Rose Theater Receives Mid-America Arts Alliance Performing Arts Grant

The Rose Theater announces that it is among a select group of regional presenters to receive a Mid-America Arts Alliance Artistic Innovations Award grant. This $15,000 award will support an upcoming performance of Buffalo Bill's Cowboy Band at The Rose Theater, Jan. 23 - Feb. 8, 2015. This original show will feature informative displays and interactive activities in the theater's lobby, as well as pre- and post-show workshops for visiting schools, to help bring history alive for audiences young and old.

Funding for The Rose Theater's M-AAA's grant is drawn from generous underwriting by the National Endowment for the Arts, Nebraska Arts Council, and foundations, corporations and individuals throughout Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Mid-America Arts Alliance, the nation's oldest regional arts organization, was founded in 1972 to foster cultural growth in heartland communities. Today, M-AAA primarily serves communities throughout Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas, and it develops and delivers arts and humanities programs for a national audience. Mid-America Arts Alliance programs attract more than one million people annually in more than 300 communities.

Mary Kennedy, M-AAA's Chief Executive Officer said, "The Rose Theater is to be commended for their commitment to serving their community with this distinctive event. Audiences in the Omaha area will have the opportunity to see the exciting work of Max Sparber, many for the first time. Mid-America Arts Alliance is proud to help support this work and The Rose Theater."

Buffalo Bill's Cowboy Band features Nebraska's own Buffalo Bill Cody in this original play highlighting a moment in our region's history. Written by Omaha resident Max Sparber, the play catches a glimpse of Buffalo Bill as he shared the story of his life with his daughter, relaying his experiences as an adventurer, cowboy, buffalo hunter, Pony Express rider and showman. In this world premiere performance, Buffalo Bill looks out on a West very different from the one from his childhood and shares his insight on the passing of time.

The show is truly a homegrown production. Sparber has held workshops with students from Brownell-Talbot about the script, and intends to continue the process, allowing the students to assist in guiding the story's development. As Rose Artistic Director Matt Gutschick explains, the hope is that this process of involving the show's target audience will produce a show that is both deeply engaging and entertaining.

Buffalo Bill's Cowboy Band marks a new endeavor for The Rose. "This is the first in a series of world premiere plays exploring our regional identity," says Gutschick. "Bill Cody changed the face of America, and he was deeply rooted right here in Omaha. Students of history will love local playwright Max Sparber's take on Cody's life, and young people will connect with the idea that they have a responsibility to treat other people with kindness."

Buffalo Bill's Cowboy Band will be presented Jan. 23 - Feb. 8 on Fridays at 7 pm, Saturdays at 2 and 5 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm. Interpretation for the hearing impaired will be offered at the 2 pm show on Saturday, January 31. Tickets are on sale now at www.rosetheater.org or (402) 345-4849.

For further event information, contact The Rose Box Office at (402) 345-4849. For more information about Mid-America Arts Alliance, visit them online at www.maaa.org.