Jerri Shafer News

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.

'Oh, the thinks you can think' when Dr. Seuss' best-loved characters collide and cavort in an unforgettable musical caper! Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat and all of your favorite Dr. Seuss characters spring to life onstage in Seussical JR., a fantastical musical extravaganza. Performances are Mar.10 7:30pm, Mar. 11 2:00pm & 7:30pm, Mar.12 2:00pm, at Knox Memorial Theater, 112 East High St., Mount Vernon, OH 43050. For tickets or more information, visit: https://www.mtvarts.com/index.php/upcoming-events/193-seussical

What do you do when you're a Classics professor at one of the greatest universities in America and find a long lost manuscript by Euripides that will make you famous throughout the world? You lose it, of course. And then you call on the Ancient Greek Gods of Comedy to get you out of the mess. For young professor Daphne Rain, the first surprise is that the gods show up. And the second surprise is that any two people - even if they are gods - can wreak so much havoc on one university. The Ivy League will never be the same as a pair of screwball deities encounters the carnal complexity of college coeds, campus capers, and conspicuous consumption. Written by Ken Ludwig, Directed by Cathy Cordy, Cast: Randy Benge (Dionysus), Tiarra Dapo (Daphne), Julie Emmert-Silvius (Dean Trickett), Brian Henry (Aristide/Alexsi/Ares), Lynne Rouzer (Thalia), Daniel Sawtelle (Ralph), & Heather Schultz (Brooklyn/Zoe) Performances run March 10 - 25, 2023 at Curtain Players, 5691 Harlem Road, Galena, Ohio 43021. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit: http://curtainplayers.org

Murder Inn is set in New England, at the Barnsley Inn, a dilapidated eighteenth-century inn, which is supposedly haunted by Marco, a knife-throwing poltergeist. A group of tourists, on a tour - Ghosts and Ghouls of New England - is forced, by a storm, to make an unscheduled stop at the Barnsley. Performances run Mar. 10 - 26, 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/70961

'Once upon a time, there was a little ogre named Shrek....' And thus begins the tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Throw in a short-tempered bad guy, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you've got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there's one on hand... and his name is Shrek. Based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film, Shrek The Musical is a Tony Award-winning fairy tale adventure, featuring all new songs from Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie; Caroline, or Change) and a side splitting book by David Lindsay-Abaire. Shrek brings all the beloved characters you know from the film to life on stage and proves there's more to the story than meets the ears. Performances run March 9, 10 & 11 @ 7pm and March 11 @ 2pm at Dublin Jerome High School, 8300 Hyland-Croy Rd, Dublin, OH 43016, For tickets call 614-718-8263 or visit: https://www.showtix4u.com/events/2546

Mount Vernon Arts Consortium presented Paul Reiser: Live Stand Up Comedy on March 3, 2023. The SIRENS duo, made up of Molly Pauken & Kay Harris, has been described as eclectic, original, funky, soulful & and rockin’ opened for Paul Reiser. Upcoming shows include An Evening with Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives on Saturday April 8th and The Reagan Years Dance Party on Friday, October 20th. For more info or to purchase tickets, please visit https://www.mvac.org

Based on the popular comic strip and adapted from the Tony Award-winning Best Musical, Annie Jr. features everyone’s favorite little redhead in her very first adventure. With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan Annie charms everyone’s hearts despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930’s New York City. Annie is determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of an orphanage run by the cruel Miss Hannigan. Annie eventually foils Miss Hannigan’s evil machinations, finding a new home and family in billionaire Oliver Warbucks, his personal secretary, Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy. Hilliard Arts Council “For Kids, By Kids” production of Annie, Jr. features the talents of over 30 very talented young actors in grades 4 to 8. Performances run Friday at 7pm, Saturday at 11am & 7pm, Sunday at 3:00pm, March 3 - 12, 2023 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 final collaboration between Rodgers & Hammerstein was destined to become the world's most beloved musical. Featuring a trove of cherished songs, including 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain,' 'My Favorite Things,' 'Do Re Mi,' 'Sixteen Going on Seventeen' and the title number, The Sound of Music won the hearts of audiences worldwide, earning five Tony Awards and five Oscars. The inspirational story, based on the memoir of Maria Augusta Trapp, follows an ebullient postulate who serves as governess to the seven children of the imperious Captain von Trapp, bringing music and joy to the household. But as the forces of Nazism take hold of Austria, Maria and the entire von Trapp family must make a moral decision. The Sound of Music has become the most popular musical ever. Music by Richard Rodgers, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, Director David Bahgat, Music Director Sarah Santilli, Choreographers Rose Babington and Noni Maddrey, Performances run March 3 - 5, 2023. At The Palace Theatre 34 W. Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215. Please visit https://give.nationwidechildrens.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=ButterflyGuild_SoundofMusic to get specific showtimes and purchase tickets.

Ken Ludwig's celebrated adaptation is a fun, fresh take on a timeless classic tale of heroism, treachery, close escapes and, above all, honor. Sword fighting! Palace intrigue! Murder! Young love! This show has it all. By Ken Ludwig Adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas. Performances are March 3 - 12, 2023, Event space at Maria’s, 129 E Main Street, Lancaster, OH 43130. Purchase tickets: https://www.thelancasterplayhouse.org/

Being an African American we celebrate our Blackness 24/7, 365. However, during February it’s a whole different story. We celebrate all the history, the music, the struggle, the journey, the beauty, the joy everything that is Blackness. Well, here’s an open invitation to see the glory that is being POC. Enjoy singing, dancing, history and poetry like you’ve never seen before.. Performances are Feb 24-25 at the UpFront Performance Space 503 S. Front Street, Columbus, OH. Tickets available at: https://tinyurl.com/53szh5tk