Paul Batterson

What did our critic think of & JULIET AND WEST SIDE STORY at At The Ohio Theatre?

You may not know the 1930s icon, but you definitely have seen the effects of her life. Nearly every siren, diva, and pop tart owes a little bit of their persona to Mae West.

The composer doesn’t show clips of the movies from whence the songs originated, letting the music speak for itself.

“I truly believe there’s a reason why we tell ourselves the same stories over and over again. It’s because we haven’t learned the lesson of the story. It's a story of inclusion, of belonging, of acceptance. Allegra Libonati

“Her influence is like the threads in the tapestries of many different artists today. The idea of a woman taking things into her own hands, using her voice unabashedly, and being funny and sexy at the same time really resonates with me.” --Francesca DiFrancesco

What did our critic think of NINE at Garden Theatre?

To understand Shadowbox Live’s latest offering, HOT STUFF, you need to go back to Thanksgiving or, more precisely, the day after Thanksgiving. On Nov. 24 this year, families offered up the traditional fare of turkey or ham, mashed potatoes, and Aunt Clara’s green bean casserole. The day after Thanksgiving, though, you get to pick through the best parts of the meal, feast on your favorites, and leave the green bean casserole in the fridge.

In her second go around in the musical NINE, Sarah Chelli has gone from being the one cheated on to the one being cheated with. Read our interview here!

Odom’s voice is a mixture of Nat King Cole and Sam Cooke, and he used it to serenade fans with a collection of holiday favorites. He shifted from the classic (such as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”), the current (Wham!’s “Last Christmas,”) and the personal (“Snow” and “Heaven & Earth” from his two Christmas albums).

What did our critic think of DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL at Palace Theatre?

What did our critic think of JERSEY BOYS at Garden Theater?

As it is with the Dead, watching the interactions among the audience was almost as interesting as watching the show

This is the first time I’m able to perform music that is fully mine. I've written all the music and came up with the concept for it, and I'm really excited to share that with the Columbus community.

his Nov. 15 sold-out performance at the 588-seat Lincoln Theater was a mixture of a jazz concert and a church service (with a really good selection of communion wine).

​​​​​​​When Mike Backes found out he was cast as Tommy DeVito in Short North Stage’s upcoming production of JERSEY BOYS, one of the first people he called was someone he had never met before: Adam Marino who will be playing Frankie Valli in the show.

Sometimes you can tell a lot about a production even before you enter the theatre. For example, the Columbus Children’s Theatre placed a large fishbowl of Kleenex packets in the lobby for attendees of its musical, NEXT TO NORMAL.

What did our critic think of SLEEPY HOLLOW at Shadowbox Live?

What did our critic think of WHOSE LIVE IS IT ANYWAY? at Palace Theatre?

When Alyssa Ryan, the executive director of the Original Productions Theatre, saw she had a vacancy in her theater’s calendar for October, she immediately knew who to call -- playwright Cory Skurdal.

The very things which got comedian Greg Proops bullied in elementary school has become a skill people pay to see him use.