COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus institution Shadowbox Live is taking audiences on a trip all the way back to the era of parachute pants, acid wash denim, scrunchies and music videos on MTV with their production of "Vinyl: A Very 80s Musical."
The show kicks off Sunday, June 11 and will run through Sept. 3. Tickets are sold by the table and can be purchased here.
"It is just a nostalgic trip back into that decade of all things Aqua Net, shoulder pads, Pop Rocks - all of that," explained Stacie Boord, who plays lead character Rikki in the all-new, original musical. "So, if you lived in the '80s or you love '80s music, this is going to be a beautiful show for you to see."
The rom-com follows Rikki and the regulars of her record store as they deal with the threat of an ever-growing multimedia chain. The story is a mixtape filled with some of the biggest hits of the decade.
"We have music represented by Janet Jackson, we have Duran Duran, we have Judas Priest, we have Bonnie Tyler - like, across the board as far as genres," said Boord. "It's a really fun show that we think the audiences are really going to enjoy."
Celebrating its 35th year, Shadowbox Live is an artist-operated organization that has found its home in the Brewery District.
"We are the largest ensemble theater in the nation, and we produce all original works," explained Boord, who also serves as the company's CEO. "When you come to Shadowbox, you're really going to get our heart and soul and it's really what we're inspired to present and what stories we feel the community needs and the stories that we feel we need to tell."
Boord said that the artists of Shadowbox Live are grateful to be rooted in Columbus.
"I think a lot of times people have this misconception that, if you're an artist based in your community, then you must not be as talented or not have the confidence to go to New York and L.A. and that is not the case," said Boord. "We would argue that we are smarter because we can do what we want to do, [and] we have a better quality of life. There is nowhere in New York you could have a space the way that we have this space."
Boord cited several of the other performing arts organizations around the city to illustrate the exceptional amount of talent on display in central Ohio.
"We just have a lot of really amazing art that is going on here in Columbus," she said, "and we're so fortunate to be a part of the fabric of the community."
