Summer Stages: Top 10 Summer Theatre Offerings in Columbus, Ohio

By: Jun. 02, 2014
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As the summer months heat up, so do the Columbus stages. Check out BWW's top 5 picks that the whole family can enjoy without breaking the bank this summer:

1. ACTOR'S THEATRE OF COLUMBUS

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
Written by William Shakespeare
Co-Directed by John S. Kuhn and Nick Baldasare
May 22 - June 22, 2014 / Thursdays through Sundays / 8pm
Schiller Park, Amphitheatre Stage

Actors' Theatre of Columbus at Easton
June 6th - 28th, 2014 / Fridays and Saturdays / 7pm
Easton Square

The Barber of Seville
Written by Pierre Beaumarchais, translated by John Wells
Directed by Mandy Fox
June 26-July 27, 2014 / Thursdays through Sundays / 8pm
Schiller Park, Amphitheatre Stage

The Merry Wives of Windsor
Written By William Shakespeare
Directed by Beth Kattelman
July 31 - August 31, 2014 / Thursdays through Sundays / 8pm
Schiller Park, Amphitheatre Stage

The Hound of the Baskervilles
Written By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle;
Adapted by Steven Canny and John Nicholson for Peepolykus;
by arrangement with Nick Hern Books
Directed by Geoff Wilson
September 5 - 14, 2014 / Fridays through Sundays / 7:30pm
Columbus Commons

2. OTTERBEIN UNIVERSITY'S SUMMER THEATRE

The Fantasticks
Book & Lyrics by Tom Jones, Music by Harvey Schmidt
Directed by David Caldwell
Musical Direction by Dennis Davenport
Choeography by Stella Hiatt Kane
June 5-8, 12-14, 19-21

The Fantasticks, was the debut production of the very first Otterbein Summer Theatre season in 1967 and was last performed here 30 years ago. That 1984 production featured then Otterbein student, David Caldwell and he returns this season to direct the show. A funny and romantic musical about a boy, a girl, two fathers and a wall, the production transports the audience to a September day as, the narrator, El Gallo, tells a story of love and growing up. Two young lovers must meet in secret because their fathers are sworn enemies. Luisa and Matt are sure their love can conquer anything - even the wall their fathers have built to keep them apart - and they will be together forever. The famous score, which includes the classics Try To Remember,They Were You and Soon It's Gonna Rain, is as timeless as the story itself.

The 39 Steps
Adapted by Patrick Barlow
From the novel by John Buchan
Directed by Chris Kirk
June 26-29, July 3 & 5, July 10-12

Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have The 39 Steps, a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre! This 2-time Tony® and Drama Desk Award-winning treat is packed with nonstop laughs, over 150 zany characters (played by a ridiculously talented cast of 4), an on-stage plane crash, handcuffs, missing fingers and some good old-fashioned romance! A riotous blend of virtuoso performances and wildly inventive stagecraft, The 39 Steps amounts to an unforgettable evening of pure pleasure!

Dames at Sea
Book and Lyrics by George Haimsohn and Robin Miller; Music by Jim Wise
Directed by Doreen Dunn
Musical Direction by Lori Kay Harvey
Choreography by Molly Sullivan
July 17-20, 23-26

Singing and tap dancing are the heart of this hysterical spoof of 1930s Hollywood musicals. It's the story of Ruby, the sweet, innocent girl who takes a bus to razz-ma-tazzy NYC and instantly becomes a star on Broadway, while falling in love-at-first-sight with a songwriting sailor named Dick. But where will Ruby and the other Broadway beauties shine when the theatre is suddenly torn down? On a Navy battleship, of course, where Dick and his best pal Lucky get their wish - Dames at Sea! A long-running hit off-Broadway, Dames at Sea is currently in rehearsals for a Broadway revival directed by Columbus's own Randy Skinner, and assisted by recent Otterbein grad Hayden Clifton.

3. CATCO

ALWAYS... PATSY CLINE
May 28 - June 15, 2014
Studio Two, Riffe Center

In 1961 Louise Seger struck up a conversation with Patsy Cline in a honky-tonk. That meeting launched a friendship that continued until Patsy's untimely death. This tribute to Cline boasts a 27-song score, including such favorites as "Crazy," and "Sweet Dreams."

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS
July 23-August 10, 2014
Studio One, Riffe Center

Based on the classic comedy film starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin, two huckster conmen are living the high life on the French Riviera. When an opportunity to swindle a millionaire heiress arises, the two will compete to discover who is the master of the art of the con. Now playing on London's West End - don't miss this musical live in Columbus!

REVENGE OF THE SPACE PANDAS
August 29-31, 2014
Shedd Theatre, CPAC

Time travel abounds in this science fiction romp which was first produced on the CATCO stage in the early days of its original Park Street Theatre. Only a very serious playwright could produce such an insane comedy!

4. SHADOWBOX LIVE

Bigger Than Jesus
Select Wednesdays, Thursdays & Sundays
March 13 - June 26

Select Wednesdays & Thursdays @ 7:30p
Select Sundays @ 2:00p & 7:00p
Please view the calendar to confirm show availability for the performance you wish to attend!

Admission • $20.00 - $30.00

A Live Rockumentary about the Band that Changed the World. This Spring go back in time to celebrate The Beatles. Shadowbox live pays homage to the pivotal band, as well as the life and times of the era Select Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays as part of this year's Stage Two season.

The Best of Shadowbox Live 2014
Opening Thursday, Fridays & Saturdays
June 5 - September 6

Opening Thursday @ 7:30p
Fridays & Saturdays @ 7:30p and 10:30p
* No shows on 7/4, 7/12, 7/19, 7/25, 7/26, 8/1 *

Admission • $20.00 - $40.00

Catch up on the shows you missed and revisit your favorites with The Best of Shadowbox Live 2014. Only the most popular-by-demand sketches and songs make it into this all-star line-up for a fast-paced, side-splitting show.

