Dracula, Kevin Hart, Bugs Bunny and Grupo Firme!
October 6, 2022
The next two weeks are chock-full of plays, concerts, musicals, comedy, and art! This is the time of year when thespians, musicians, artists and comedians compete for your attention, and you have a dickens of a time deciding where to spend your time!
TODAY/TONIGHT, Thursday, October 6
AMANDA SHIRES…“THE NEW DOLLY”
Amanda Shires – the acclaimed Grammy Award-winning, singer-songwriter/virtuoso violinist released her new album Take It Like a Man on ATO Records. She kicked off her extensive fall tour at the top of September and will be playing in Denver tonight.
REVIEW EXCERPT: Take It Like A Man is a fearless confessional featuring 10 emotionally raw tracks, produced by Lawrence Rothman. Upon hearing Amanda for the first time Lawrence said, “I was just mesmerized. I thought she was the new Dolly Parton; Dolly for a new generation.”
Shires has released seven solo albums and three years ago founded a country music supergroup called The Highwomen alongside Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris and Natalie Hemby.
Bluebird Theater, 3317 E Colfax Ave., Denver
8:00 p.m.
Tickets: $22.50-$85
RINO ART – WALKING TOUR
Experience Denver’s hippest neighborhood on our new 90-minute RiNo (River North) walking tour. From urban charm to industrial revival, learn firsthand why Lonely Planet has named RiNo one of the top 10 must-visit neighborhoods in the U.S.
These small group tours offer an intimate experience with time to ask questions, connect with other guests, and explore works of art. You’ll gain an appreciation for how this area evolved from Denver’s first neighborhood to the “Harlem of the West,” to how it transformed into the creative art district it is today.
Improper City3201 Walnut St., Ste. 101, Denver,
9:30-11:00 a.m. daily
Admission: $25
Info: 720-778-1170
Thursday-Sunday, October 6-9
KING TUT – IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE
The ground-breaking immersive king tut experience takes you on a mythical journey through the Egyptian afterlife! As pharaoh, Tutankhamun is the sun of his nation. In this immersive experience, you will follow him on his journey through the underworld – will he triumph and bring his people eternal light and prosperity? Immerse yourself! Experience ancient Egypt like never before and unravel the myths and legends at immersive King Tut! (Exhibit opens 15 minutes before the first entry time of the day and closes 20 minutes after the start time of last entry time of the day. For entry time please see the ticketing calendar.)
Lighthouse Artspace, 3900 Elati St., Denver
Various Times
Tickets: $22-$33
DRACULA IS SELLING OUT!
Back by bloodthirsty demand, our season opens with Bram Stoker’s legendary gothic love story set in 19th century Transylvania. Featuring choreography by Michael Pink and Philip Feeney’s original score performed live by the Colorado Ballet Orchestra, this haunting, all-consuming cult favorite promises goosebumps.
Performances are selling out—get your tickets before it’s too late! (More performances added next week!)
Ellie Caulkins Opera House, DCPA Complex, 1385 Curtis St, Denver
Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sat./Sun. 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $40-$13
COME FROM AWAY
Come from Away is a Canadian musical, with book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. It is based on the events in the Newfoundland town of Gander during the week following the September 11 attacks, when 38 planes, carrying approximately 7,000 passengers, were ordered to land unexpectedly at Gander International Airport. Don’t miss this interesting perspective on an event that is indelibly etched in the minds of those sentient beings over the age of 30.
Buell Theatre, 1350 Curtis St., Denver
Thurs.-Sun., 7:30 p.m.; Sat./Sun., 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $119-$138 (check out two-fer deals)
Phone: 720-865-4220
THE CHINESE LADY
Intriguing, powerful, and based on a true story, The Chinese Lady is a play unlike anything you’ve seen before. The year is 1834 and 14-year-old Afong Moy is the first Chinese woman mainland America has ever seen. For a fee, spectators watch her eat shrimp and vegetables with chopsticks in an “exotic” habitat. They watch her walk. They gawk at her tiny bound feet. But she is honored to share her culture in a land bustling with opportunity.
