Rocking out at the Hard Rock

David G. Ward of Austintown recently resumed his pursuit of music after taking some years off and has already met with success. He is a semi-finalist in the Cleveland category of the Hard Rock Rising global battle of the bands.

The contest is based in the 86 Hard Rock Cafes across the world. The winner will be flown to London to perform at the Hard Rock Calling festival.

After barely making it past the initial round, Ward, a singer-songwriter with an acoustic guitar, will play Friday night before a panel of judges. If he advances, he’ll go on to the final round, which will be March 16.

Ward has been writing and performing on and off for more than 25 years. He occasionally hits the open mic nights at The Manor and O’Donold’s, both in Austintown.

He is also in the process of recording his songs via email with sound engineer Paul Bagott of England. He sends over the tracks, and Bagott masters them and sends them back.

Ward has never actually met Bagott, and one reason why he entered Hard Rock Rising is to win that trip to England to meet his long-distance friend.

More than 200 acts entered the first leg of the competition in Cleveland, which was eventually whittled down to the nine semi-finalists, who get to play live before judges. Voting for the first round was done online at the Hard Rock website, where videos of the contestants were posted. Ward finished ninth, with 74 votes and 152 downloads of his song “Desire.”

The contest is only for original music, and contestants must live within 100 miles of the Hard Rock where they wish to play. Originally, it was 50 miles, which ruled out Ward from either the Cleveland or Pittsburgh sites. But Ward sent them an email stating, “I am too far from Cleveland and not close enough to Pittsburgh, so I am stuck with a song between two Hard Rocks.” They must’ve felt sorry for him — or liked the cleverness — and widened the radius.

To check out Ward’s music, go to davidgward.com.

COLUMBIANA HIGH THEATER reprises ‘DEAD CENTER STAGE’

Area high schools are gearing up for spring musicals and plays — check the list in the centerspread of this edition.

A lot of the old standards are on the list, of course. But only Columbiana High School is doing “Dead Center Stage.”

The play is a murder-mystery spoof that was done only once before, in 2004.

It was written by three CHS students at the time: Dara Levendosky, Amanda Bonsall and Brittany Sanders.

The three were also co- directors and had roles in that premiere production.

The cast of this year’s production includes senior Chanel Brown, sophomore Clayton Cooper, sophomore Nick Baylor and freshman Mary Kloss.

Drama adviser Jodi Taylor — who also held that for the original production in 2004 — is the director.

Taylor said that Levendosky plans to return to her hometown from her New York home to see the play.

In “Dead Center Stage,” one actor spends much of the play lying “dead” on the center of the stage floor.

Curtain times are 7 p.m. March 8, 7:30 p.m. March 9 and 10, and 5:30 p.m. March 11.