Got weekend plans? Here are 10 things happening in Columbus
A trio of theater productions includes 'Anne Frank,' stand-up guys Bert Kreischer and Brian Regan bring jokes and other events come to town. Theater events are expected to take place in Columbus this weekend, with three plays, "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" and "9 to 5: The Musical" set in the late '70s and "The Diary of Anne Frank" set to be presented at the Ohio State University Department of Theatre, Film, and Media Arts' Proscenium Theatre in the Proscential Theatre building, 1932 College Road. The inaugural exhibition of work by 12 members of the Ohio Representational Art Collective will open at the Beeler Gallery at Columbus College of Art & Design. The Lincoln Theatre Association will host a performance of Deeply Rooted Dance Theater at the Lincoln Theatre, 769 E. Long St. Tickets can be purchased at the OSU Theatre ticket office, by phone at 614-292-2295 or online via Ticketmaster.
Published : a month ago by Belinda M. Paschal in Entertainment
Theater is in the spotlight this weekend, with three plays taking the stage. "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” and "9 to 5: The Musical" are sure to evoke laughter, while "The Diary of Anne Frank" will move you to tears.
Also on stage are Deeply Rooted Dance Theater combining storytelling, ballet, modern and African dance, and comedians Bert Kreischer and Brian Regan, both of whom you can sneak preview by watching their Netflix specials.
There's also art, poetry, jazz and a book signing by comedian and "Daily Show" correspondent Dulce Sloan, so you have your pick of great events to choose from. Read more about them below. To receive these ideas in your inbox each week, sign up for the Life in the 614 newsletter.
Winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk awards for Best Book, "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” takes a humorous, touching look at six awkward adolescents as they vie to become the spelling champ. Complete with audience participation, the charming musical will be presented by the Ohio State University Department of Theatre, Film, and Media Arts at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and April 9-12 in OSU's Proscenium Theatre in the Theatre, Film, and Media Arts building, 1932 College Road. Ticket prices are $25, or $23 for senior citizens and Ohio State faculty, staff and Alumni Association members; $15 for OSU students and children in grades K-12. Tickets can be purchased at the OSU Theatre ticket office, by phone at 614-292-2295 or online via Ticketmaster. (theatreandfilm.osu.edu)
"What is Real?," the inaugural exhibition of work by 12 members of the Ohio Representational Art Collective, will open with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday in the Beeler Gallery at Columbus College of Art & Design, 60 Cleveland Ave. (The entrance is on Gay Street.) The free exhibition, which runs through April 27, focuses on human figures and portraits, showcasing a variety of mediums and approaches and was co-curated by artists Hiroshi Hayakawa, a CCAD photography professor, and Miriam Baranov. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. (beelergallery.org)
Women to plot revenge in Otterbein's '9 to 5: The Musical'
Set in the late '70s to the music and lyrics of Dolly Parton, "9 to 5: The Musical" follows the hilarious happenings when three female co-workers scheme to get even with their sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigoted boss. Performed by the Otterbein University departments of Theatre & Dance and Music, the play based on the 1980 hit movie will come to the stage at 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday; and 8 p.m. April 11-13 in the Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall, 30 S. Grove St., Westerville. Tickets cost $30. The box office is open from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and one hour before performances. (614-823-1109, otterbein.edu/drama)
As their name suggests, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater is deeply rooted in traditions of American and African American dance and storytelling, uniting ballet, modern and African dance. The Lincoln Theatre Association will host the Chicago-based company at 8 p.m. Thursday at the Lincoln Theatre, 769 E. Long St. Ticket prices start at $67, available in person at the CBUSArts Ticket Center, 39 E. State St., by phone at 614-469-0939 or online at lincolntheatrecolumbus.com. The association also is holding its annual Lights of the Lincoln Celebration, which will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday and includes an hors d’oeuvres buffet, wine, beer, cocktails and seating in the Lincoln Loge for Deeply Rooted Dance Theater. Ticket prices start at $175, available by contacting Emily Kilroy at [email protected] or 614-719-6610. (lincolntheatrecolumbus.com)
