The road ahead for performing arts in 2017-18

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McCoy Center presents TajMo: The Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ Band

Sept. 8

Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts

Two of the big names in blues are going on tour in support of their first-ever collaborative album. CAPA, which handles booking for the McCoy Center, has been trying to get both artists for years now, so getting both of them at once is a huge bonus, says CAPA Director of Programming Rich Corsi. “It’s always interesting when you’re pairing folks, because nine times out of 10, folks really get along. It’s nice when you can see two artists who are that good at their craft play together,” Corsi says.

Columbus Symphony Orchestra presents Tchaikovsky V. Drake

Sept. 15

Ohio Theatre

Steve Hackman has been to Columbus twice now, presenting musical mash-ups of classical composers (Brahms and Beethoven) and alternative rock bands (Radiohead and Coldplay). Now, he’s branching out to hip-hop, combining Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony with such Drake hits as “Started from the Bottom,” “Jumpman” and “Hotline Bling.” “Our goal is to get Steve into the Columvus market. … He’s about what we’re about: He wants classical music in front of people, (and) however he can get classical music in front of people, he’s going to do it,” says Corsi of CAPA, which handles operations for the symphony.

Shadowbox Live presents Circle of Blood: A Story of Vengeance

Sept. 28-Nov. 12

Shadowbox Live

Five strategically placed screens will help Shadowbox Live present the live-action equivalent of a graphic novel in its latest boundary-pushing production. Circle of Blood is inspired by the graphic novel Kabuki by bestselling author David Mack and uses some artwork directly from the pages of it on the screens, which are also used to reveal characters’ thoughts in real time. “It’s futuristic, it’s dark, it’s edgy, it’s exploring the underground crime scene in Japan, and the artwork is telling the story,” says Shadowbox Community Relations Director Stacie Boord.

Funny Bone presents Christopher Titus

Oct. 3-5

Columbus Funny Bone

Patrons familiar with Christopher Titus’ 2000-02 FOX TV show, Titus, might have an idea of his style, but they’re not going to be getting a “greatest hits” show. Titus, known for his comedy drawn from real-life experiences and his willingness to tackle dark topics, brings a different experience every time he visits the Funny Bone, says Dave Stroupe, the club’s general manager. “(Titus) is one of the most prolific writers in the business; therefore, you can always expect new material, self-reflection and observations,” Stroupe says.

BalletMet and the Wexner Center present Parallel Connections

Oct. 20-21

Mershon Auditorium, Wexner Center for the Arts

BalletMet is kicking off its 40th anniversary season with a collaborative project that will be presented at the Wexner Center in conjunction with The Ohio State University Department of Dance. The show features one combined piece, one piece by OSU and two pieces by BalletMet, including James Kudelka’s enormously popular Johnny Cash tribute The Man in Black. “Our hope is that, through our 40th anniversary, we highlight our past and look toward where we’re going in the future,” says BalletMet Executive Director Sue Porter.

Promowest Productions presents Ben Folds

Oct. 26

Express Live!

Ben Folds always draws a crowd for his high-energy shows, and his fall engagement at Express Live! looks to be no exception. The talented pianist and alternative rocker has played the venue before, but this show promises to be different, as Folds will be taking song requests thrown onto the stage as paper airplanes. Another unique show on the Promowest schedule is the Chris Robinson Brotherhood’s gig at Newport Music Hall on Nov. 14; the blues rock ensemble is a side project for Robinson, best known as the singer for the Black Crowes (“Hard to Handle,” “Jealous Again,” “Twice as Hard”).

The Schottenstein Center presents Janet Jackson

Nov. 28

Schottenstein Center

After having to postpone her tour last year, the pop legend is back on the road. The singer of “Nasty,” “Miss You Much,” “What Have You Done for Me Lately,” “Black Cat,” “Doesn’t Really Matter” and more is visiting 56 states as part of her State of the World tour. For fans of newer pop music arts, the Schottenstein Center has an impressive September line-up: Katy Perry on Sept. 7, the Weeknd on Sept. 19 and Bruno Mars on Sept. 20.

