2007 Winners
LIVE MUSIC
Artist of the Year:
- Sarah Benck & The Robbers
- Bright Eyes
- Heidi Joy
- Little Brazil
- Oxygen
Best Adult Alternative:
- Anchondo
- Sarah Benck & The Robbers
- John Henry
- Oxygen
- Chris Saub
Best Alternative/Indie:
- Bright Eyes
- Cursive
- Little Brazil
- The Faint
- Tim Wildsmith
**Best Bluegrass/Country:
- Black Squirrels
- Cactus Hill
- Filter Kings
- Forty Twenty
- Southpaw Bluegrass
Best Blues:
- 112 North Duck
- Sarah Benck & The Robbers
- Blue House
- Kris Lager Band
- Side Effects
**Best Classical Musician:
- Jennifer Novak Harr
- Jeffrey Hatcher
- Heidi Joy
- Jon Novak
- Amy Sims
**Best Cover Band:
- Acoustic Groove
- The Confidentials
- Secret Weapon
- Song Remains the Same
- Taxi Driver
**Best DJ/Electronic:
- Brent Crampton
- DJ CMB
- DJ Shif D
- DJ Shor T
- Goo
Best Ethnic:
- Ellis Island
- Mariachi Luna y Sol
- Mariachi Zapata
- Sabor
- Turfmen
Best Folk/Roots/Americana:
- Black Squirrels
- Bright Eyes
- Filter Kings
- The Mercury’s
- Matt Whipkey
Best Hard Rock/Metal/Punk:
- A. Symbiont
- Emphatic
- Narcotic Self
- Paria
- Venaculas
**Best High School Band:
- Central Marching Band
- Millard South Marching Band
- Omaha South Marching Band
- Westside Marching Band
Best Hip Hop/Rap:
- Articulate
- Breathless
- Buck Bowen
- Chiffy
- Jamazz
Best Jazz/Standards/Easy Listening:
- Heidi Joy
- Jorge Nila
- Steve Raybine
- Susie Thorne
- Luigi Waites
Local Album of the Year:
- A.Symbiont – “Keeper of Souls”
- Sarah Benck & The Robbers “Neighbor’s Garden”
- Bright Eyes – “Cassadaga”
- Little Brazil – “Tighten the Noose”
- Tim Wildsmith – “A New Morning”
**Best Local Show:
- Acoustic Roundtable
- Sarah Benck CD Release
- The Faint
- Heidi Joy’s “Holiday Joy”
- Playing With Fire
Best New Artist:
- Black Squirrels
- Capgun Coup
- Coyote Bones
- Satchel Grande
- Tim Wildsmith
Best R&B/Funk/Soul:
- Boss Philly
- The Confidentials
- Wholes
- Lucas Kellison
- Satchel Grande
Best Rock:
- Anchondo
- Anonymous American
- Icares
- Ladyfinger
- Oxygen
**Best Spiritual/Gospel:
- H.G. Filled
- Heidi Joy
- No Better Cause
- Second Chance
- Tim Wildsmith
PERFORMING ARTS
Achievement in Costume Design:
- Sherri Gerdes – Cinderella – The Rose
- Dwayne Ibsen – 42nd Street – B&D Productions
- Lindsay Pape – Chicago – Creighton University
- Georgiann Regan – Peter Pan – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Charleen Willoughby – Pygmalion – Brigit Saint Brigit
**Achievement in Lighting Design:
- Scott Kurz – MacBeth – Brigit Saint Brigit
- Jim Othuse – Peter Pan – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Homero Vela – I Am My Own Wife –SNAP! Productions
- Carol Wisner – Six Degrees of Separation – Blue Barn Theatre
- Chris Wood – Our Country’s Good - UNO
Achievement in Scenic Design:
- Liz Kendall – ‘night Mother – BroadStreet Theatre Company
- Jerry Onik – MacBeth/Arsenic and Old Lace – Brigit Saint Brigit
- Jim Othuse – Peter Pan – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Bill Van Deest – I Am My Own Wife –SNAP! Productions
- Stephen Williams – You Can’t Take It With
You – Omaha Community Playhouse
**Achievement in Sound Design:
- Susan Clement-Toberer - The Pillowman – Blue Barn Theatre
- Kevin Ehrhart – Bates Super 8 & Sushi Bar – Circle Theatre
- Scott Kurz – Pygmalion – Brigit Saint Brigit
- Roxanne Wach – Lucky Stiff – Bellevue Little Theatre
- Molly Welsh – I Am My Own Wife –SNAP! Productions
**Backstage Excellence:
- Chicago – Creighton University
- Lucky Stiff – Bellevue Little Theatre
- MacBeth – Brigit Saint Brigit
- Peter Pan – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Zanna Don’t – SNAP! Productions
