The Short North Stage just opened their 2019-2020 season with one of the most classic, beloved musicals in theater history. West Side Story is playing at the Garden Theater until November 17th, and according to Short North Stage, this production “features a cast of 35 actors and an orchestra of 10, which are both record highs for the Short North Stage.” Clearly this season, Short North Stage is pulling out all the stops.
Artistic Director Edward Carignan says, “This is going to be your last chance to see a professional production of this show in Columbus for quite some time. With the movie coming out, along with the Broadway revival, the rights won’t be available again anytime soon.
And we’re really excited to be one of the first professional productions of this show in Columbus in many, many years […] so it’s definitely a full-scale show that you’ll want to see in-person while you can!”
As the days get cooler, it’s the perfect time of year to see a professional musical production, full of professional choreography, a live orchestra, and your favorite songs from West Side Story, including “Maria”, “Tonight” and “America”.
About West Side Story
It’s the 1950s in New York City, and two street gangs fight for control in the Upper West Side. Maria, a girl from Puerto Rico and part of the “Sharks” gang, is supposed to marry a boy named Chino, with whom she is not in love.
As fate should have it, Maria attends the neighborhood dance with her friends, and as soon as she locks eyes with Tony, the pair fall in love. There’s only one problem: Tony is a member of the opposing gang fighting the Sharks, known as “the Jets.”
This modern Romeo and Juliet story has captivated audiences for generations, and the Short North Stage calls it “Moving and fiercely energetic… featuring some of the most magnificent music and exciting dancing in Broadway history.”
The Fascinating History of the Garden Theater
The Garden Theater is the second-oldest surviving theater in Columbus, behind the Southern Theater. According to Peter Yockel, President of the Board at Short North Stage, “It’s a much more interesting history than people realize…Construction on the main part of the building began in 1917 on the site of a carriage house and stable for the working horses of Columbus. That stable was built around 1850 and there was a paddock on most of the block. A portion of that stable and carriage house persists as the back wall and foundation of the present theater structure. Apparently the Garden was the first theater in Ohio to be air-conditioned and other aspects of the building were quite advanced for 1920 — including its reinforced concrete construction and the façade which is decorated with some of Columbus’s earliest examples of Art Deco motifs.”
The Garden Theater has been out of use for the past 20 years until our fearless leader, Kevin Lykens, became one of the owners of the theater to restore it to its former glory. Now, musicals light up the stage and bring a sense of theatrical stimulus to the Short North and Columbus as a whole.
How to Get Tickets
Get tickets by going to the Short North Stage Website and choose the date that works best for you! Tickets range in price from $31 – $52, depending on where you choose to sit. Go reserve your seat now! Shows are already selling out!
Now, a bit about Lykens Companies…
With 20 years (and counting) of experience, we believe that Lykens Companies is just getting started on its mission to offer Columbus hundreds of premier apartments, rentals, and renovations. Each day, we are driving toward constantly expanding and improving our business and bettering Columbus, the city we love. For our renters, that means that they are connected to a proven business that is always striving to be the best. Our success isn’t an accident. We are constantly striving to improve our quality, both in the buildings that we renovate, reimagine, and rent out; moreover, we are striving to improve in the way that our business operates. For you, that means the best units and the best service in the best locations.
As we invest our time, money, and energy into the Short North, Victorian Village, Italian Village, and other parts of Columbus’s urban core, it’s nothing short of amazing to step back and see how much we’re able to impact our city, whether that looks like renovating apartments, houses, or even factories like the Wonder Bread Lofts and the forthcoming Budd Dairy project: a full scale reimagining of an old dairy factory into a Cameron Mitchell food hall and state-of-the-art coworking space.
If you’re looking to rent in Columbus, Ohio’s urban core, you’ve come to the right place. We’re confident that it doesn’t get better than us when it comes to finding the absolute best apartments and rentals in Columbus.
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Whether you’re looking for an apartment in the Short North, a rental in Victorian Village, a studio in Italian Village, or a loft in Wonder Bread, our Available Rentalspage will feature all that (and more). We’re constantly adding our newest properties and highlighting that month’s leasing specials. Bookmark it and check often! What if you took two minutes to browse it right now? And don’t forget about our awesome Instagram for updates, new leases, and beautiful photos.
Already a resident? Refer a friend!
At Lykens Companies, we offer a simple and easy referral program to our residents. For each referral of yours who signs a lease, we’ll pay you $200! Be sure to learn everything about this awesome plan and even check out our three methods to actually get your friends to sign a lease.
