Omaha Performing Arts presents:
ONCE the Musical Songwriting Competition Showcase

FREE EVENT

Music Industry Pro Panel begins at 6:30p
Showcase begins at 7:30p

Omaha Performing Arts is using the theme of Once, winner of eight 2012 Tony Awards including Best Musical and winner of the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, as inspiration to celebrate local singer-songwriters with a communitywide songwriting competition and showcase. Once will play Omaha’s Orpheum Theater May 12 through May 17.
Aspiring singers/songwriters are encouraged to write an original song (under four minutes in duration) and submit to Omaha Performing Arts. Applicants will have the chance to win a free demo recording of their song at ARC (recording studio), produced by nationally renowned musician, producer and sound engineer, Mike Mogis. The competition will have two divisions, ages 13-18 and ages 19-29. Entries will be judged by local professionals from the music industry. Full contest rules and more information are available here.
The top seven to ten songs will be featured in a local showcase on May 11, at 7:30PM, at The Waiting Room in Benson. Admission to the showcase will be free and open to the public. Preceding the performance, a music industry panel discussion will discuss best practices for developing a successful music career. Following the discussion, audience members can engage with panelists in a Q&A discussion. Winners of the Top 50 songs will receive one complimentary ticket to Once at the Orpheum Theater on May 12. Applications must be received no later than by 5:00PM on April 17.
Once tells the story of an Irish musician and a Czech immigrant drawn together by their shared love of music. Over the course of one fateful week, their unexpected friendship and collaboration evolves into a powerful but complicated romance, heightened by the raw emotion of the songs they create together. As the chemistry between them grows, his music soars to powerful new heights.