The big deal in Glenwood, Iowa, (where my husband and I live) is their annual homecoming festival and parade. Each year the parade has a theme, and in 2015, the parade theme was Heroes. The reason for this was that earlier in the year, director Don Hall (originally from Glenwood) won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year for the movie Big Hero 6. Hall has gone on to produce even bigger works, including the pandemic-era hit Raya and the Last Dragon, which is why he is one of our A+C articles this round.

Many of the articles in this edition are devoted to arts and culture. The main feature is about Omaha native, and now Broadway and TV star, Andrew Rannells, known for originating the role of Elder Price in The Book of Mormon as well as performing in the popular Hamilton.

The other feature is about a man I have worked with, and considered a friend, for many years.  Jeff Koterba was a former colleague of mine who has forged his own path since being let go from the Omaha World-Herald. He’s drawn (and sometimes met) everyone from astronauts to politicians, and he’s one of the nicest guys I know. 

KVNO is the morning home of our back-page columnist Otis Twelve (or Jeff Koterba when Otis is out) and the all-classical station is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. We talked to several people who worked at the station to discover what makes this classical station unique.

The city said goodbye to beloved music director for the Omaha Symphony Thomas Wilkins in 2020, and the new maestro, Ankush Kumar Bahl, has now been here for a full season with the beloved orchestra. Why he came to the city, and what he brought with him, is the subject of our profile story this round.

We also have a few special sections for you to peruse this round. Those needing a lawyer can find a selection of good ones in our Lawyers section, while a few arts and entertainment places are featured in the arts special section. 

The special section I hope you take time to read thoroughly is the Campaign section. It’s that time of year again. Omaha Magazine’s Best of Omaha contest starts July 1 and ends on Aug. 19. There’s lots of fun categories that have been added this year—Cookies and Night Club are two of my favorites, while perennial favorites such as Best Mexican Food and Cigar Bar are still ones the public can vote on. It doesn’t take much time, and each year as my husband and I vote, we find ourselves filling in more than the requisite five selections, as looking through the list brings up discussion of the many great places we visit to eat, play, and repair our home or cars.

There’s a lot of great articles, and information, in this edition. I hope you enjoy it.

This article originally appeared in the July/August 2022 issue of Omaha Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.