Comic Bert Kreischer to give fans the old ‘razzle dazzle’
Dubbed “Number One Partier in the Nation” by Rolling Stone in 1997, Bert Kreischer has evolved into one of the top-grossing stand-up comics in the business, as well as a podcast host, actor and author. The 51-year-old funnyman will bring his “Tops Off World Tour” to Nationwide Arena, 200 W. Nationwide Blvd., at 7 p.m. Friday. Kreischer has several specials currently on Netflix, including his most recent — “Razzle Dazzle” — and is a renowned podcaster who has hosted 500-plus episodes of “Bertcast” as well as “2 Bears 1 Cave” with fellow comic Tom Segura. He also created, hosts and produces the YouTube cooking show, “Something’s Burning,” which has amassed more than 18.2 million views. Ticket prices start at $34.25 plus fees. (ticketmaster.com)
Portable Paradise: An International/Intercultural/Intergenerational Poetry Celebration, taking place from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at Urban Arts Space, 50 W. Town St., will feature readings by high school and college students from Bexley High School, Columbus Academy, Otterbein University, Denison University and the Ohio State University. All are participants in writing workshops with Columbus poet-educator Peter Kahn and British poet Roger Robinson, winner of the prestigious T.S. Eliot Prize in 2019. Select students will share the stage with local poets Cynthia Amoah and Ajanae Dawkins, with Robinson as the headliner. If time permits, a Q&A will follow. This event is free but with limited seating, so RSVP at the link. (bit.ly/4aQGbTR)
Considered one of the sharpest voices in comedy, Dulce Sloan will be at Gramercy Books of Bexley, 2424 E. Main St. from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday for a signing of her first memoir, “Hello Friends!: Stories of Dating, Destiny, and Day Jobs,” a hilarious roller coaster ride through Sloan’s journey from a childhood moving between cities, being a Black kid in a predominately white school, starting her own business selling toys at a Miami flea market to finding her purpose while navigating comedy clubs, and the set of “The Daily Show” as a senior correspondent. This is a first-come, first-served free event with capacity limited to 70 people in the store at a time. (gramercybooksbexley.com)
Columbus nonprofit A Tribe for Jazz is celebrating Jazz Appreciation Month by launching its 2024 International Jazz Series on Saturday with saxophonist Jon Irabagon performing with the Zakk Jones Trio at 7:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at Ginger Rabbit Jazz, 17 Buttles Ave. Doors open 30 minutes before showtime. Tickets cost $25. Other performers in the series are being featured for free this month including Spanish pianist-composer Marta Sanchez, April 13; George DeLancey’s sextet, April 18; Israeli harmonica virtuoso Roni Eytan, April 27; and International Jazz Day with British trumpeter Alexandra Ridout, April 30. See website for locations. The International Jazz Series runs through Sept. 14. (gingerrabbitjazz.com)
Gallery Players to present 'The Diary of Anne Frank'
"The Diary of Anne Frank," Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett's passionate stage adaption of the posthumously published 1947 "The Diary of a Young Girl," will open at 2 p.m. Sunday in the Jewish Community Center of Greater Columbus' Roth/Resler Theater, 1125 College Ave. Presented by the Gallery Players, the stirring drama captures the fear, hope, laughter and grief of eight people hiding under Nazi persecution during the German occupation of the Netherlands. More performances will be at 7 p.m. April 11 and April 18; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. April 14; and 2 p.m. April 21. Tickets cost $25. (columbusjcc.org/annefrank)
Brian Regan, who can be seen in the Netflix specials "On The Rocks" and "Nunchucks and Flamethrowers" as well as his own Netflix series "Stand Up And Away! With Brian Regan," will bring his observational brand of humor at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to the McCoy Center for the Arts, 100 E. Dublin-Granville Road, New Albany. Regan also has earned praise for his portrayal of Mugsy, a recovering addict, on the TV series "Loudermilk," now streaming on Amazon Prime. Ticket prices start at $57, available at the CBUSArts Ticket Center, 39 E. State St., by phone at 614-469-0939 and online. (capa.com, cbusarts.com)