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    Columbus Makes Art Presents: Actor Nick Hardin on Dream Roles, Musical Comedy and the Columbus Theatre Scene

    Nick Hardin appeared in Evolution Theatre Company’s award-winning production of YANK! The Musical in 2015, for which he was awarded a best acting award. He will be seen this year in Evolution Theatre Company’s Local Playwrights Festival starting June 1, presented in association with CATCO, as well as in the area premiere of Book Of Merman opening July 14. He recently sat down with Mark Phillips Schwamberger, Executive/Managing Director of Evolution Theatre Company to talk about “life in the theater.”

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    Mark: Where did you grow up?
    Nick: I grew up in Columbus, but I attended college in Princeton, NJ. After college, I lived in NYC for almost four years, where I worked professionally as an actor. I moved back to Columbus three years ago to be closer to my family. I had every intention of moving back NYC, but met a great group of friends as well as my husband, Stephen.

    Mark: What drew you to the world of performing and theatre?
    Nick: I was drawn to theatre and music from a young age. I grew up surrounded by band and choir, and participated in theatre from a young age. I decided to pursue theatre as a career in high school. I was drawn to it after listening to Broadway cast albums like Avenue Q! and Wicked, and following leading Broadway men like John Raitt and Brian Stokes Mitchell.

    Mark: How does the theatrical scene in Columbus compare to New York and other cities on the east coast?
    Nick: The great thing about Columbus is that you have a smaller concentration of very talented people, along with a growing number of professional and non-professional local theaters. If you combine that with incredible audiences who vehemently support the live theatre in Columbus, we are afforded this nurturing, rewarding environment. New York is the center of our industry, but it can be competitive and often times cutthroat. The community in Columbus is close-knit, friendly, and very welcoming. I have a wonderful group of friends (best friends!) in Columbus who I met being involved in theatre, which is not always the case in a bigger city.

    Mark: Who is your hero or the person you admire most?
    Nick: I would be lying if I said I didn’t grow up wanting to be Audra McDonald (and I still do!), but I would say that my strongest male influences were Marlon Brando and John Raitt. I admired Brando for his incredible acting skills, and who doesn’t want to have a baritone quality like John Raitt?

    Mark: What are your “bucket list” roles you’d love to play?
    Nick: Some roles that are still on my list include Gabe in Next to Normal, Molina in Kiss of the Spider Woman, Pippin in Pippin, Bobby in Company and Seymour in Little Shop.

    Mark: What’s intrigued you about performing in Book of Merman?
    Nick: First and foremost, the title intrigued me. I knew very little about the show other than the assumptions I made after seeing the title. I LOVE Book of Mormon, so I knew it would at least be funny, and who doesn’t love Ethel Merman? There is nothing I love more than satirical musical comedy, so it was right up my alley, so to speak. I also really enjoy doing new and different works in the Columbus area, so it intrigued me from that perspective as well. If all of that wasn’t enough, I enjoy working with a small, intimate cast, and this production only calls for three actors. There’s also a rock star director, music director and crew to work alongside. It was a combination of all of the above.

    Feature photo by Jennifer Schaaf Osbeck of JOJO Photography and Film.
    Author photo by Greg James.

    See Nick in Evolution Theatre’s and CATCO’s Local Playwrights Festival, opening June 1. Then join Nick and the other Mormon missionary as they meet the Queen of Musical Theater, Ethel Merman, July 14–23 in Book of Merman. Tickets and info at evolutiontheatre.org.

    Columbus Makes Art Presents is a bi-weekly column brought to you by the Greater Columbus Arts Council – supporting art and advancing culture in Columbus. The column is a project of the Art Makes Columbus campaign, telling the inspiring stories of the people and organizations who create Columbus art. Each column will be written by a different local arts organization to give you an insiders look at how #artmakescbus.

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    Mark Phillips Schwamberger
    Mark Phillips Schwambergerhttp://evolutiontheatre.org
    Mark Phillips Schwamberger is the founder and managing artistic director of Evolution Theatre Company, Central Ohio’s only LGBTQQIA theater company. His theatrical career spans over 30 years and stretches from NYC to Miami.
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