5. COLUMBUS CHILDREN'S THEATRE

HAIRSPRAY
July 5 - 20, 2014
at Park Street Theatre
Weds-Sat at 7:30pm
Sundays at 3pm

Music by Marc Shaiman
Lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman
Book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan
Based on the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters

Two Acts, Recommended for ages 10 and older

Performed by CCT's Summer Pre-Professional Company (ages 16-22)

The 1950's are out and change is in the air! HAIRSPRAY, winner of 8 Tony Awards including Best Musical, is a family-friendly musical piled bouffant high with laughter, romance, and deliriously tuneful songs.

It's 1962 in Baltimore, and the lovable plus-size teen Tracy Turnblad has only one desire -- to dance on the popular Corny Collins Show. When her dream comes true, Tracy is transformed from social outcast to sudden star. She must use her new found power to dethrone the reigning Teen Queen, win the affections of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate a TV network, all without denting her 'do!

INTO THE WOODS, JR
July 30 - August 20, 2014
at The Park Street Theatre
Summer Bonus Show*
Weds - Friday at 10am
Friday at 7:30pm
Sat and Sun at 1pm and 3pm

Book by James Lapine
Music and Lyrics by Stephen sondheim
Based on classic fairy tales

60 minutes, Recommended for everyone age 3 and older

Performed by the Summer Youth Performance Conservatory (ages 10-15)
The Brothers Grimm "go Broadway" as Sondheim and Lapine offer a cockeyed fairy tale in INTO THE WOOD JR., an adaptation of one of Sondheim's most popular works. All of your favorite characters-Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack (and his beanstalk), and the Witch-meet and interact in this whimsical original story. The musical centers on a baker and his wife who wish to have a child; Cinderella, who wishes to attend the king's festival; and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk. When the baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a witch's curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse and end up changed forever.

6. SHORT NORTH STAGE

THE DIVINE SISTER

May 29 - June 15, 2014

The Divine Sister, written by the celebrated actor, playwright and female impersonator, Charles Busch, author of such camp classics as Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, Die Mommy, Die, and Psycho Beach Party. "This gleefully twisted tale," wrote the New York Times, is Mr. Busch's freshest, funniest work in years, perhaps decades." Evoking such films as The Song of Bernadette, The Bells of St. Mary's, The Singing Nun, and Agnes of God, The Divine Sister tells the story of an indomitable Mother Superior who is determined to build a new school for her Pittsburgh convent. Along the way, she has to deal with a young postulant who is experiencing "visions," sexual hysteria among her nuns, a sensitive schoolboy in need of mentoring, a mysterious nun visiting from the Mother House in Berlin, and a former suitor intent on luring her away from her vows.

7. WAREHOUSE THEATRE

BIG VOICE: THE ETHEL MERMAN EXPERIENCE
June 19-28, 2014
CPAC, Van Fleet Theater

The World Premiere of BIG VOICE: THE ETHEL MERMAN EXPERIENCE is presented June 19-29, 2014 at the Van Fleet Theater. Heather Carvel stars as Ethel Merman. Also starring is Cody Shope as Donald and Elisabeth Tate as Mary.

It's 1963 and Ethel Merman, well rested and as brash as ever after her long run as Rose in the hit musical Gypsy, is appearing at the Club Bon Soir in Greenwich Village, New York. The small club, packed to the brim, offers Merman the opportunity to loosen up a bit and Mermo does not disappoint.

The brassy and abrasive, but ever cheerful Queen of Broadway dishes on her career, her life, and the men she has encountered along the way in this World Premiere concert experience conceived by WTC Artistic Director Kristofer Green.

Including music from Cole Porter's Anything Goes, Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun, and Jule Styne'sGypsy plus a few surprise guests make BIG VOICE a concert experience you won't want to miss.

8. AVAILABLE LIGHT THEATRE

LEAVING THE ATOCHA STATION
June 12-28, 2014

Matt Slaybaugh (adapter of Skyscrapers of the Midwest, How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, and others) brings another of his favorite books to the stage.

A young poet visits Spain on a foundation grant and lies to everyone he meets, spending his time reading Tolstoy, Ashbery, and Cervantes, going to parties, downing tranquilizers, smoking spliffs, and trying and largely failing to love and be loved by Spanish women.

Leaving the Atocha Station is a portrait of the artist as a young man in an age of Google searches, pharmaceuticals, and spectacle.

9. WEATHERVANE THEATRE

Each summer, Weathervane Playhouse features five professional, main stage productions for your enjoyment. They begin at the end of May / beginning of June, and open a new show every two weeks. They feature comedies, musicals, classics, favorites and the latest from Broadway. You are sure to find a show that will entertain and delight. The featured summer shows include:

CABARET
May 30 - June 7, 2014

NEIL SIMON'S THE ODD COUPLE
June 12 - 21, 2014

OKLAHOMA
June 26 - July 5, 2014

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
July 10 - 19, 2014

FOOTLOOSE, THE MUSICAL
July 24 - August 2, 2014

10. SHOTS IN THE DARK THEATRE

A CHORUS LINE

July 19-20, 26-27 at 7:30pm
Dublin Abbey Theater
5600 Post Rd.
Dublin, Ohio 43017

Set during an audition for an upcoming Broadway show, A Chorus Line shines a light on the hopes, fears and dreams of performers vying for a chance to do what they all know they were born to do. A Chorus Lineis an enthralling and emotional metaphor for what drives each of us to achieve our dreams. This Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, featuring the music of the late Marvin Hamlisch, will send you singing and dancing your way home.

Stephen Hanna (Director/Choreographer)



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