Neil deGrasse Tyson on stage presenting “An Astrophysicist Goes to the Movies.” Credit: Courtesy of Delvin Hair Productions
After rescheduling his show several times due to the pandemic, the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts will host astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Tyson, host of National Geographic’s “StarTalk,” will present his new show, “An Astrophysicist Goes to the Movies,” at the Palace Theatre Tuesday. According to CAPA’s website, Tyson’s show will include an entertaining scientific review of what popular movies like “Star Wars,” “The Martian” and “Frozen” got wrong.
“Folks who have come before will love it because they’ve never seen it, and people seeing it for the first time will love it because he’s just so entertaining and knowledgeable,” Rich Corsi, vice president of programming at CAPA, said.
Tyson has performed with CAPA before, but Corsi said this is the first time Tyson will be presenting the show “An Astrophysicist Goes to the Movies” with them.
“His shows usually last around two hours, and I think if he had his choice he would probably do it for four or five hours, and I think everybody in the audience would literally sit there for four or five hours because you just can’t get enough of him,” Corsi said.
According to CAPA’s website, the show was originally scheduled for March 18, 2020, but was later rescheduled for Tuesday. CAPA spokesperson Rolanda Copley said the rescheduling process has not affected fans’ excitement for the upcoming show.
“They’re still hanging in there,” Copley said. “They’re still holding on to their tickets from when it was originally scheduled because they just enjoy him and he’s fun to listen to.”
What makes Tyson so captivating is his ability to explain complicated scientific concepts in a way that the average person can understand, Copley said.
“It’s not every day that you are running to listen to an astrophysicist, but he just has a talent of making all of this head knowledge he has accessible to everyone on a level that is entertaining and informative at the same time,” Copley said.
After seats being empty for almost two years due to the pandemic, Copley said shows like Tyson’s bring a layer of added excitement to theaters being up and running again.
After fully shutting down in mid-March, CAPA did not host any live events until July 21, kicking things off with its summer movie series, according to CAPA’s website. Tyson’s show is the third full-capacity show since the end of summer and is the start of a large rollout of shows, Copley said.
“We’re just excited to have people back in theaters,” Copley said. “It’s just sad when you see this big, beautiful, gorgeous theater and it’s empty and you just have to wait it out.”
Tickets for the show can be purchased online through CAPA’s website, and masks will be required for guests attending the show.
