witch of the West and her relationship with Glinda, the future Good Witch of the North, has broken records and become loved by millions. Since its debut, it has won three Tony Awards, one Grammy and a number of others and in its first year, it grossed over $56 million.

In Omaha, the show will run from May 6 - May 31. You can purchase tickets for the Omaha show online, by calling the box office (402) 345-0606 or (866) 434-8587 or by going directly to the Holland Performing Arts Center's box office at 13th and Douglas streets, Omaha, NE. To purchase tickets for any other venue on the tour, click here.

Bob Fischbach, Line Forms Early for 'Wicked' Tickets, Omaha World Herald

"Wicked" The Musical Official Website

Orpheum Theater Official Website

Wicked On Broadway.com