Arlo Guthrie's 50th Anniversary Tour Stops in Omaha Tonight

Omaha Performing Arts presents Arlo Guthrie in the Kiewit Hall at the Holland Performing Arts Center tonight, April 28, at 7:30 p.m. Guthrie will perform live, for the first time in a decade, "The Alice's Restaurant Massacre" in its entirety. Tickets start at $20, and are available at TicketOmaha.com, 402.345.0606 or at the Ticket Omaha Office inside the Holland Center, 1200 Douglas St.

It was 50 years ago, 1965, when Guthrie took out the trash following a Thanksgiving dinner that couldn't be beat. This hilarious account of actual events that precluded Guthrie from military service, became a platinum selling record (1967) and full-length motion picture (1969), and has become as traditional a part of Thanksgiving as cranberry sauce. "The Massacree" became anthemic for the anti-war movement of the Vietnam era, though Guthrie told Ron Bennington in a 2009 interview, "It wasn't an anti-war song; it was an anti-stupid song." Because of its length (approximately 18 minutes), he has only added the complete "Alice's Restaurant Massacree" to his touring menu on the 10-year anniversaries. The Alice's Restaurant 50th Anniversary Tour will feature the full "Massacree" along with many favorites from Arlo's catalog.

Guthrie has been known to generations as a prolific songwriter, social commentator, master storyteller, actor and activist. Born in Coney Island, N.Y., in 1947, he is the eldest son of Marjorie Mazia Guthrie, a professional dancer with the Martha Graham Company and founder of The Committee to Combat Huntington's Disease, and America's most beloved singer/writer/philosopher/artist, Woody Guthrie. Arlo Guthrie has become an iconic figure in folk music in his own right with a distinguished and varied career spanning over 50 years.

Highlights of his long career include the legendary collaboration between him and Pete Seeger that was sustained for over 40 years; his performance at Woodstock in 1969; and several albums, including Hobo's Lullaby (1972), which had the definitive version of "The City of New Orleans" and the Grammy-nominated Woody's 20 Grow Big Songs (1991), featuring Arlo and his family. Arlo Guthrie is an accomplished actor with numerous television appearances, including recurring roles in The Byrds of Paradise and Relativity, and feature films, the aforementioned Alice's Restaurant and Roadside Prophets (1992). He is the author of three children's books and a distinguished photographer, showing his works in selected galleries.

Arlo Guthrie performs at the Holland Center, 1200 Douglas St., April 28, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $20, and are available at TicketOmaha.com, 402.345.0606 or at the Ticket Omaha Office inside the Holland Center, 1200 Douglas St. Hospitality sponsor is Hilton Omaha.

Omaha Performing Arts is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to enriching the lives of the citizens of Omaha and surrounding communities. In its two venues: the Orpheum Theater and Holland Performing Arts Center, the organization presents the best of Broadway, jazz, blues, dance, comedy, family and popular entertainment. Omaha Performing Arts also offers a range of educational programs and free community events that support, enhance and expand appreciation for the arts. In addition, the organization provides comprehensive ticketing services through Ticket Omaha, the official ticket retailer for the Orpheum and Holland. Omaha Performing Arts' performances are supported in part by the Nebraska Arts Council, Nebraska Cultural Endowment, the Mid-America Arts Alliance, National Endowment for the Arts, the City of Omaha and the Douglas County Visitor Improvement Fund, as well as corporate sponsors, private donors and foundations. For more information, visit OmahaPerformingArts.org.

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