Jerri Shafer News

JOIN US! for 4 live performances of a newly devised digital media work by Alex Oliszweski, Associate Professor of Theatre, Film and Media Arts and ACCAD. Alex and his performance and production team will present The Survivors Way Thursday, May 25th; 3:00 pm, Friday, May 26th, 6:00 pm, Saturday, May 27th; 3:00 pm, and Saturday, May 27th; 7:00 pm. The event is Free and Open to the public. Seating is limited. Please sign up by ordering tickets via Event Brite. The Survivor's Way is a poetic and visually stunning media and animation heavy play that chronicles the transformative journey of a young man. Armed with knowledge from his father and mother, he embarks on a mystical adventure that begins in a maze of boxes and ascends into the cosmic void, guided by a kite, a rainbow, the stories of his family.

Dewey Finn is an out-of-work rock star and a fish out of water, posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. After discovering his students’ musical abilities, Dewey forms a rock band out of his 5th grade students and attempts to conquer the Battle of the Bands. With its energetic rock score, this high-octane, fun-filled show will be a blast for the whole family! Andrew Lloyd Webber's School of Rock - The Musical is based on the hit movie of the same name. School of Rock - The Musical, with its sensational live kids’ rock band, is a loving testimony to the transforming power of music. Director - David J Glover, Music Director/Conductor - Zac Delmonte, Cast - J’Von Jones, Kathryn McCarty, Tom Murdock, Lara Brooks, Avery Andruzis, Colin Dacierno, Gabrielle Curtis, Zeke Moses, Sophia Adair, William Collins, Paxton Longoria, Keegan Hardin, Ella Kinsinger, Owen Suarez, Isaac Rittberger, Claire Christie, Faith Smith-Austin, Ani Olsheski, Sam Stiutz, Amy Lang, Lorenzo McKeever, Reese Anthony, Patrick Doss, Lyndsey Adams, Chad Baker, Chris Bullwinkle, Erin McQuay, Dallas Ray, Amy Rittberger, Nancy Skaggs, Kennedy Spitzer Performances are May 12 - 21, 2023 at the Lincoln Theatre 769 E. Long St., Columbus, OH 43204. For tickets or more information, visit: https://columbuschildrenstheatre.org/

Based on the popular Disney Channel Original Movies, Disney's Descendants: The Musical is a brand-new musical jam-packed with comedy, adventure, Disney characters, and hit songs from the films! Imprisoned on the Isle of the Lost – home of the most infamous villains who ever lived – the teenaged children of Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Jafar, and Cruella De Vil have never ventured off the island… until now. When the four troublemakers are sent to attend prep school alongside the children of beloved Disney heroes, they have a difficult choice to make: should they follow in their parents’ wicked footsteps or learn to be good. Performances are May 5 - 13, 2023, at Lancaster Parks & Recreation, 701 Union Street, Lancaster, OH 43130. Purchase tickets: https://www.riseupartsalliance.org/tickets

A landmark in American drama, Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Our Town tells the story of a small town, Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, in order to tell us the story of every town, the whole world over. Narrated by the “Stage Manager”, we follow the Gibbs and Webb families, residents of Grover’s Corners, through twelve years of life changes -- from the mundane in Act I, “Daily Life,” to the romantic in Act II, “Love and Marriage,” to the devastating in Act III, “Death and Eternity.” Through the young lovers Emily and George, their strong and loving parents, and the many other Grover’s Corners’ locals, Wilder delivers universal truths about what it means to be human. “Oh, earth,” Emily Webb exclaims towards the play’s end, “you’re too wonderful for anyone to realize you.” With humor, wit, and exceptionally powerful storytelling, Our Town offers a unique opportunity for audience members to make precisely that realization. Performances are May 5 - 6, 7:30pm, May 7, 2:00pm, at Knox Memorial Theater, 112 East High St., Mount Vernon, OH 43050. For tickets or more information, visit: https://mtva-internet.choicecrm.net/templates/MTVA/index.php?prod=Memorial#/events

A young orphan and his mates are shipped off from Victorian England to a distant island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. They know nothing of the mysterious trunk in the captain’s cabin, which contains a precious, otherworldly cargo. At sea, the boys are discovered by a precocious young girl named Molly, a Starcatcher-in-training who realizes that the trunk’s precious cargo is starstuff, a celestial substance so powerful that it must never fall into the wrong hands. When the ship is taken over by pirates – led by the fearsome Black Stache, a villain determined to claim the trunk and its treasure for his own – the journey quickly becomes a thrilling adventure. Performances run May 4 - 6, 2023 @ 7pm at Dublin Jerome High School, 8300 Hyland-Croy Rd, Dublin, OH 43016, For tickets call 614-718-8263 or visit: https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/73344

In this landmark play of non-versed poems the dead in the cemetery of the fictional Illinois town of Spoon River relate episodes from their lives in an easy, conversational manner. The brief, often poignant life-stories accumulate to convey the history of social changes in the Midwest and reflect on numerous national events, including the Philippine-American War.

