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A magical cottage seems ideal for a scarred war veteran and a nondescript woman to fall in love under tall trees and twinkling lights that cast a cozy springtime glow.
“Sometimes, we don’t realize when we are in an enchanted space,” said Marilyn Schooley Hansen, owner of The Designers.
Hansen hopes people will feel like they’ve stepped into a production of The Enchanted Cottage at The Century Gala on April 5, 2025.
The fundraiser celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Omaha Community Playhouse. Hansen and four other designers had an opportunity to select one play as inspiration to transform a room for the gala that represented a 20-year period. Hansen drew 1925-1945, selecting The Enchanted Cottage, which starred Dodie Brando and Jayne Fonda at the Mary Cooper Dance Studio.
Tony and Grammy award winner John Lloyd Young, who starred as Frankie Valli in the Broadway production of Jersey Boys, will perform the night of the gala, and VIP ticket holders can meet him afterward backstage. Before his fame, Young acted in the Omaha Community Playhouse production of A Christmas Carol.
“In Omaha, our playhouse gives people a chance,” Hansen explained.
The vision behind the gala belongs to long-time active volunteer Nancy Whitted, who stepped up to co-chair the event with Emily Tonniges. Bruce and Pam Friedlander serve as honorary chairs.
Whitted’s blue eyes grew soft as she reminisced over a heavy scrapbook filled with photographs, quotes, and clippings of a Some Enchanted Evening celebration when she was president of the now-obsolete ACT II guild in 2002. Whitted wanted to bring back the timeless elegance of previous galas, enlisting resolute volunteers who love the theater.
“It celebrates the past and looks forward to the future,” Whitted said.
After moving to the metro in 1972, Whitted and her husband, Warren Jr., ushered the first Sunday of every production, when the OCP recruited young couples from Creighton University. The couple also took tickets, handed out drinks, and enjoyed the plays while making like-minded friends for five years. Whitted, a kindergarten teacher at the time, recalls not having money to spend on tickets, so sometimes it felt like a date night.
“I think it was a smart thing for the playhouse to do to support the program,” Whitted said. “We’ve gone for years. It’s fabulous entertainment.”
The city embraced them, and under her watchful eyes as chairperson of the drive, membership rose to 10,000 in 1979. The mother of two children felt determined to stay involved in various volunteer projects to keep busy in the community. Whitted learned this attitude growing up in Fairmont, Nebraska, where giving back became part of life. The family moved to Hastings, Nebraska for seven years, but Whitted continued her work on their return to Omaha in 1987.
The legacy of her charitable contributions spans two pages of serving and leading organizations, including the Joslyn Art Museum Association, the Lauritzen Garden Antique and Garden Show, and the Aksarben Foundation Women’s Ball Committee.
The latter seemed like a full-circle moment, since the former University of Nebraska Lincoln senior met Warren Jr. when he escorted her as a countess in 1971.
“If people didn’t give back, how would things get done?” Whitted, 74, asked. “I volunteer because I want to see these institutions continue, and it feels so good to help an organization.”
Whitted seems soft-spoken, but the fierce woman knows how to manage something as important as The Century Gala. A black, gold-embossed “save the date” card demonstrates the classy instinct of the committee, which includes long-time theater advocate Cheryl Wild Goodrich.
Goodrich mentioned she jumped at the opportunity to work with the “oldie goldies” again, especially with Whitted and a “go-getter” like Tonniges at her side.
“(Nancy) will always show up. She does it with her whole heart and soul. When I found out she would be chair, I said, ‘Hell, yeah, put me on the board,’” Goodrich, 75, said.
Goodrich used to give tours and served on the ACT II guild board, volunteering her time from 1989 to 2009. She feels the gala has “emerged from the ashes” after disappearing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I loved the idea. Whenever I would go to a gala, it was like entering another world of wonder. You almost believe you are in the magic itself,” Goodrich added.
Part of that magic means designers must transform their room sections, daring dressed-up guests to step into the sets of Bye Bye Birdie, A Christmas Carol, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Jersey Boys, and The Enchanted Cottage. Hansen, who once played a nun in The Sound of Music in 1970 at the theater, decided to come back to “pull out all the stops” for this festival. However, she reminded designer Richard White that “we cannot have a dead person in a coffin” for The Rocky Horror Picture Show space.
“To me, it’s like a fantasy evening, wandering around and celebrating 100 years,” Hansen said. “I can’t top that next year. This is like the big deal, the big event.”
It adds ambiance during dinner and cocktails at the 50 tables of eight while reminding those in attendance of the challenging work that goes into the theater.
“It is the premiere, longest-lasting community theater,” said Keith Allerton, the developmental specialist of the Omaha Community Playhouse. “It takes a lot of manpower.”
Allerton, along with his wife and the executive director, Becky Noble, talked to Young after watching his performance in Des Moines, Iowa.
Despite the time and effort of putting on a gala, those like Goodrich believe it makes her feel young again. She realizes the need to tap into the younger generation like Tonniges, hoping this revival by the “oldie goldies” will spark momentum to continue filling the big shoes of those like Whitted and others who have served the community for years.
Hansen knows raising money for the upkeep of the playhouse remains vital, especially since the last renovation happened in 1975. Plus, the Omaha Community Playhouse lends a sense of belonging to Whitted, Hansen, and Goodrich, who see the importance of continuing theater in Omaha.
“Once it is in your blood, it’s addictive,” Hansen said, whose daughter, like Whitted’s son, played a part in A Christmas Carol.
“It captures your imagination when you watch a play live,” Goodrich believes.
“There is nothing like live theater,” Whitted agreed.
Whitted feels confident that cocktails, dinner, fanciful décor, and an outstanding performance will draw newcomers and regulars to the gala. The throwback should draw a crowd who recall the appeal of a superb night of entertainment.
Whitted brings out a purple tote, pulls out a packed gala notebook, and glances through the pages.
“This will be my swan song,” Whitted said, but with the current community activities on her agenda and her commitment to the theater, one wonders if this stalwart advocate is serious.
This article originally appeared in the March/April 2025 issue of Omaha Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