Best Actor (Musical):
- Seth Fox – The Full Monty –Omaha Community Playhouse
- Brandon Higdem – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
– Chanticleer Community Theatre
- Ryan Pivonka – Jekyll & Hyde – Ralston Community Theater
- Stephen Shelton – Zanna Don’t – SNAP! Productions
- Dave Wingert – Urinetown – Omaha Community Playhouse
Best Actor (Play):
- Cullen Chollett - The Bates Super 8 & Sushi Bar – Circle Theatre
- Ryan Eberhart – Jeffrey – SNAP! Productions
- Matt Kamprath – Give ‘Em Hell Harry – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Scott Kurz – MacBeth – Brigit Saint Brigit
- Nick Zadina – I Am My Own Wife – SNAP! Productions
Best Actress (Musical):
- Jennifer Gilg – Lucky Stiff – Bellevue Little Theatre
- Erika Hall – Always Patsy Cline – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Leanne Hill – 42nd Street – Chanticleer Community Theatre
- Christina Rohling – Peter Pan – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Melanie Walters – Jekyll & Hyde Ralston Community Theatre
Best Actress (Play):
- Mary Carrick – ‘night Mother – BroadStreet Theater Company
- Melissa Jarecke – Kimberly Akimbo – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Amy Kunz – Pygmalion – Brigit Saint Brigit
- Moira Mangiameli– ‘night Mother – BroadStreet Theatre Company
- Brenda O’Brien – Six Degrees of Separation – Blue Barn Theatre
Best Choreographer in a Musical Production:
- Roxanne Nielsen – Peter Pan – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Patrick Roddy – Chicago –Creighton
- Patrick Roddy – Zanna Don’t – SNAP! Productions
- Patrick Roddy – A…My Name is Alice – BroadStreet Theatre Company
- Kathryn Zukaitis – 42nd Street – B & D Productions
Best Comedic Play:
- A Servant of Two Masters – Bellevue Little Theatre
- The Complete Works of William Shakespeare – Brigit Saint Brigit
- The Farndale Avenue Women’s Society Dramatic Guilds Production of A Christmas Carol – Circle Theatre
- Pygmalion – Brigit Saint Brigit
- You Can’t Take It With You – Omaha Community Playhouse
**Best Debut in a Play or Musical:
- Keonna Crawford – Crowns – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Joey Galda – Kimberly Akimbo – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Megan Kreigler – The Bates Super 8 & Sushi Bar – Circle Theatre
- Megan Van Alstine – Zanna Don’t - SNAP! Productions
- Cemocan Yesil – Urinetown – Omaha Community Playhouse
Best Director (Musical):
- Carl Beck – Urinetown – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Susan Baer-Collins – Crowns – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Susan Baer-Collins – Peter Pan – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Daena Schweiger – Eating Raoul – Shelterbelt Theatre
- Roxanne Wach – Lucky Stiff – Bellevue Little Theatre
Best Director (Play):
- Todd Brooks – ‘night Mother – Broadstreet Theatre Company
- Susan Clement-Toberer – Six Degrees of Separation – Blue Barn Theatre
- Susan Clement-Toberer – The Pillowman – Blue Barn Theatre
- Amy Lane – Servant of Two Masters – Bellevue Little Theatre
- Kevin Lawler – I Am My Own Wife – SNAP! Productions
Best Dramatic Play:
- I Am My Own Wife – SNAP! Productions
- ‘night Mother – BroadStreet Theatre Company
- Six Degrees of Separation – Blue Barn Theatre
- Short Fictions & Maledictions – Blue Barn Theatre
- The Exonerated – Blue Barn Theatre
**Best Featured Dancer:
- Elizabeth Bergman – Arcanum Dance Performance at the Jewish Community Center – Arcanum Contemporary Dance
- Kelly Hanneman – BMOD 4 –Omaha Modern Dance Collective
