The debut summer season of the Charleen & Charles Hinson Amphitheater is off and running, with plenty of room to grow.
The New Albany Community Foundation will support programming at the amphitheater throughout the summer including a Columbus Jazz Orchestra & Friends performance and free Family Flicks movie screenings.
“We’re excited, obviously,” says foundation President Craig Mohre. “This will be our first full season with the new venue. It’s very intimate. It’s very beautiful. It’s going to be a great experience for folks to attend performances.”
It’s the first season for the amphitheater, which was dedicated in fall 2021, and therefore a learning experience for the foundation, Mohre says.
“The first season is to see what the response is, to see what kind of sponsorships we can secure,” he says. “But I think it’s a good season to start and I hope that we’ll learn a lot this year and then next year maybe grow the programming.”
In the amphitheater’s debut season, the foundation will present a three-performance series, which included the Kat and Dave Show on June 14.
The Columbus Jazz Orchestra & Friends will grace the Hinson stage for the second performance of the series on July 21, performing a selection of gospel, blues and spirituals alongside world-renowned vocalist Niki Haris and the Milt Ruffin Chorale. The performance will include a tribute to Aretha Franklin. Gates open at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m.
On Aug. 11, the foundation will host Amp Up the Arts in benefit to the amphitheater. The event
features Tony and Grammy award winner Renée Elise Goldsberry, who originated the role of Angelica Schuyler in the Broadway musical Hamilton. Gates open and dinner begins at 7 p.m. The performance starts at 8 p.m.
Many family-friendly events are planned in the summer programming as well, including three Family Flick Nights. The showings of A Bug’s Life (June 28), Monsters, Inc. (July 26) and Finding Nemo (August 16) are free. Gates opens at 6:30 p.m. and movies start at 7:30 p.m.
“We were fortunate enough to have the Mershad family and Google and others step forward to donate money for the giant LED screen so we can do movie nights and show other videos,” Mohre says. “That’s a whole other layer of the programming that will be exciting for the community.”
Sonia De Los Santos & The Okee Dokee Brothers will come together for a Family Fall Music Fest to close out the foundation’s series on Oct. 2. Activities for children will begin at 3 p.m., followed by the performances at 4 p.m. Children under 18 are free with an accompanying adult.
Mohre says he can already see opportunities to grow the programming in coming years, similar to how A Remarkable Evening turned into the Lecture Series.
“This is our first year,” he says. “We’ll see how it goes and grow from there.”
Claire Miller is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback is welcome at cmiller@cityscenemediagroup.com.
