Perhaps it’s human nature, but as a species, we’re always looking for something to do – something that excites us, makes us laugh or cry or holds our interest long enough to escape from the mundane. We’re continuously planning what’s next because, let’s face it, nobody wants to be bored.
If you live in Central Ohio, boredom is a near-impossibility, as CityScene has discovered throughout the last 10 years.
The founding goal was to cover entertainment, and we’ve never struggled for content. We’re blessed to have diligent marketing partners at wonderful organizations such as Broadway Across America – Columbus, BalletMet, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, CAPA, the Ohio Arts Council, ProMusica (to name only a few) working vigorously to keep us busy at play.
So much is going on in this city that it was a challenge to whittle down highlights of the past decade, but here is a sampling nonetheless.
In the premiere issue of CityScene, that hit newsstands in the summer of 1999, we featured the opening of Easton Town Center, an all-encompassing wonderland for those looking for something to do in an exciting new setting.
Our second issue featured the fledgling Arena District in the centerpiece article Arenaville, USA. We witnessed the very beginning of an urban district conceptualized completely around entertainment: sports, bars, restaurants and special events. We also welcomed the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Fall 2000 issue.
Through the written word, CityScene has celebrated Opera Columbus’ 20th anniversary (2001), the Columbus Symphony Orchestra’s 50th anniversary (2001), BalletMet’s (2007) and ProMusica’s (2009) 30th anniversaries and Broadway’s 20th anniversary in Columbus (2008).
CityScene covered the late Andy Warhol’s first exhibit at the Wexner Center in the fall of 2002, and his work’s return to the facility in the fall of 2008. We were there when Via Colori first painted the town, in September/October of 2003. We were also on the scene of Chihuly’s initial exhibit at the Franklin Park Conservatory, in November/December 2003, and again at Chihuly Reimagined in July/August 2009.
CityScene delivered a behind-the-scenes look at COSI’s Titanic, Star Wars and Egypt exhibits, has had conversations with rock stars Peter Frampton and Huey Lewis and actors Stacy Keach, Lynn Redgrave and Lou Diamond Philips. We’ve laughed with comedians Tommy Smothers, Richard Klein, Brian Regan and Kathy Kinney. We’ve been awed by athletes like Mike Vrabel and Michael Weiss, and icons such as The Rockettes.
CityScene was there when Columbus welcomed classics including Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, Wicked, The Graduate, RENT, Beauty and the Beast, Chicago, A Chorus Line and many others. We were there when Cirque Du Soleil blew our minds, when Riverdance dropped our jaws and when The Three Tenors stole our hearts.
When BalletMet introduced its interpretation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatbsy and when Broadway legend Maurice Hines took over artistic direction of a revitalized Lincoln Theatre, CityScene brought the story to our readers.
And what’s a show without dinner? CityScene has sampled the city’s best sushi, salads, ice cream, burgers, barbecue and more. We’ve found the best wine bars for the best date nights, and the best happy hours for friends’ night out. That’s entertainment, indeed.
And with Columbus' many vibrant suburbs, CityScene covers much more than just what goes on downtown. From the Dublin Irish Festival, to the Westerville Symphony and the 2-year-old New Albany Symphony, CityScene features the myriad of options in the ‘burbs.
CityScene increased coverage with weekly updates on our Web site, www.cityscenecolumbus.com, beginning in January of 2007, and now – in partnership with NBC4 – we even provide a list of the “Top Five Things To Do” each week, while offering Web exclusive stories on other worthy events.
Simply put, we’ve never had to stretch to find exciting, interesting or different things to do in this city. We’ve had a decade of fun exploring Central Ohio entertainment options, and we’ll continue to bring them to you in print and online.
Alicia Kelso is editor of CityScene.