What Others Are Saying

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.

Hot Stuff will feature fan-favorite comedy sketches from the 2024 season alongside a selection of the season's best live music performances. Music included in the show ranges from rock classics like Ozzy Osbourne's “Crazy Train” and Prince's “Kiss” to pop hits like “Bang Bang” by Ariana Grande, Jessie J, and Nicki Minaj, and more. “The annual ‘best-of' show is always a highlight for us,” said Julie Klein, Shadowbox Live's producing director. “It's an opportunity for our metaperformers to revisit standout moments from the past year and for our audience to relive their favorite performances. Our writers truly outdid themselves in 2024, which made selecting the top 10 sketches a challenge but a great problem to have.”

During their holiday shows this season, Shadowbox Live's gallery will showcase the work of artists from two central Ohio organizations dedicated to providing creative spaces for artists with developmental disabilities and differences. "This particular exhibit that we're running right now is one of our most cherished," said Shadowbox Live CEO Stacie Boord. "They do an amazing job of selecting artists that are hanging on our walls a variety of different colors and mediums that really tell their own personal story. [It] really aligns well with the whole feeling of the holidays which is sharing and giving."