The Harlem Globetrotters
Dec. 28, 2 and 7 p.m.
Schottenstein Center
The iconic Harlem Globetrotters return to Columbus for a night of good, clean fun for all ages.
Now in its 92nd season, the showboat owned sports team is as beloved by fans today as it was during its first few games with the much put-upon Washington
Generals.
They play hard, but the male and female “Trotters” are also widely known as ambassadors for the community. In its usual December trip to Columbus, the team will feature a star-studded line-up including Big Easy Lofton, Ant Atkinson, Hi-Lite Bruton, Thunder Law, Bull Bullard and Cheese Chisholm, as well as female stars TNT Lister, Ace Jackson and Hoops Green.
Following each game, fans are welcomed onto the court for a free 30-minute photo and autograph session.
“The best thing about being a Globetrotter is all the people we get to make smile,” says Globetrotter Buckets Blakes. “There’s nothing better than seeing a kid smile at a game, but seeing a parent smile because their kid is so happy is a close second.”
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Harmony Project presents The Concert for Us
Dec. 7, 7:30 p.m.
Nationwide Arena
Defined by its founder and creative director, David Brown, the Harmony Project is a “combination of artistic passion and social purpose, which works towards creating a stronger and more inclusive community.”
The 1000 Voice Choir performing at Nationwide Arena consists of people from all walks of life, working together to create a more united community. No musical experience is necessary to join the choir, though each member must contribute to the volunteer projects run by the organization, all of which focus on breaking down the social divide and building relationships.
The regular band of five people will expand to a group of approximately 30 musicians, to fill the Harmony Project’s largest indoor performance space since it began in 2009. The music performed tells a 90-minute story of who we are in the community through music.
After months of rehearsals, Brown is most excited for the 1000 Voice Choir to “feel the power of their own voice amplified,” he says. In a choir made up of CEOs, prison inmates and school children, to name just a few, when each individual sings alongside 999 other people, “their voice immediately becomes more powerful.”
SHELLEE FISHER
Thurber House Evenings with Authors: Wiley Cash
Dec. 9, 7:30 p.m.
Columbus Museum of Art
Mallory Brady Cash
New York Times bestselling author Wiley Cash heads to Columbus this winter for an intimate presentation of his new novel, The Last Ballad.
In addition to reading passages, Cash will also provide an exploration of his work, along with the opportunity for audience participation. As with all Evenings with Authors events, audience members will have the opportunity to purchase the novel on that night, as well as have it signed by the author. Tickets can also be purchased for the Author’s Table, a uniquely intimate experience in which participants share a meal with the featured author.
Thurber House Literary Adviser Robin Yocum describes the event as a great opportunity for book lovers to get up close and personal with their favorite authors, and to learn “how they write what they write, as well as why they write what they write.”
ProMusica Chamber Orchestra presents Beethoven’s Eroica
Dec. 9-10
Rick Buchanan
Worthington United Methodist Church and Southern Theatre
Performing one of Beethoven’s most renowned works, ProMusica brings its show to two venues in central Ohio.
The program will also feature a new piece by modern composer Anna Clyne, followed by Shostakovich’s “Cello Concerto No. 1” featuring a guest performer, British cellist Natalie Clein.
ProMusica Executive Director Janet Chen describes
the tremendous work that goes into planning “a concert that we believe in,” as each program is intended to be an experience for the audience. The orchestra of 37 musicians therefore creates a deep connection between with audience.
“With a smaller group of musicians, each member of the orchestra brings a lot more to the table, as each one plays such an important role,” Chen says.
CATCO presents American Buffalo
Nov. 30-Dec. 9
Studio One, Riffe Center
Founded by deaf actors who recognized the need to bring theater to such an underserved community, Deaf West Theatre has grown to become the premier American Sign Language theater company in the nation.
In its return to Columbus, Deaf West, in conjunction with CATCO and CAPA, presents David Mamet’s quick-witted play American Buffalo, performed by a five-person cast. Deaf West Artistic Director David Kurs refers to American Buffalo as “an American classic,” adding that it still retains that groundbreaking edge it had when it premiered in Chicago in the early 1970s.
“It still feels new and radical to audiences today, which is one of the most important things that we consider when we select a play,” Kurs says.
Though it can be comprehended by patrons who do not understand ASL the play is so much more colorful for those who do, as, Kurs says, “there is so much artistry when it comes to expressing the profanity in sign language.” Those unfamiliar with ASL will still see the sign language add another layer of meaning “in much the same way that dance brings to musicals,” Kurs adds.
Sophia Fratianne is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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