- Dave Howard – Lucky Stiff – Bellevue Little Theatre
- Mary Shields – Coppelia – Creighton Dance Company
- Kyan Unstad – OMDC’s US Tour Omaha Modern Dance Collective
- Carrie Wanamaker – Hans Christian Andersen – Omaha Theatre Ballet
Best High School Musical:
- 42nd Street – Marian High School
- Carousel – Central High School
- Little Shop of Horrors – Thomas Jefferson High School
- Once On This Island – Brownell-Talbot
- Sleeping Beauty – Mercy High School
Best High School Play:
- The Diary of Anne Frank – Papillion-LaVista High School
- Fools – Central High School
- Medea – Marian High School
- Romeo & Juliet – Duchesne Academy
- Up the Down Staircase – Mercy High School
Best Local Dance Production:
- BMOD 4 – Omaha Modern Dance Collective
- Coppelia – Creighton Dance Company
- Holland Day of the Arts – The Moving Company
- Peter Pan, Indian Dance – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Naty Nieves Palos – Xalapa
Best Local Stand-Up Performer/Improvisation/Slam Poet:
- Austin Anderson
- Miles Busby
- Matt Geiler
- Shaun Green
- The Weisenheimers
Best Musical:
- Chicago – Creighton University
- Crowns – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Peter Pan – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Urinetown – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Zanna Don’t – SNAP! Productions
Best Musical Direction:
- Leon Adams – Crowns – John Beasley Theater
- James Boggess – Urinetown – Omaha Community Playhouse
- James Boggess – Peter Pan – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Jerry Gray – 42nd Street – B & D Productions
- Linda Shirck – Lucky Stiff – Bellevue Little Theatre
**Best Premiere of a New, Original or Local Script:
- The Day Omaha Exploded – Shelterbelt Theatre
- Friends Like These – Shelterbelt Theatre
- Short Fictions and Maledictions – Blue Barn Theatre
- Resolutions – Andrew McGreevy Production
- Velvet – Baby D
**Best Supporting Actor (Musical):
- Dan Chevalier – Zanna Don’t – SNAP! Productions
- Ryan Eberhart – The Full Monty – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Dave Howard – Lucky Stiff – Bellevue Little Theatre
- Tom Shomaker – Urinetown – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Cameron Van Cleave – The Full Monty – Omaha Community Playhouse
Best Supporting Actor (Play):
- Andre McGraw – Boys Next Door
– John Beasley Theater
- Brandon Rohe – A Servant of Two Masters - Bellevue Little Theatre
- Stephen Michael Shelton – Jeffrey – SNAP! Productions
- Chris Wiig – The Bates Super 8 & Sushi Bar – Circle Theatre
- Scott Working – The Exonerated – Blue Barn Theatre
**Best Supporting Actress (Musical):
- Allison Botkin-Wissman – Lucky Stiff – Bellevue Little Theatre
- Bailey Carlson – Urinetown – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Anna Kunkle – A…My Name is Alice – BroadStreet Theatre Company
- Jane Noseworthy – Urinetown – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Therese Rennels – Lucky Stiff – Bellevue Little Theatre
Best Supporting Actress (Play):
- Stephanie Anderson – Laundry & Bourbon - Circle Theatre
- Angela Ankenbauer – Kimberly Akimbo – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Liz Heim – Rise and Fall of the Little Voice – SNAP! Productions
- Laura Leininger – Arsenic & Old Lace – Brigit Saint Brigit
- Melanie Kaiser – Pygmalion – Brigit Saint Brigit
**Best Young Actor in a Professional or Community Production (Under 18):
- Joey Galda – Kimberly Akimbo - Omaha Community Playhouse
- David Kalis – Peter Pan – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Dylan Marr – The Nitnoid Wars Circle Theatre
