Looking for fun this weekend and beyond? Here are 10 things happening in Columbus

You laughed at him in "The Waterboy" and "Happy Gilmore" and sang along with "The Hanukkah Song" ... now you can laugh and sing with Adam Sandler in person, when he performs at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday.

Theater in the area takes a more serious approach, with productions including The Sound Company's performances Thursday through Saturday of a play inspired by the Sandy Hook tragedy.

There's also colorful art, country crooning, blues belting, romance on the big screen and plenty more fun events and activities to occupy your time this weekend.

Read on for more information about upcoming events. To get these ideas in your inbox every week, sign up for the Life in the 614 newsletter.

Sandy Hook inspires powerful production

The Sound Company, a theater troupe led by Ohio State University theater lecturers Jess Hughes and Sean Naughton, will present “On the Exhale,” Martin Zimmerman’s site-specific play inspired by the Sandy Hook shootings. The drama, to include post-show conversations led by local advocacy groups, centers on a single mom and women’s studies professor who experiences a senseless act of violence and becomes attracted to the power of guns. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday in Ohio State University’s Meiling Hall, Room 112, 370 W. 9th Ave. Tickets cost $12 to $16; free for K-12 educators. (614-594-8252, thesoundcompany.org)

Country’s McCollum coming to the Palace

Young country singer-songwriter Parker McCollum will stop at the Palace Theatre, 34 W. Broad St., at 7:30 p.m. Thursday as part of a massive tour currently stretching into October. The Texan musician’s most recent album, 2021's “Gold Chain Cowboy,” walks the line between Nashville slick and a grittier Americana sound. Tickets start at $19.50. (cbusarts.com)

Author to share ‘sharp wit’ of new novel

Author and web developer Kevin Maloney will read from his new novel, “The Red-Headed Pilgrim,” at 8 p.m. Thursday at Two Dollar Radio Headquarters, 1124 Parsons Ave. The novel by the Portland, Oregon-based author, published by Two Dollar Radio, features a hero who shares the author's name and bounces around the United States from childhood through his early 40s. Publishers' Weekly praises the novel for its “sharp wit and knack for bringing zany flair to everyday details in his protagonist's attempt to build a life.” Admission is free, and seats can be reserved online. (twodollarradiohq.com)

Theatre festival to showcase four plays

Stage Right Theatrics will launch its 2023 season with the Seventh Annual Theatre Festival selected from submissions from playwrights across the country. The four short plays, exploring American values while rejecting victimization and negativity, include Florida writer Nick Valdes’ “The Handicap,” a cautionary tale about group think and thought control; and New Jersey writer Brian Wallace’s “Vegas,” about an employee trying to take advantage of his employer’s “woke” policies. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday at the Abbey Theater, 5600 Post Road, Dublin. Tickets cost $12, live or streaming. (614-233-1901, stagert.org)

New exhibition highlights Ohio artists

Meet the artists behind some unique and colorful works at Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery, 77 S. High St. “Arts Beacon of Light Opening Reception” kicks off at 2 p.m. Saturday. Among the pieces is “Khamall,” a mixed media acrylic by Richard Duarte Brown, a recipient of one of the Governor's Awards for the Arts last year. Live music will be provided by Derek DiCenzo (bass) and Chris Brown (piano). Admission is free. Learn more at oac.ohio.gov/Riffe-Gallery/Visit-the-Gallery.

Gallery Players to stage award-winning drama

Gallery Players will present the Greater Columbus premiere of “Intimate Apparel,” an Outer Critics Circle Award-winner for outstanding off-Broadway play. Playwright Lynn Nottage’s lyrical drama revolves around a hard-working Black seamstress and an Orthodox Jewish shop owner in 1905 New York. Performances are 7 p.m. Saturday, as well as Feb. 9 and 11; and 2 p.m. Feb. Sunday and Feb. 12 at the Jewish Community Center’s Roth/Resler Theatre, 1125 College Ave. Tickets cost $20. (614-559-6238, columbusjcc.org/gallery-players)

‘Wild’ weekend set at Ohio History Center

Get to know the plants and animals of Ohio during “Wild Ohio Weekend” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Ohio History Center, 800 E. 17^th Ave. Guests can meet a wolf and a raptor or two, write some poetry, find out how a museum preserves specimens (spoiler alert: flesh-eating beetles are involved), and get an up-close look at mastodon bones and more. Programs vary by day, so check the schedule online. Cost is included with regular Ohio History Center admission: $16 for adults; $14 for 60 and older; $10 for 4 to 12; and free for 3 and younger. (ohiohistory.org)

Scales to bring the blues to Natalie’s

Natalie's Grandview, 945 King Ave., will be the next stop for "dive bar soul" artist Phillip-Michael Scales, who will perform at 9 p.m. Saturday in support of his new single, "Better Than You." Scales, who blends indie rock storytelling with the blues, appeared on the final season of the "Ellen" show in 2022, and his aunt was such a close friend to B.B. King that the blues legend referred to Scales as "nephew." Doors open at 8 p.m. and tickets are $15. (nataliesgrandview.com)

The Drexel presents big-screen romances

Ahead of Valentine’s Day, the Drexel Theatre in Bexley, 2254 E. Main St., will help get audiences in a romantic mood. The month-long series of classic film love stories will kick off at 7 p.m. Monday with everybody’s favorite ’80s-era guilty pleasure, “Dirty Dancing,” starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. Screenings at the Drexel will take place each subsequent Monday of the month at the same time and will include “The Notebook” (Feb. 13), “Bridesmaids” (Feb. 20) and “Before Sunrise” (Feb. 27). Admission is $12. (drexel.net)

Adam Sandler to entertain at Nationwide Arena

Comedian, actor, director and occasional musician Adam Sandler will appear at Nationwide Arena, 200 W. Nationwide Blvd., at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. The prolific entertainer, active since the late '80s, has appeared in movies well-regarded (“Uncut Gems”) and not so (“Jack and Jill”). His latest movie, “Murder Mystery 2,” in which he appears with Jennifer Aniston, will hit Netflix in March, and Sandler has just been awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Tickets start at $33. (nationwidearena.com)

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 10 entertainment events happening this weekend and beyond in Columbus