Columbus Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations

Review: LESLIE ODOM JR.'S CHRISTMAS TOUR at Southern Theatre
by Paul Batterson - December 20, 2024

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...

Review: DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL at Palace Theatre
by Paul Batterson - December 04, 2024

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

Review: JERSEY BOYS at Garden Theater
by Paul Batterson - December 02, 2024

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

Review: DAVE MATTHEWS BAND at Nationwide Arena
by Paul Batterson - November 17, 2024

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

Review: JON LAMPEY at Lincoln Theatre
by Paul Batterson - November 17, 2024

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)....

Review: NEXT TO NORMAL at Riffe Center Studio 1
by Paul Batterson - October 29, 2024

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....

Review: SLEEPY HOLLOW at Shadowbox Live
by Paul Batterson - October 23, 2024

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

Review: WHOSE LIVE IS IT ANYWAY? at Palace Theatre
by Paul Batterson - October 21, 2024

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

Review: P!NK, THE SCRIPT At Schottenstein Center
by Paul Batterson - October 10, 2024

What did our critic think of P!NK, THE SCRIPT at Schottenstein Center?...

Review: THE BOOK OF MORMON at Ohio Theatre
by Paul Batterson - October 09, 2024

There is no parental rating system for musicals, but after watching THE BOOK OF MORMON, some might believe there should be. It is not for the easily offended, but those who open that door are in for an unforgettable evening. ...

Review: CONTEMPORARY THEATRE OF OHIO'S BIG FISH at Riffe Center Studio One
by Paul Batterson - September 16, 2024

At its heart, BIG FISH is a story about storytelling. Edward Bloom tells so many fish stories and tall tales to his young son (Paxton Longoria) to the point where the younger Bloom can’t discern his father’s truth from fabrication....

BWW Review: MJ the Musical - A Thrilling Tribute to the Man and the Music
by Christina Mancuso - September 12, 2024

While the two Presidential candidates were squaring off on opening night to determine the future of the United States, there is no debate that Michael Jackson will forever remain the King of Pop....

Review: WALLER'S LIFE IS ONLY IN PERIPHERY IN AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'
by Paul Batterson - September 09, 2024

The cast adjusts the mood of the show quickly. It seamlessly moves from the bravado of “Fat and Greasy” to a somber reading of “Black and Blue” as images of newspaper coverage of lynchings and hate crimes are projected in the background....

Review: WILD THINGS at Shadowbox Live
by Paul Batterson - August 20, 2024

While not all the sketches are home runs, most offer a solid chuckle to nearly everyone. It may not be an event you can feel comfortable taking your grandparents to, but maybe you could bring a drunk Aunt Martha and Uncle Bill this time around....

Review: AMERICAN IDIOT at Abbey Theater Of Dublin
by Paul Batterson - August 14, 2024

What is refreshing about AMERICAN IDIOT is since it’s a pre-professional project, the entire cast is in the 14-19 age range. That is about the same age as the characters in the show. This cast doesn’t come across as amateurish. Lavery nails his role as Tunny, who comes home from the Gulf War broken,...

Review: LEGALLY BLONDE at Garden Theater
by Paul Batterson - July 15, 2024

SNS elevates its presentation with another stellar cast, tight choreography and several minute details and musical director Jonathan Collura helps the cast deliver the show’s snappy, tightly fashioned songs with power. The net result far exceeds the entertainment value of the original non-musical mo...

Review: BEN PLATT AND BRANDY CLARK at Mershon Auditorium
by Paul Batterson - July 05, 2024

What did our critic think of BEN PLATT AND BRANDY CLARK at Mershon Auditorium?...

Review: EVOLUTIONARIES at Shadowbox Live
by Paul Batterson - June 18, 2024

Under the direction of Julie Klein, the theater troupe weaves together the divergent catalogue of the two icons with a variety of singers and styles, multimedia presentations, and the storytelling of Michelle Daniels....

Review: THE LION KING at Ohio Theatre
by Paul Batterson - June 16, 2024

While at times THE LION KING seems like a note for note repetition of the movie, what pushes the musical into new territory is the costume design, a stellar group of actors, and of course, an empowering soundtrack....

Review: THE TEMPTATIONS AND THE FOUR TOPS at McCoy Center For The Arts
by Paul Batterson - June 13, 2024

Two questions almost immediately sprang up when people were told that the Temptations and the Four Tops were performing June 11 at the Jeanne B. McCoy Center for the Arts in New Albany. People asked, Those two groups are still around? and How many of the original members are left?...

Review: JOE JACKSON at At Davidson Theatre
by Paul Batterson - May 27, 2024

What did our critic think of JOE JACKSON at At Davidson Theatre?...

Review: A WALK IN THE WOODS at The Abbey Theater
by Paul Batterson - May 21, 2024

What did our critic think of A WALK IN THE WOODS at The Abbey Theater? Bishara’s non-nonsense Honeywell verbally spars with Holliday’s frivolous Botvinnik. The Soviet diplomat believes the only way the treaty can work is if the two develop an attitude of friendship and trust. Honeywell believes the ...

Review: HAIR: THE AMERICAN TRIBAL LOVE-ROCK MUSICAL at Garden Theatre
by Paul Batterson - May 13, 2024

HAIR is not your typical linear, point A to point B musical. It roughly ambles through vignettes of the members of a “tribe” of hippies in New York City. And yet, HAIR is as important as it is subversive. Without it, shows such as RENT, ANGELS IN AMERICA, and HAMILTON probably wouldn’t stand a chanc...

BWW Review: TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL - Simply the Best in Columbus
by Christina Mancuso - May 09, 2024

TINA: The Tina Turner Musical came blazing in like a bolt of lightning with thunderous applause on opening night at the Ohio Theatre, just as most of our state was under severe tornado warnings.  TINA tells the remarkable story of the musical legend, and shares it all – the good, the bad, and the ug...

Review: TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL at Ohio Theatre
by Paul Batterson - May 08, 2024

This musical would flounder without a dynamic leading woman. In this case, TINA has two – Zurin Villanueva (who performed in the May 7 show) and Ari Groover because of the energy and vocal demands of the role....