Conservatory sets attendance record

Boosted by the opening of its children's garden, the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens set an attendance record in 2018, conservatory officials announced recently.

A total of 353,399 people visited the 40-acre conservatory last year, a 57 percent increase over 2017. The Scotts Miracle-gro Foundation Children's Garden opened in May 2018 and 75,632 children visited it.

In addition, memberships increased substantially in 2018, to 12,200. That was a 46 percent increase from 2017, according to officials.

Community orchestra offers winter concert

The public is invited to attend the Greater Columbus Community Orchestra's winter concert, "Northern States," later this month.

The performance will take place at 7 p.m. Jan. 27 at Hilliard Presbyterian Church, 3600 Leap Road.

Led by music director Olev L. Viro, the orchestra will perform works by Sergei Rachmaninoff and Edvard Grieg featuring local soprano Kathrin Danzmayr. The program will also include Dmitri Shostakovich's "Symphony No. 1."

Admission is free but donations are accepted.

For more information, visit www. communityorchestra. com.

iheartradio starts Broadway channel

Fans of show tunes are getting another place to get their fix now that iheartradio has launched a Broadway channel and online hub.

iheartradio Broadway began offering streaming music from Broadway shows on Monday. A companion website will provide news, videos, interviews and podcasts.

Recent songs heard on the channel include tunes from "In the Heights," “Beauty and the Beast," “Sweeney Todd," “Hairspray," “Fiddler on the Roof" and "Hamilton."

Scott Hopeck of iheartmedia said the Broadway channel "is something that has been missing" for people who love theater.

The new channel will compete with Siriusxm's "On Broadway," which features songs and hosts such as Seth Rudetsky and John Tartaglia.