It's 1979, and New York's hottest A-listers are lining up for the opening of a floating casino and discotheque. Also attending is a faded disco star, a sexy nightclub singer with her eleven-year-old twins, a disaster expert, a feminist reporter, an older couple with a secret, a pair of young guys who are looking for ladies, an untrustworthy businessman and a nun with a gambling addiction. What begins as a night of boogie fever quickly changes to panic as the ship succumbs to multiple disasters, such as earthquakes, tidal waves and infernos. As the night turns into day, everyone struggles to survive and, quite possibly, repair the love that they've lost... or at least escape the killer rats. Performances run April 28 - May 6, 2023 at Columbus Performing Arts Center, Van Fleet Theatre, 549 Franklin Ave, Columbus, Ohio 43125.. For tickets or more information, visit: https://www.imaginecolumbus.org/

“Nunsense” is a hilarious spoof about the misadventures of five nuns trying to manage a fundraiser, a talent show designed to raise money to bury their dearly departed sisters who have passed away due to an unfortunate culinary experience. The show has the distinction of being the second-longest running Off-Broadway show in history with 3,672 performances, Book, music, and lyrics by Dan Goggin, Cast: Reverend Mother - Caroline Harkness, Sister Hubert - Carolyn Hughes, Sister Mary Robert - Jessie Strait, Sister Mary Amnesia - Alexa Rybinski, Sister Leo - Laura Grondin Performances run April 21, 22, 28 and 29 @ 8PM and April 23 and 30 @ 3PM at Hilliard Civic and Cultural Arts Center, 5425 Center St, Hilliard, OH 43026. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit: https://www.hilliardartscouncil.org/

The sharp-edged but charming play takes place on and around a park bench in Central Park where two elderly men - one black and one white - with nothing in common but their spirited resistance to having others decide for them when they no longer count. Together, but each, in his own unique way, they fight those who would put them out to pasture, developing throughout a true, albeit unusual friendship.

A parody of American musical comedy of the 1920s, the story concerns a middle-aged, asocial musical theatre fan. As he plays the record of his favorite musical, the fictional 1928 hit The Drowsy Chaperone, the show comes to life onstage, as he wryly comments on the music, story, and actors. By David Bottrell and Jessie Jones, Director - Kathy Hyland, Cast; Scott Clay - Man in Chair, Aara Wise - Mrs. Tottendale, James O Johnson Jr. - Underling, Kasey Meininger - Chaperone, Florence Piotrkowski - Janet Van de Graaff, Vaughan Radde - Robert Martin, Tucker Barton - George, Randy Benge - Mr. Feldzieg , Carley Hamilton - Kitty, Glen Garcia - Aldolpho, Joyce Patrone - Gangster 1, Veronica Ridenour - Gangster 2, Jessica Alkire - Trix & Ensemble, Jim Perine - Superintendent, Kaitlyn Garrett - Ensemble Performances run Apr. 21 - May 7, 2023 at Little Theatre Off Broadway, 3981 Broadway, Grove City, Ohio 43123. Order Reserved Seating Tickets at the link: https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/70962

Worthington Community Theatre's After Dark brings you the hauntingly beautiful musical, Dogfight. Dogfight takes audiences on a romantic and heartbreaking theatrical journey that stays with you long after the performance.

The New Albany High School Theatre Department presents as its spring play, Clue: On Stage - High School Edition! as its fall musical.

Country Music Hall of Famer, five-time Grammy-winner, and AMA Lifetime Achievement honoree Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives came to perform at the Woodward Opera House in Mount Vernon, Ohio on April 8th, 2023. Marty Stuart is an American country and bluegrass music singer, songwriter, and musician. Active since 1968, Stuart initially toured with Lester Flatt, and then in Johnny Cash's road band before beginning work as a solo artist in the early 1980s. Upcoming shows include The Reagan Years Dance Party on Friday, October 20th along with many other co-productions with local organizations. For more info or to purchase tickets, please visit https://www.mvac.org.