- Arthur Masyuk – Fiddler on the Roof – Papillion-La Vista Community Theatre
- Spencer Newman – Peter Pan – Omaha Community Playhouse
**Best Young Actress in a Professional or Community Production (Under 18):
- Rose Daugherty – Bye Bye Birdie – Chanticleer Community Theatre
- Carolyn Iliff – Peter Pan – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Bailey Newman – Mrs. Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge – Omaha Community Playhouse
- Bailey Newman – The Pillowman – Blue Barn Theatre
- Amanda Rounds – Bye Bye Birdie
– Chanticleer Community Theatre
VISUAL ARTS
Best Visual Artist:
- Joseph Broghammer
- Wanda Ewing
- Catherine Ferguson
- David Helm
- Terry Rosenberg
Best Emerging Artist:
- Kenneth Adkins
- Jamie Burmeister
- Skyelar Hawkins
- Josh Powell
- Bart Vargas
**Best 2D Artist:
- Wanda Ewing
- Bill Hoover
- Kat Moser
- Terry Rosenberg
- Barbara Simcoe
**Best 3D Artist:
- Jamie Burmeister
- Catherine Ferguson
- Tim Guthrie
- David Helm
- Yanna Ramaekers
**Best New Media Artist:
- Gary Day
- Tim Guthrie
- Doug Hayko
- Dan Lowe
- Russ Nordman
Best Public Art Artist:
- Kenneth Adkins
- Jamie Burmeister
- Bill and Reneé Hoover
- Joey Lynch
- Matthew Placzek
Best Group Show:
- Nuclear Dichotomies
- O! Public Art Project
- Remainder
- 77 Deadly Sins
- Sheldon Connections
Best Solo Show:
- Joseph Broghammer
- Catherine Ferguson
- Skyelar Hawkins
- Eliska Morsel-Greenspoon
- Terry Rosenberg
SPECIAL AWARD
Lifetime Achievement Award: Robert “Bob” Rogers
Robert Rogers has been instrumental in supporting the arts and artists and in the Omaha area providing a much-needed service in Omaha since 1972. One of the first art galleries to open in Omaha, Gallery 72, owned and operated by Robert and Roberta Rogers, has represented local, national and international artists. Robert has helped managed art collections for many private individuals and corporations such as Kutak Rock. The artists that he’s represented, and also many of his clients, have come to know him as a close friend and enthusiastic advocate of their work. The potluck dinners for artists and friends that Robert and Roberta hosted are legendary. In 1990 Robert and Roberta received the Governor’s Art Award.
Robert is an amazing person, admired businessman, and fearless supporter of the arts. It is therefore with great pleasure that the Board of the Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards presents Robert Rogers with the Second Annual Lifetime Achievement Award.
OEA AWARDS BY THE NUMBERS
- 58 awards presented, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, at 2 awards shows, the first show on 12.27.07 and the live broadcast on 1.3.08.
- 20 awards were presented at the first show.
- 38 awards are presented during the live broadcast.
- 2nd annual event – first year garnered this quote from Mayor Mike Fahey: “I don’t think I ever have been prouder to be from Omaha than I am tonight. This is outstanding seeing all these wonderful artists to be honored. I think it’s about time.”
- 3 disciplines represented: Live Music, Performing Arts and Visual Arts.
- 4,449 public votes were processed and tabulated, up 11% from last year.
- 2 accounting firms, RSM McGladrey and Hancock and Dana, PC, processed all public votes.
- 100% of public balloting was done online through the OEA Awards Web site.
- 3 anonymous, independent review committees, per discipline, finalized the nominees.
- 3 Academies of roughly 75 members in each discipline chose final winners.
- 15 volunteer members serve on the OEA Awards, Inc. Board of Directors