The culture of Omaha, Nebraska, has been partially defined by music and college sports, and by local cuisine and community theatre. The city has a long history of improving and expanding on its cultural offerings. In the 1920s, the Omaha Bee newspaper wrote, "The cultural future of Omaha seems as certain of greatness as the commercial future... The symphony orchestra, the Art institute, the Community Playhouse and other organizations are on firm foundations and Omaha is destined to be not only a bigger, but a better city, both financially and culturally."Larsen, L.H., Cottrell, B.J. and Dalstrom, H.A. (2007) Upstream Metropolis: An Urban Biography of Omaha and Council Bluffs. University of Nebraska Press. p 156. Reviewing Omaha's contemporary arts scene in 2007, the New York Times hailed the city as having "a kind of cultural awakening".Andersen, K. (2007) Omaha’s Culture Club. New York Times T Style Magazine - Travel. 3/25/07. Retrieved 6/7/07.
The nationally recognized "Omaha Sound" describes the unique alternative rock scene in the city,(2003) "Don't-miss acts," Denver Post. 9/31/03. Retrieved 6/7/07. and Big Joe Williams' 1953 minor hit "Omaha Blues" is about a woman in the city.(2002) Nebraska in Popular Song . Goleta Publishing. Retrieved 6/7/07. The baseball College World Series has been held continuously in Omaha since 1950, and a disputed professional wrestling title was called the World Heavyweight Championship (Omaha version) during the 1950s and 1960s because promoters in the city hosted their own matches without sanctioning.
Fred Astaire and his sister Adele, Nick Nolte, Dorothy McGuire, Montgomery Clift and Marlon Brando were all born in Omaha, and Academy Award winner Henry Fonda grew up in the city and was encouraged to pursue acting by Marlon Brando's mother at the Omaha Community Playhouse, which she helped found.Bain, D.H. (2004) The Old Iron Road: An Epic of Rails, Roads, and the Urge to Go West. New York: Penguin Books
Museums
Omaha has one major museum and several regionally important museums.(nd) Museums of Omaha, Nebraska . TheCityofOmaha.Com. Retrieved 6/7/07. The Joslyn Art Museum is nationally renowned for its collections of Native American art and art works relating to the early European exploration of western North America.(nd) Smithsonian Affiliations. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 6/7/07. The Durham Museum is located on 10th Street in the art deco Union Station. The museum has numerous permanent exhibits and is accredited with the Smithsonian Institution for traveling exhibits from the Smithsonian.(nd) History . Durham Western Heritage Museum. Retrieved 6/7/07. Since its inception in 1976, Omaha Children's Museum has been a place where children can challenge themselves, discover how the world works and learn through play.
The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, just east of Omaha's Old Market Historic District, was founded in the early 1980s and hosts artists from all over the world. It is one of the nation's premier artists' colonies,(2006) Insight Omaha: The Art of it All . Hemispheres Magazine. Retrieved 6/7/07. founded by Ree Schonlau (Kaneko), wife of Japanese artist Jun Kaneko, who lives in Omaha and opened Museum Kaneko in 2007.(nd) History . The Rows at SoMa website. Retrieved 6/7/07.
Other museums in Omaha include the Great Plains Black History Museum, celebrating the legacy of African Americans in Omaha and throughout the Midwest; and; the General Crook House Museum at Fort Omaha, exploring the role of the U.S. Army during the Indian Wars of the 1900s. General Crook was renowned for speaking on behalf of Chief Standing Bear of the Omahas during the landmark trial of Standing Bear v. Crook in 1879.(nd) General Crook House Museum . Douglas County Historical Society. Retrieved 6/9/07. El Museo Latino celebrates the legacy, art and culture of Latin America, and is the first Latino art and history museum in Omaha.
Performing arts
The Omaha Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1921,(nd) History . Omaha Symphony History. Retrieved 6/7/07. and Opera Omaha, opened in 1958,(nd) Company history . Opera Omaha. Retrieved 6/7/07. are longtime bastions of the Omaha cultural scene. American Midwest Ballet is Nebraska's only resident professional ballet company, which performs at Witherspoon Hall at Joslyn Art Museum and Orpheum Theaters.(nd) Spotlight: A wealth of Opportunity at "The Rose" . Nebraska Arts Council. Retrieved 6/7/07. The Omaha Community Playhouse is the largest, and one of the most famous and best-endowed community theaters in the United States.(nd) OCP History . Omaha Community Playhouse. Retrieved 6/7/07. The Blue Barn Theatre and the Holland Performing Arts Center are venues located within Omaha.Hassebroek, A. (2006) "Holland Center Further Energized Omaha's Lively Culture." Omaha World Herald. 10/15/06. Retrieved 6/7/07.
The Shelterbelt Theatre focuses on the development of original theatrical works and provides practical theater education to playwrights, performers, creative and technical staff. The Omaha Area Youth Orchestra, the Magic Theatre, and the Omaha Modern Dance Collective are among other notable performing arts organizations in the area.
Music
Omaha has a rich history in rhythm & blues and jazz as a regular stop for many Kansas City jazz bands and such homegrown talent as Wynonie Harris, Preston Love, Buddy Miles, and Luigi Waites. The city was also the subject of the Big Joe Williams song "Omaha Blues". During the 1960s several surf music bands came out of Omaha, of which The Rumbles has become the longest lasting.(1990) "Tyme and the Evolution of the Coachmen", Omaha World Herald Magazine of the Midlands. 10/21/90.
