Columbus Theater Reviews

BWW Review: RING OF FIRE - THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH indulges fans, demonstrates essence of Cash

by Hannah Herner — June 10, 2016

BWW Review: MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM Shows Wilson's Legacy as a Playwright

by Paul Batterson — June 6, 2016

Not all theatre is designed to be an escape, a refuge from our ordinary lives.

BWW Review: Weathervane's JEKYLL & HYDE Bloody, Brilliant

by Paul Batterson — June 6, 2016

'I learned to recognize the thorough and primitive duality of man; I saw that, of the two natures that contended in the field of my consciousness, even if I could rightly be said to be either, it was only because I was radically both.

BWW Review: DIRTY DANCING - A Lackluster, Disappointing Version of the Iconic Film

by Christina Mancuso — May 18, 2016

Spectacular dancing, heartfelt story, brilliant actors, classic songs.

BWW Review: Columbus Children's Theatre Breathes a Fresh New Life Into CATS

by Christina Mancuso — May 14, 2016

When a small Ohio theatre company continues to produce stars such as Josh Radnor, Steven Boyer, AJ Shively, Jessica Grove and more, it's no coincidence that they are something truly special.

BWW Review: THE KABUKI SLEEPING BEAUTY Brings to Light Japanese Traditional Theater, Caters to Children

by Hannah Herner — May 15, 2016

CATCO is Kid's final production of the season brought the far east to Central Ohio with a new take on the classic story of sleeping beauty.

BWW Review: HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL a Big Hit With the Film's Fans

by Paul Batterson — May 14, 2016

If it were a high school student, HEATHERS would've been voted 'Least Likely To Become A MUSICAL.

BWW Review: 2016 TASTE OF DINE ORIGINALS - Showcasing Columbus's Finest in an Exquisite Space

by Christina Mancuso — May 15, 2016

The 2016 Taste of Dine Originals was held at the gorgeous Franklin Park Conservatory for the first time this year, offering an exquisite backdrop for some of Columbus's finest locally owned, independent restaurants, wineries, breweries, and more.

BWW Review: SLEEPING BEAUTY Gives a Fairytale Ending to BalletMet's Season

by Amanda Etchison — May 11, 2016

Saturated with the vibrant colors of gold-adorned chandeliers, majestic red velvet curtains and shiny Baroque accents framing the Ohio Theatre stage, BalletMet's "Sleeping Beauty" appeared to be a scene come to life from an ornately illustrated storybook.

BWW Review: THE LAST FIVE YEARS Leaves Lasting Impression

by Paul Batterson — May 7, 2016

In the third song, 'See I'm Smiling,' of the musical THE LAST FIVE YEARS, Catherine Hiatt (played by Melissa Hall) sings to her husband, 'I think you're really gonna like this show.

BWW Review: Raunchy, Yet Hilarious BOOK OF MORMON Hits All its Targets

by Paul Batterson — April 22, 2016

After seeing a villager shot in the face during a missionary trip to Uganda, Elder Price comes to a stunning revelation in the hilarious musical BOOK OF MORMON: 'Africa is nothing like THE LION KING.

BWW Review: Ohio State's THE COAST OF ILLYRIA Creatively Addresses the Issues of Mental Illness, Addiction

by Amanda Etchison — April 18, 2016

The Ohio State Department of Theatre's final main-stage production of the 2015-16 season invites audiences into a world of literary creativity.

BWW Review: Rhythms, Silence, Underscore Ohio State Department of Dance SPRING CONCERT

by Amanda Etchison — April 13, 2016

In a variety of pieces ranging from intimate dances performed to a still, silent room to contemporary choreography paired with unconventional soundtracks and grooving rhythms, the Ohio State Department of Dance's "Spring Dance Concert" explored the connection that binds movement and sound.

BWW Review: Friendship, Family and Feuding at the Heart of CATCO's VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE

by Amanda Etchison — April 11, 2016

Featuring a lively cast of characters thrust into comedic situations, Christopher Durang's "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" is a lighthearted exploration of familial bonds and hometown roots.

BWW Review: Ohio State's SWEENEY TODD a Demonic Dive into Thrilling Theater

by Amanda Etchison — April 11, 2016

A chill in the air in Ohio State's Mershon Auditorium Friday evening was not entirely due to the unseasonable snowflakes that fell from the sky outside.

BWW Reviews: Folds Spreads the Spotlight Around in Concert with CSO

by Paul Batterson — April 11, 2016

As a principal percussionist for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Philip Shipley is used to watching concerts from behind the oboes and the woodwinds.

BWW Review: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Provides Perfect Curtain Call for Stefano

by Paul Batterson — April 9, 2016

It has been 18 years between John Stefano's performances as John Adams in 1776 and his return on April 7 as Tevye in Otterbein University's production of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF.

BWW Review: Short North Stage's THE FULL MONTY Delivers the Goods

by Paul Batterson — April 2, 2016

THE FULL MONTY: THE MUSICAL has some pretty unlikely ingredients for musical comedy: divorce, unemployment, degradation, custody battles, suicide, alienation and Buffalo, New York in the economically depressed 2000.

BWW Review: Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST National Tour - A Tale That Stands the Test of Time

by Christina Mancuso — March 16, 2016

No doubt one of the greatest classic Disney films of all time, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST has launched a new NETworks tour, which reunites original Broadway director, Rob Roth, choreographer, Matt West, along with the original design team, including Ann Hould-Ward (costume designer), Natasha Katz (Lightin

BWW Review: OSU's STUPID F---ING BIRD Challenges Audiences to Rethink Life, Art in Complex Performance

by Amanda Etchison — March 7, 2016

In many ways, the Ohio State Department of Theatre's latest production, "Stupid F---ing Bird," resembles the stage on which it is presented - an intimate performance space bordered by jagged-edged support beams, backed by planks of overlapping wooden boards and strewn with overturned paint buckets,

BWW Review: Off the Lake Productions' HAIRSPRAY Proves 'You Can't Stop the Beat' When Performing with Passion

by Amanda Etchison — February 29, 2016

The lecture auditorium in Hitchcock Hall, normally the venue in which engineering presentations are given, was transformed into a brightly colored, wildly patterned scene straight out of the '60s when Ohio State's Off the Lake Productions took to the stage Friday to perform "Hairspray.

BWW Review: Columbus Grooves to MOTOWN THE MUSICAL

by Christina Mancuso — February 25, 2016

Columbus got their groove on at the Ohio Theatre on opening night when an iconic era of social change and racial integration was celebrated through soul, pop, and classic hits such as 'My Girl', 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough', 'ABC', Cruisin', 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine', and so many more.

BWW Review: Ohio State Department of Theatre Revives Romance in Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

by Amanda Etchison — February 15, 2016

Love was in the air this weekend at the Lincoln Theatre in Columbus when the Ohio State Department of Theatre presented its reimagined version of William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream.

BWW Review: Patient Storytelling Pays Off in CATCO's MOTHERS AND SONS

by Amanda Etchison — February 15, 2016

Walking into the Vern Riffe Center's Studio One Theatre Friday night, one felt less like an audience member settling into a seat in a performance hall and more like a guest stepping into a stranger's living room.