After nearly 14 years to the day, Alcove favorites Ian Ernsberger and Aaron Moreland are back together as the Buckle Brothers in Lie, Cheat, and Genuflect. See photos from the production.

New Albany Middle School Theatre Department will bring Elsa, Anna, and the magical land of Arendelle to life onstage with Frozen Jr., April 14-16,2023, at the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts. Based on the Disney Film written by Jennifer Lee, Frozen Jr., is a story of love, and acceptance between sisters. The show features the memorable songs from the animated film, with music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson Lopez and Robert Lopez, and follows the emotional relationship and journey between Princess Anna and Elsa. Watch as the two discover their powerful bond of sisterhood. Loaded with magic, adventure, and plenty of humor, Frozen Jr. is a show for all ages. New Albany Middle School will present Frozen Jr. to be performed Friday, Apr. 14, 2023 at 7 pm. Saturday, April 15, 2023 at 12 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday, April 16, 2023 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts. 100 E Dublin Granville Rd, New Albany, OH 43054 $10 tickets available at https://www.cbusarts.com/

This production functions as a mini-theatre festival and is comprised of three one-act plays with two fifteen-minute intermissions. Co-directed by Brian A. Palmer and Bethany Schoeff, Performances run March 24 - April 2, 2023 at the Columbus Performing Arts Center, 549 Franklin Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215. For tickets or more information, visit: https://www.aetherealjest.com/community-theatre-triple-feature---volume-one.html

Charlie Brown and the entire Peanuts gang explore life's great questions as they play baseball, struggle with homework, sing songs, swoon over their crushes, and celebrate the joy of friendship. Based on The Comic Strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz, Book, Music and Lyrics by Clark Gesner, Additional Dialogue by Michael Mayer, Additional Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa. Performances are Mar. 23- 26, 2023 at the Wagner Theatre | Brasee Hall, Ohio University Lancaster, 1570 Granville Pike Lancaster, OH 43130.   For tickets or more information, visit: https://www.ohio.edu/lancaster/current-students/theatre/upcoming-shows

Religion, identity, sex… and raptors! Triassic Parq is a raucous retelling of that famous dinosaur-themed film, this time seen from the dino’s point of view. Chaos is unleashed on their not-so-prehistoric world when one dinosaur in a clan of females spontaneously turns male! This show does contain Adult content! Consider it Rated R! Book, Music and Lyrics by Marshall Pailet. Book and Lyrics by Bryce Norbitz and Steve Wargo. Directed & Music Direction by Josh Kaplonski, Cast: Velociraptor of Innocence - Kam McCluer​, Velociraptor of Faith - Sonny Panzica, T-Rex 2 - Jennifer Zwaap, T-Rex 1 - Emily Church​, Velociraptor of Science - Carolyn Cutri, Mime-a-saurus - Taylor Ervin Performances are March 24, 25, 31, April 1, 7, 8, 7:30pm at Club Diversity, 863 South High St. Columbus OH. For tickets or more information, visit: https://www.cyclodrama.com

The scene is a fishing lodge in rural Georgia often visited by “Froggy” LeSueur, a British demolition expert who occasionally runs training sessions at a nearby army base. This time “Froggy” has brought along a friend, a pathologically shy young man named Charlie who is overcome with fear at the thought of making conversation with strangers. So “Froggy,” before departing, tells all assembled that Charlie is from an exotic foreign country and speaks no English. Once alone the fun really begins, as Charlie overhears more than he should—the evil plans of a sinister, two-faced minister and his redneck associate; the fact that the minister’s pretty fiancée is pregnant; and many other damaging revelations made with the thought that Charlie doesn’t understand a word being said. That he does fuels the nonstop hilarity of the play. By Larry Shue, Directed by Coreen Janetzke, Cast; Charlie Baker: Todd Bernstein, Froggy Lasueur: Andrew Conway, Betty Meeks: Barbe Helwig, Catherine Simms: Jenny Small, Ellard (Elle) Simms: Raya Franklin, Reverend David Lee Marshall: Stephen Codling, Owen Musser: Scott Harvey Performances run March 17 - 26, 2023 at the Wigwam Theater 10190 Blacklick-Eastern Road, Pickerington, OH 43147. For tickets: http://pickeringtoncommunitytheatre.org/

Set in the 1590s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as “The Bard.” When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical. But amidst the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self, and all that jazz. Performances run Mar. 18 - Apr. 2, 2023. at Gallery Players, 1125 College Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43209. Please visit https://columbusjcc.org/something-rotten/ to get specific showtimes and purchase tickets.