Michael Grossberg, Margaret Quamme, Peter Tonguette, Belinda M. Paschal and Erica Thompson
You laughed at him in “Water Boys” and “Jolly Gilmore” and sang along with “Hanukkah Song”…now you can join Adam Sandler in person when he performs at the National Arena on Tuesday Laugh and sing.
Theaters in the area take a more serious approach, with productions including a Thursday-Saturday play by The Sound Company inspired by the Sandy Hook tragedy.
There’s also colorful art, country crooning, blues, romance on the big screen and more fun events and activities to fill your weekend.
Read on to learn more about the upcoming event. To receive these thoughts in your inbox each week, sign up for Life in the 614 newsletter.
Sandy Hook sparks strong production
The Sound Company, a troupe led by Ohio State University theater instructors Jess Hughes and Sean Naughton, will present “On the Exhale,” Martin Zimmerman’s site-specific play inspired by the Sandy Hook shooting. The play, which includes post-show conversations led by local advocacy groups, centers on a single mother and women’s studies professor who experience a senseless act of violence and are drawn to the power of guns. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Meiling Hall, Room 112, 370 W. 9th Ave., The Ohio State University. Tickets are $12-$16; K-12 educators are free. (614-594-8252, thesoundcompany.org)
Nation’s McCollum comes to Palace
Young country singer-songwriter Parker McCollum will make a Thursday night stop at the Palace Theater at 34 W. Broad St. at 7:30 p.m. as part of a massive tour currently running through October. The Texan musician’s latest album, 2021’s “Gold Chain Cowboy,” falls somewhere between Nashville’s sleek and grittier American sound. Tickets start at $19.50. (cbusarts.com)
Author shares ‘wit’ of new novel
Author and web developer Kevin Maloney will read his new novel, “The Red-Haired Pilgrim,” Thursday at 8 p.m. at Two Dollar Radio headquarters at 1124 Parsons Ave. Written by an author in Portland, Oregon and published by Two Dollar Radio, the novel features the author’s namesake hero as he bounces around the United States from childhood to his early 40s. Publishers Weekly praised the novel “with sharp wit and skill for bringing a comic flair to the minutiae of everyday life as the protagonist tries to build a life.” Admission is free, seat reservations available online. (twodollarradiohq.com)
Theater festival presents four plays
Stage Right Theatrics will begin in 2023 with the seventh annual theater festival selected from submissions from playwrights across the country. The four short plays explore American values while rejecting victimization and negativity, and include Florida author Nick Valdez’s “Block,” a cautionary tale about groupthink and thought control; and New Jersey author Brian Wallace’s ” Vegas,” about an employee trying to take advantage of his employer’s “wake-up” policy. Shows are at the Abbey Theatre, 5600 Post Road, Dublin, Friday to Sunday at 7.30pm. Live or streaming tickets are $12. (614-233-1901, stagert.org)
New Exhibit Highlights Ohio Artists
Meet the artists behind some unique and colorful works at the Ohio Arts Council Riffe Gallery at 77 S. High St. The Art Beacon Opening Reception will begin at 2pm on Saturday. Among these works is “Khamall,” a mixed-media acrylic painting by Richard Duarte Brown, who won a Governor’s Award for the Arts last year. Live music will be provided by Derek DiCenzo (bass) and Chris Brown (piano). Free admission. For more information, visit oac.ohio.gov/Riffe-Gallery/Visit-the-Gallery.
Gallery Players to present award-winning play
Gallery Players will present the Greater Columbus premiere of “Intimate Apparel,” which won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Play. Playwright Lynn Nottage’s lyrical drama revolves around a hardworking black seamstress and an Orthodox Jewish shopkeeper in 1905 New York. Shows are Saturdays at 7 p.m., and Feb. 9 and 11; and Sundays, Feb. and Feb. 12 at 2 p.m. at the Roth/Resler Theater at the Jewish Community Center, 1125 College Ave. Tickets are $20. (614-559-6238, columbusjcc.org/gallery-players)
‘Wild’ Weekend in Ohio History Center
Learn about the flora and fauna of Ohio at the Ohio History Center at 800 E. 17 during Wild Ohio Weekend Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.day avenue. Guests can meet a wolf and a bird of prey or two, write some poetry, learn about how the museum preserves specimens (spoiler alert: carnivorous beetles are involved), get an up-close look at mastodon bones, and more. Shows vary daily, so check the schedule online. Cost is included in general admission to the Ohio History Center: $16 for adults; $14 for ages 60 and older; $10 for groups of 4 to 12; and free for ages 3 and under. (ohiohistory.org)
bring melancholy scales to natalie
Natalie’s Grandview, 945 King Ave., will be the next stop for “dive bar soul” artist Phillip-Michael Scales, who will perform at 9 p.m. Saturday in support of his new single “Better Than You.” Blending an indie-rock story with the blues, Skiles appeared on the final season of “Ellen” in 2022, while his aunt was a close friend of BB King and the blues legend called Skiles “nephew.” Doors open at 8 p.m., $15 entry. (nataliesgrandview.com)
Dressel Presents Big Screen Romance
In the run-up to Valentine’s Day, the Drexel Theater at 2254 East Main Street in Bexley will help audiences get in the mood for romance. The month-long series of classic movie love stories kicks off Monday at 7 p.m. with everyone’s favorite ’80s guilty pleasure flick, Dirty Dancing, starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Gray. Dressel screenings will run concurrently on subsequent Mondays of each month, including “The Notebook” (February 13), “Bridesmaids” (February 20) and “Before Sunrise” (February 27 day). Admission is $12. (drexel.net)
Adam Sandler to entertain at National Arena
Comedian, actor, director and occasional musician Adam Sandler will appear Tuesday at the Nationwide Arena at 200 W. Nationwide Blvd. at 7:30 p.m. The prolific entertainer has been active since the late ’80s, appearing in critically acclaimed films (“Uncut Gems”) and not (“Jack and Jill”). His latest film, Murder Mystery 2, with Jennifer Aniston, will be available on Netflix in March, and Sandler has just won the Mark Twain Award for American Humor. Tickets start at $33. (nationwidearena.com)
