Jerri Shafer News

A Behanding in Spokane is a hilariously funny, dark comedy about Carmichael, a lone-fisted oddball, searching for his missing hand, and two bickering love birds trying to sell him a stolen knockoff. But when Mervyn, the hotel clerk, interrupts the deal, the transaction rapidly goes South and descends into laugh-out-loud chaos. Performances run Aug 10 - 26, 2023, at MadLab, 227 N 3rd Street, Columbus, Ohio. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.redherringtheater.org/

With an infectiously unforgettable score from four-time Grammy winner, three-time Oscar winner and musical theatre giant, Stephen Schwartz, Pippin is the story of one young man's journey to be extraordinary. Winner of four 2013 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival, this updated circus-inspired version of Pippin continues to captivate and appeal to the young at heart throughout the world. Performances run July 21, 22, 28, 29, @ 7pm and July 23, 30, @ 2pm at District West, 145 N 5th St., Columbus, Ohio 43125.. For tickets or more information, visit: https://www.imaginecolumbus.org/

Spice up your summer with the world’s most forbidden topics - Politics and Religion as Evolution Theatre Company presents One Show Two Plays.

'Into the Woods' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests. The main characters are taken from “Little Red Riding Hood“, “Jack and the Beanstalk”, “Rapunzel”, and “Cinderella”, as well as several others. The musical is tied together by a story involving a childless baker and his wife and their quest to begin a family, their interaction with a witch who has cursed them, and their journey into the woods. Performances are July 23 & August 3 - 6, 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

Worthington Community Theatre wants to know - what would you do if you had all eternity? Eleven-year-old Winnie Foster yearns for a life of adventure beyond her white picket fence, but not until she becomes unexpectedly entwined with the Tuck Family does she get more than she could have imagined. When Winnie learns of the magic behind the Tuck’s unending youth, she must fight to protect their secret from those who would do anything for a chance at eternal life. As her adventure unfolds, Winnie faces an extraordinary choice: return to her life, or continue with the Tucks on their infinite journey. Performances are July 21, 22, & 28 29 @ 7:30PM and July 23 & 30 @ 2:30PM McConnell Arts Center, 777 Evening St. Worthington, OH 43085. For Tickets https://www.mcconnellarts.org/worthington-community-theatre-presents-tuck-everlasting/

One of the most popular Disney movies of all time is capturing hearts as a practically perfect musical! Based on the books by P.L. Travers and the classic Walt Disney film, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins delighted Broadway audiences for over 2,500 performances and received nominations for nine Olivier and seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical.Check out photos of the cast in action!

Sister Act will run July 8 - 16, 2023, at The Woodward Opera House. Check out photos here!

Beauty is in the eye of the ogre in Shrek The Musical JR., based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film and fantastic Broadway musical. It's a 'big bright beautiful world' as everyone's favorite ogre, Shrek, leads a cast of fairytale misfits on an adventure to rescue a princess and find true acceptance. Part romance and part twisted fairy tale, Shrek JR. is an irreverently fun show with a powerful message for the whole family. Featuring 43 youth artists between the ages of 9-16 years old. New Albany Youth Theatre will present Shrek The Musical, Jr. to be performed 7/7/23 – 7PM, 7/8/23 – 1PM & 7PM, 7/9/23 – 1PM at the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts. 100 E Dublin Granville Rd, New Albany, OH 43054 Purchase tickets: https://newalbanyyouththeatre.org/

This wickedly inspired re-imagining of the legend of Frankenstein by Mel Brooks is the story of the bright young doctor Frankenstein (that's Fronkensteen) who travels to Transylvania to complete the masterwork of his grandfather by bringing a corpse to life. Book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, Music and Lyrics by Mel Brooks, Directed by Corey Ragan Cast: Will Macke, Youssef Nagaty Caleb Baker, Sarina Hyland, Grace Larger, Krista Morelli, Dallas Ray, BJ Craft, Seth Mcgee, Deryn Kraner, Jessica Dupee, Cindy Tran Nguyen Performances run June 16 - July 2, 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/70964

'The Bodyguard,' a musical. Synopsis: Former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer, is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker. Each expects to be in charge; what they don’t expect is to fall in love. A breathtakingly romantic thriller, 'The Bodyguard' features a host of irresistible classics including 'Queen of the Night', 'So Emotional', 'One Moment in Time', 'Saving All My Love', 'Run to You', 'I Have Nothing', 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody' and one of the biggest selling songs of all time – 'I Will Always Love You.' Book by Alexander Dinelaris, Based on the Warner Bros. film, Screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan Performances run June 15 - 17 @ 7pm, June 18 @ 2PM, 2023, at East High School, 1500 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://tinyurl.com/mu8mcxf.

A girl has watched Alexander McQueen’s Mayfair house. Tonight, she climbs down from her watching tree and breaks into his house to steal a dress, to become someone special. He catches her, but instead of calling the police, they embark together on a journey through London and into his heart. A journey into the visionary imagination and dream world of Alexander McQueen, fashion’s greatest contemporary artist. Written by James Phillips, Directed by Joe Bishara, Cast includes Ben Tracy, Grace Emmenegger-Conrad, Emma Winder, Sydney Campbell, Mark Phillips Schwamberger, Nicolas Brunet, Emma Schachter, Nat Harper. Performances run May 25 - June 3, 2023 at Abbey Theatre of Dublin, 5600 Post Rd. Dublin, Ohio 43017. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit: https://www.evolutiontheatre.org/

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.