Feature: HITS! THE MUSICAL at Southern Theatre

When HITS! THE MUSICAL was gearing up to embark on a 48-city tour of the United States, a reality TV crew was brought on board to document the journey. The thought of 29 young adults between the ages of 10 to 22 traveling as an army across the United States seems to be ready made for a sudsy docudrama.

There's just one problem, according to executive producer Bob Gries. If a viewer is looking for behind-the-scenes backstabbing or table flipping, he or she won't find it.

"I told them it wouldn't work because there was no drama," said Gries, who hails from Cleveland. "These kids truly love each other. They are the face of America. They are the America we should be.

"A national show of this caliber with only America's greatest young performers and no adults, has never existed before. And they are about to shock the world."

The show rolls into Columbus March 16 at the Southern Theatre (21 E. Main Street in downtown Columbus).

HITS! THE MUSICAL's executive team has woven together an interesting pedigree. Grammy winners Dionne Warwick and Damon Elliott, Warwick's son and record producer, serve as executive producers along with Gries and Thaddeus M. Bullard, (the WWE Inaugural 24/7 champion under the name Titus O'Neil).

"We're very fortunate Dionne and Damon found out about HITS! THE MUSICAL and jumped on board with us," Gries said. "They have been out telling the world how great it is. Dionne called it, 'Absolutely brilliant.' Damon said, 'It's a mega-hit.'"

Gries points out the real stars, obviously, are the 19 singers and 10 dancers who bring the show to life, night after night.

The show began as a dream of Cynthia Nekvasil, Gries' ex-wife. She began an all-girls program called ENTERTAINMENT REVIEW in 1989 in Tampa, Fla.

"The show was so great that I always said it should go to Broadway," Gries said. "A year ago, I said it was time to take the essence of her local show and create an extraordinary national musical spectacle."

Nekvasil and her crew scoured TikTok and traveled to 37 different cities to find students to fill the roles. They looked at over 7,000 prospects and whittled the list down to 70, which they brought to Tampa for a grueling three-day tryout to get the final cast.

Once it was chosen, the cast then set to work on the orchestration and choreography of the set list that ranges from everything from Styx to Lady Gaga while the creative team began organizing the presentation. Currently the lighting for the show is designed by Carrie Underwood's set designer and the show features over 80 songs and 500 costume changes.

"A musical is only as good as the music and we have 80 of the greatest songs of all time," Gries said. "The show is a journey through many different genres like Pop, Hollywood, and Rock and through the decades from the 1960s to the present.

"For the cast, I hope this is the springboard to launching their careers. It's amazing watching young kids touch an audience emotionally in a way that other shows cannot do."

Part of that magic occurs long before the group hits the stage. The cast has created a Partridge Family-like atmosphere, only with a lot more family members.

"The diversity of ages is a plus, not a minus. The young ones look up to the older ones," Gries said. "It's so special to watch a group from 10-22 all working together.

"But the tour and being with the kids is the most fun and the show that you're going to see is one of the most extraordinary shows you will see in your lifetime. I realize that's a bold statement but virtually everyone that has seen it to date has said they're 'blown away' and 'It's better than Broadway.'

"I've never seen a show where the audience cheers after every number. When you see a 13-or 14-year-old girl stand up and sing like Celine Dion, it will move you to tears. But don't take my word for it. Ask Dionne and Damon."

Better yet, go and see it and decide for yourself.

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