According to one reviewer, "Tritely tagged 'emo' by writers everywhere, the Omaha Sound is as varied and complex as the 'Athens Sound'."Holder, E. (2003) "Heartbroken Penmanship: A Brief History Of All Things Cursive ". Flagpole, 9/24/03. Retrieved 6/7/07. Omaha is regarded by some as the "Indie Rock Capital" of the world.Chee, N. . LostFM. Retrieved 6/7/07. During the late 1990s, Omaha became nationally known as the birthplace of the successful rock band 311 and Saddle Creek Records, a record label featuring artists such as Bright Eyes, The Faint, and Cursive.Schulte, B. (2003) "The Story of Omaha; Nebraska City Gets a Makeover: Cow Town to Urban Hip ." Washington Post, 12/14/03. Retrieved 6/7/07. Other major music groups either located in or originally from Omaha include Mannheim Steamroller, Azure Ray, Tilly and the Wall and the late indie-folk singer/songwriter Elliott Smith.
American Idol, a popular reality television show and talent competition broadcast on Fox network, chose Omaha as one of its auditioning cities for their seventh season in 2007 at the Qwest Center. David Cook, from Blue Springs, Missouri, was one of many to audition in the city, and he later went on to win that season in 2008.
Cuisine
Omaha has several major stockyards and renowned steakhouses, including Gorat's, the now defunct Mister C's, Omaha Steaks, and the Original Johnny's Cafe. This cultural legacy is also apparent in the name of the city's indoor football team, the Omaha Beef. Omaha also has a long history as a regional beer center, with the Krug, Storz, Metz Brewery and Willow Springs Brewery forming the city's "Big 4" breweries.
The Old Market in downtown Omaha includes more than 30 restaurants in this six-block historic district.(nd) Old Market Community . Retrieved 6/9/07 ConAgra Foods, based in Omaha, supplies foods and ingredients to all types of restaurants, while Godfather's Pizza is a national chain that was founded in Omaha. The Reuben sandwich may have been invented in Omaha,(nd) History of the Reuben Sandwich. and the collection of single malt Scotch whisky at Dundee Dell may be one of the largest in the United States.(nd) Great Malt Whiskey Bars of the World . Aberlour Single Malt Whiskey website. Retrieved 6/9/07.
Sports
Omaha's Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium was home to the Omaha Royals minor-league baseball team, now known as the Omaha Storm Chasers (the AAA affiliate of the Kansas City Royals). From 1950 until 2011, it hosted the annual NCAA College World Series men's baseball tournament in mid-June. The College World Series is now held at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, and the Omaha Storm Chasers now play at Werner Park in Sarpy County. The Omaha Beef indoor football team plays at the Omaha Civic Auditorium. Other sports facilities in Omaha include Morrison Stadium, home of the Creighton Bluejays men's and women's soccer teams.
The Creighton Bluejays compete in a number of NCAA Division I sports. In addition to soccer, they play basketball and baseball.
Ice hockey is a popular spectator sport in Omaha. The two current Omaha-area teams include the Omaha Lancers, a United States Hockey League team that plays at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.(nd) Team History . Omaha Lancers. Retrieved 6/7/07. The University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks are an NCAA Division I team playing at Baxter Arena.
The Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights were the American Hockey League affiliate of the Calgary Flames. The Knights played their home games at the Omaha Civic Auditorium. Following the 2006–07 season the Knights were relocated to the Quad Cities due to mounting losses taken on by the Calgary organization; they were renamed the Quad City Flames and replaced the Quad City Mallards of the United Hockey League.(2007) Flames announce relocation of American Hockey League franchise to the Quad Cities (Moline, IL). Calgary Flames Franchise website. Retrieved 6/7/07.
Omaha is home to numerous important historical and modern sports figures, including Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Gibson; Gregg Olson, 1989 American League Rookie of the Year; Ron Prince, former head football coach at Kansas State University; Heisman Trophy winners Nile Kinnick, Johnny Rodgers, and Eric Crouch; and Gale Sayers, a Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Festivals and parades
Native Omaha Days is a long-time tradition of North Omaha's African American community. A bi-annual celebration includes dozens of events throughout the Near North Side, including dances, family reunions, and other events. A large parade features notable North Omahans, as well as marching bands and floats.
The Omaha Blues, Jazz, & Gospel Festival and Florence Days are two other important local events.
Film
In 1939, the world premiere of the film Union Pacific was held in Omaha. The accompanying three-day celebration drew 250,000 people, doubling the population of the city and requiring the National Guard to help keep order. A special train from Hollywood to Omaha carried director Cecil B. DeMille and stars Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McCrea.(nd) Trivia for Union Pacific (1939). Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 6/7/07.
The 1977 Elvis in Concert television special in Omaha is considered by many experts to be the worst concert Elvis ever performed. The show was filmed, though, and some of the performances made it into the special, including the great performance of "How Great Thou Art", probably the only good performance of the concert.Coleman, K. (nd) Summary: Elvis in Concert . About.Com. Retrieved 6/7/07.
Omaha has been showcased by a handful of relatively big budget motion pictures and by productions with a lesser budget, including the adventure Omaha (The Movie).Wolf, S. (1995) Omaha (the movie) catches fire in Des Moines . Iowa State Daily. Retrieved 6/7/07