Last night, I attended the opening of The Color Purple . The Ohio Theatre was packed, and from the moment the orchestra started playing I was captivated by the cast and the music.

Kenita Miller, who played Celie, has a voice that is flawless and powerful. I had chills when she sang her opening number, "Somebody Gonna Love You." The rest of the numbers offer a variety of music, from gospel to jazz to ragtime.

The Color Purple’s inspiring story is about a woman’s soul-searching journey and her triumph over hardship and adversity. The core of the story will tug at your heartstrings, but there is plenty of comic relief throughout the show that will have you laughing in your seat. Lynette Dupree plays Sofia, and her performance of the song "Hell No!" along with her quick wit and tell-it-like-it-is attitude had the audience in stitches.

With only a few days left in Columbus, I highly recommend going before it’s gone. Tickets are available here .

You can also follow two of the cast members on Twitter:
LaToya London (who plays Nettie) @llondon
Tiffany Daniels (who plays Squeak) @Tiffeesha

Spring Awakening has arrived .

Thanks to Broadway Across America-Columbus , I had the chance to catch the show at the Palace Theatre on Tuesday night.

In a word, wow.

The Broadway musical bills itself as "the groundbreaking fusion of morality, sexuality and rock and roll." It lives up to the hype (and its eight Tony Awards).

It’s a fascinating production that manages to tell a tale set in 1890s Germany through modern and emotional rock tunes composed by Duncan Sheik. The poignant story explores adolescent struggles with sexuality, abuse, death, oppression…not exactly pick-me-up topics, but there’s comic relief, too.

You will likely feel moved at least once. You might feel uncomfortable. Or enlightened. Or empathetic. Or sympathetic. Or any other range of things.

I was captivated. I loved it. So did my 19-year-old cousin, an Ohio State student who joined me for her first trip to the beautiful Palace . Older teens are some of the show’s greatest fans, and she was no exception.

On that note, due to mature content, Spring Awakening isn’t for everyone. Parents in particular should consider carefully if this is something to share with your children. A Parents’ Guide is provided here .

If you’re hoping to see Spring Awakening, move fast - tickets are still available , but the show ends Sunday.

I’m not the first to mention that it’s the season for gift giving . I set out to find a Christmas gift for my mom a few weeks back and decided to turn to Columbus’ arts and entertainment scene for unique ideas.

The task was easier than expected. I searched the Columbus Events Calendar and found plenty of gift options, ranging from tickets to a Duran Duran concert to a Radio City Rockettes performance. I landed on an obvious winner - tickets to the musical Grease . What could be more perfect? After all, "Grease is the word" for my mom’s generation.

Broadway Across America-Columbus is bringing this popular musical to the Palace Theatre , Dec. 16-21. Named Time Magazine’s 2007 pick for “#1 musical of the year,” this is a show worth seeing. Tickets range from $22.50-$64.50 and are available online or at the Experience Columbus Visitor Center .