CATCO presents American Buffalo

Nov. 30-Dec. 9

Studio One, Riffe Center

Emotions run high in this David Mamet play, but they’ll be expressed onstage in a completely different way. CATCO and CAPA are teaming up to bring in Deaf West Theatre’s production of American Buffalo, performed with a combination of spoken word, projected lines and American Sign Language and designed to appeal to hearing and non-hearing audiences alike. “You really feel the connection because of what (the actors) are putting into it,” says Chad Whittington, interim president and CEO of CAPA.

CAPA presents The Hip Hop Nutcracker

Dec. 5

Palace Theatre

Here’s a version of The Nutcracker you’ve never seen before. This show, produced by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, incorporates a cast of hip-hop style dancers, an onstage DJ and an electric violinist for a reimagining of the classic ballet in a 1980s Brooklyn nightclub. “The name is there, but you’ve got to visually see some of it,” says Corsi.

ProMusica Chamber Orchestra presents Northern Lights

Jan. 20-21

Southern Theatre, Worthington United Methodist Church

ProMusica Creative Partner Vadim Gluzman leads the orchestra through one show per season, and this season, it’s this show designed to evoke feelings of northern climates through works by Bach, Vasks, Nielsen and more. The shows Gluzman leads are always appealing to audiences because of the different atmosphere; after all, Gluzman is playing, so he’s not visibly conducting, but the other performers are talented and synced enough to easily follow. “I think that’s the most important thing for an orchestra, generally: that people listen to each other and solve problems themselves,” says ProMusica Music Director David Danzmayr.

Broadway Across America presents Chicago

Feb. 6-11

Palace Theatre

The femme fatales of Chicago need a good lawyer to defend them for the murders of their husbands, and in the current production on tour, they’ve got one who’s formidable both in the courtroom and on the gridiron. Former Buckeye football player Eddie George takes the stage as defense attorney Billy Flynn, and lest audiences wonder whether a star running back can be a star actor, local Broadway marketing manager Lisa Minken promises George is more than capable as an actor, singer and dancer. “I think (audiences) will surprised when they see how well he moves on stage,” Minken says.

Columbus Jazz Orchestra presents 100 Years of Buddy Rich & Dizzy Gillespie

Feb. 15-18

Southern Theatre

The Jazz Arts Group is celebrating its 45th birthday this season, so it’s only appropriate that one of its shows be a birthday party in its own right for two jazz legends who would have turned 100 this year. The show will feature some of the best-known and beloved songs by Buddy Rich and Dizzy Gillespie, with top-notch drummer Jeff Hamilton carrying on Rich’s legacy and Roberta Gambarini using a vocal style strikingly similar to Gillespie’s. “The volume of creativity these guys had could easily fill up one concert; they were both very prolific in what they did,” says orchestra Artistic Director Byron Stripling.

New Albany Symphony Orchestra presents Lions, Tigers, & Bears – Oh My!

March 10-11

Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts

The New Albany Symphony Orchestra is celebrating 10 years with an update of the first show it ever performed on the McCoy Center stage: Carnival of the Animals. The production is different, the orchestra is much bigger, a big top circus theme will be present throughout the show and Jym Ganahl will be providing narration, but the emphasis on animal-evocative music remains. “We are doing a full circle, coming back around to where we started,” says orchestra Executive Director Heather Garner.

Opera Columbus presents Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice

April 18-22

Southern Theatre

Opera Columbus is bringing the classical art of opera into the future with this show featuring a virtual chorus of 100 singers from around the world, an electric guitar in the pit orchestra and an entirely projected set. “I wanted to try to infuse technology into an opera. … I wanted to see, if Gluck were alive today, with access to everything we have access to, what the opera would sound like,” says Artistic Director Peggy Kriha Dye. The show has only three live singers, but the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and a baroque burlesque ballet company from New York ensure the onstage production will impress.

McConnell Arts Center Chamber Orchestra presents The Words Beneath the Sound

April 29

McConnell Arts Center

The McConnell Arts Center is dedicated to development of local artists, and The Words Beneath the Sound provides it a prime opportunity. The third show of the chamber orchestra’s season features composition by Jacob Reed and poetry by Jennifer Hambrick, both Worthington residents. “One of the things that we continue to be interested in doing as an organization is … to support the musicians who are living and breathing and working in our community,” says McConnell Executive Director Jon Cook.

Garth Bishop is managing editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.

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