What Others Are Saying

In its show, Rock This Way, Shadowbox Live! did something the members of Van Halen and Aerosmith could never do. The theater troupe proved the music of the two bands could peacefully co-exist … even if the members of the band couldn’t. ROCK THIS WAY, which presents 12 songs of Aerosmith and 11 songs of Van Halen in a two-act firefight, will run through June 1.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Shadowbox Live’s type of shows, HOT STUFF is a great way to be exposed to the theater group’s talented group of performers. For regulars, the show is a refresher course of many of the best sketches, songs, and videos of last year as well as classics from past seasons.

Signups are open for central Ohio students who would like to audition to take part in Shadowbox Live's Studio 8 Arts Program. The free after-school camp is a unique educational experience that affords participants the opportunity to work with industry professionals. These mentors will coach students through performance workshops in singing, dancing, acting and musicianship as well as production arts such as lighting, sound, costuming and backstage work.

Shadowbox Live is kicking off a brand-new season with a sketch comedy and music show filled with the best of 2024! Stacie Boord and Jimmy Mak from Shadowbox stopped by Good day Columbus to to talk about "Hot Stuff"

“Because SBX is a collective of artists, there’s a sense of collaboration. Whether it’s a sketch comedy or a musical, there is a rock aesthetic and a sensibility that crosses over into all genres.” The result is a category-defying oeuvre that combines comedy, dance, theatrical performances and live music by an in-house band. Audiences will experience this amalgamation of styles at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, opening night of “Hot Stuff,” the first offering in SBX’s 37th season. The production continues SBX’s annual tradition of spotlighting the best of the previous year’s shows.

2024 was an excellent year for the performing arts in Columbus, as evidenced by the dozens of reviews penned by CU’s theatre critic Richard Sanford. And according to our readers, no one does theatre in Columbus better than Shadowbox Live, which once again won our annual survey. Two big Shadowbox shows that Sanford called attention to this year were The Dream and Beyond and Sleepy Hollow, both of which were met with praise for the acting, direction and musical performances. Meanwhile, the theatre’s Up Front Performance Space underwent a major renovation this year, providing a refreshed second stage for more community events in the Brewery District.