Nick Hardin News

Ohio's very own Short North Stage will be hosting yet another Charles Busch play 'Cleopatra' July 27th - August 6th at the Garden Theater. Having produced other tear-jerking comedies by the 'campy playwright' in previous years, Short North Stage Fan favorites 'Psycho Beach Party', 'Die Mommy Die', and 'The Divine Sister' Artistic Director Edward Carignan is excited

From February 14 to 26, Theater for the New City will present the American premiere of 'Appendage' by Irish expatriate writer Derek Murphy.  The dark comedy is staged by Mary Tierney, founder of the legendary Quaigh Lunchtime Series, in her return to the director's chair.

Spiders and Broadway musicals don't always work well with each other. Witness the mixed fortunes of SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE NIGHT. However, Short North Stage's epic production of KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN: THE MUSICAL is one of the "can't miss" musicals in the Columbus' fall season.

The hilarity returns! If you missed it on the Garden Stage in the chill of January 2015, escape the heat of August with this over-the-top comedy by Charles Busch (Die, Mommie, Die and The Divine Sister). An outrageous parody of the campy beach party movies of the 1960s, this revival of the Immersive Theater production reunites the original cast, include Doug Joseph and Nick Hardin. A BENEFIT FOR SHORT NORTH STAGE.

An outrageous musical comedy that combines musical theater's current 'Mormon-mania' and everyone's love of the Queen of the Musicals herself, Ethel Merman. Mormon missionaries, Aaron and Jacob, on a two-year stint to convert more Latter Day Saints, ring a buzzer that says, 'E.M. Welcome.'

Evolution Theatre Company presents the area premiere of  BOOK OF MERMAN with book, music and lyrics by Leo Schwartz, directed and choreographed by Bryan Adam, and musical direction by Bryan Babcock.  BroadwayWorld brings you a first look at rehearsals below!

Four Shorts by local playwrights all with a 'LGBTQQIA in Politics' theme:

One of the dangers of hearing a great Broadway melody by itself is it loses its context. Such is the case with SEND IN THE CLOWNS. Everyone has covered the song from Stephen Sondheim's A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, from Judy Collins to Frank Sinatra to Krusty the Clown with the later one being my personal favorite.

On Sunday August 9th, Imagine Productions presented a cabaret called Let's Duet Again! Featuring a night of pop duets and musical theatre. Directed by Ryan Stem and co-hosted by Doug Joseph and Nick Hardin. With performances featuring Alex Almeida, Caleb Baker, Corinne Buuk, Ed Eblin, Cassie Gress, Nick Hardin, Chris Johnson, Doug Joseph, Sharon Kibe, Jesika Lehner, Tahrea Maynard-Johnson, Chase McCants, Michael Quinichett, Elena Reinert, Keith Robinson, Ryan Stem, Steve Stumphauzer, Rachel Verdi, and Abby Zeszotek.

With lazily leaning palm trees, fluffy beach towels and sunbathing teenagers in 1960s-era bikinis, the frigid stage of Columbus' Garden Theater is transformed into the sun-kissed surf and sand of a Malibu beach town in Charles Busch's "Psycho Beach Party."

If 'Every Movie's a Circus,' as a song midway through the first act proclaims, the Short North Stage's season opening production of SUNSET BOULEVARD must be a very grand carnival. The theater group pulls out all the stops as far as color schemes and movie clips go but it is rock solid performances of stars Gina Handy and Chris Shea that brings the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical to life.

If you're sick of the drab, cold Ohio weather, sneak over and warm up in the Short North Stage's Garden Theater, where "It Might As Well Be Spring", and you'll be guaranteed "A Lovely Night" where you'll be humming "Something Wonderful" right on through the Central Ohio deep freeze.