Her translator, protector, and only interlocutor is Atung, a Chinese man who has been living in America for decades. Under the watchful eyes of Atung and the viewing public, Afong grows up and tours the U.S. as part of a traveling sideshow. Together, our two protagonists make poetic, pithy observations about culture, imperialism, and western philosophy as they watch a young nation struggle to define itself. Visually stunning and undeniably clever, The Chinese Lady shines a light on parts of our history that aren’t so black-and-white.
DCPA, Singleton Theatre, 1101 13th St, Denver
Thurs.-Fri.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $30-74
BUGS BUNNY AT THE SYMPHONY
Bugs Bunny was portrayed for 51 years by Mel Blanc, using a Bronx-Brooklyn accent and Bugs Bunny at the Symphony is a fantastic fusion of the world’s most beloved animated character with classical music-infused original scores played live by your Colorado Symphony.
Relive the Saturday mornings of your childhood when Warner Bros. cartoon stars Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Wile E. Coyote, and Road Runner. The comedic cast are projected larger than life on the big screen, while the Colorado Symphony plays the original scores live.
Conducted by George Daugherty and created by the Emmy Award-winning team of Daugherty and David Ka Lik Wong, this new edition celebrates the 30th Anniversary of Bugs Bunny at the Symphony and the 80th Birthday of Bugs Bunny with classics like “What’s Opera, Doc?,” “The Rabbit of Seville,” and “Rhapsody Rabbit,” plus new additions “Dynamite Dance,” “Wet Cement,” and three new 3-D Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner Looney Tunes shorts.
Boettcher Concert Hall, 1000 14th Street, Denver
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $15-$55 plus fees & taxes
Phone: 303-623-7876
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
The Bard is back at the Denver Center for the first time since 2019! A playful comedy layered with all the rich complexity that comes with Shakespeare’s work, Much Ado About Nothing is a snappy, surprisingly timely meditation on gossip, gender roles, and the follies of romance. This refreshing spin on a 400-year-old classic is not to be missed.
Don Pedro, Claudio, and Benedick arrive in the Sicilian port town of Messina after a decisive victory on the battlefield. As they join in the post-war celebrations at the governor’s estate, Claudio takes a liking to their host’s daughter, Hero. Meanwhile, Benedick engages in a different sort of battle with Hero’s cousin, the quick-witted Beatrice. Cupid-like characters conspire to bring our quartet of lovers together, while darker forces seek to drive them apart. Can love truly conquer all when the combined powers of deception, betrayal, and envy stand in its way?
Much Ado About Nothing is comedic, yet cautionary. Elegant, yet down to earth. It’s mischievous and undeniably merry. It might just be the world’s most well-known (and beloved) Renaissance rom-com.
DCPA, Kilstrom Theatre, 1385 Curtis St., Denver
Fri./Sat., 7:00 p.m.; Sun., 1:30 p.m.
Tickets: $35-$76
Friday-Saturday, October 7-8
FINAL DROWSY PERFORMANCES!
Billed as a musical within a comedy, this co-production with Performance Now depicts what happens when a die-hard theatre fan plays his favorite cast album and the characters come to life! Winner of five Tony Awards, including Best Book and Best Original Score, The Drowsy Chaperone is a loving send-up of the Jazz Age musical, featuring one show-stopping song and dance number after another in a hilarious musical farce.
Vintage Theater, Nickelson Auditorium, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora
Fri.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $20-38
Phone: 303-856-7830
Friday-Sunday, October 7-9
TWO MORE WEEKENDS: THE PIANO TEACHER!
Retired piano teacher Mrs. K lives a quiet life in her small suburban town. She whiles away her time reminiscing about her late husband and the children she taught long ago. Then one day, she finds herself compelled to call her old students, but is it out of loneliness or some other, darker need?
This regional performance, written by Julia Cho, is playing in the Bond-Trimble Theatre.
Vintage Theater, Bond Trimble Theatre, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora
Fri.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2:30 p.m.
Tickets: $20-34
Phone: 303-856-7830
Saturday, October 8
GRUPO FIRME COMING TO DENVER
The once-underground norteño band, fronted by Eduin Caz, became the first Mexican act to perform on the Cochella Festival’s main stage during a prime-time slot. The group’s goal that night? “To show off our roots. To break barriers,” Caz told Rolling Stone just hours before performing. “We want people’s eyes glued to the stage.”Combining traditional banda forms with a youthful, modern energy, the Tijuana natives are ready to become Mexico’s hottest pop band in 2022 – which is why they’re pulling out all the stops for their new tour of the Northwest United States. Hear songs like “El Amor No Fue Pa’ Mi” (200 million YouTube streams and counting) live and in person when they perform them live at Ball Arena this weekend.
Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle, Denver
8:00 p.m.
Tickets: $59-$229
Phone: 303-405-1100
Sunday, October 9
CARLOS VIVES-LOUD & LIVE
Carlos Vives is a multiple Grammy- and Latin Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and actor from Colombia. He is globally renowned for his command of traditional styles such as vallenato, porro, cumbia, and champeta, as well as pop, rock, and reggaeton. He has sold tens of millions of recordings and his videos regularly garner billions of views.
In 2019, after a world tour, Vives released a number of duets. They included “Si Me Das Tu Amor” (featuring Wisin) and “Indira II” (featuring Gusi). After being chosen by Billboard magazine as one of its Top Latin Artists of the 2010s, Vives began the next decade with several charting singles including “No Estas Solo: Canciones Para Es Enfermos” (with Rubén Blades) and “No Te Vayas,” the latter peaked at number four on the Hot 100 in May.
In 2020, he released Cumbiana, including the song “Canción Para Rubén,” again featuring longtime friend Rubén Blades. The track won Best Tropical Song at the Latin Grammy Awards. And last April, Vives joined Ricky Martin for their song “Canción Bonita.” Later that year, Vives performed the Lin-Manuel Miranda-penned theme song for the Disney animated feature film Encanto.
Bellco Theatre, 700 14th St., Denver
2:00 p.m. (Doors Open at 1:00)
Tickets: $34-$77
Phone: 303-778-1500
NEXT WEEK: Friday-Sunday, October 14-16
Friday October 14
THEO VON IS SELLING OUT!
From THEOVON.com: “THEO VON grew up in the stray animal belt of southern Louisiana. He was a child there and became an adult slowly there. He can be seen and heard weekly on his widely popular podcasts that garner millions of listens/views a month THIS PAST WEEKEND, and KING AND THE STING.
In the Spring of 2020 Theo completed his two year DARK ARTS TOUR, which took him across America, Australia, and Europe, and another country. He’s currently on the road with his 2021 RETURN OF THE RAT TOUR. If you want to know how Theo is doing, he is probably doing the best he can, which varies.”
Theo’s new comedy special Regular People was filmed at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and is now streaming on Netflix.
Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Pl., Denver
7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $208-$242
303-623-0106
Friday-Sunday, October 14-16
VIVALDI: FOUR SEASONS
Symphonic bliss awaits you as your Colorado Symphony and guest conductor Aram Demirjian present a powerhouse program highlighted by Vivaldi’s programmatic masterpiece, The Four Seasons. As striking and admired as ever, this work conjures imagery that deftly captures the essence of spring, summer, autumn, and winter through music that manages to remain strikingly modern three centuries after its debut. Paul Huang is just the virtuoso to embrace this beloved concerto in its return to Boettcher Concert Hall.
The grand finale — Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony — is a meticulously structured meditation on fate that endures as one of his most popular and identifiable compositions. Over four movements, Tchaikovsky transforms his personal battle with fate into one of humanity’s most powerful works of art.
Boettcher Concert Hall, 1000 14th Street, Denver
Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:00 p.m.
Tickets: $10-$103 plus fees & taxes
Phone: 303-623-7876
Saturday, October 15
DAVID SPADE LIVE!
David Wayne Spade is one of those talented comedians you could place beside Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, and Nick Swardson. In fact, David has toured with all these big name comics. His path to comedic stardom began as a cast member of the famous late night sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, with performances that landed him two other longtime-running comedy shows, including Just Shoot Me and Rules of Engagement.
His film career began in the late 80s as one of the main stars in Police Academy 4. Other starring roles then came when he was cast in Tommy Boy, Black Sheep, Joe Dirt, and Father of the Year, to name a few. David’s unique voice has been sought in animation and he’s been one of the main voice talents in Hotel Transylvania, Rugrats, and The Emperor’s New Groove.
Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Pl., Denver
7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $45-$215
303-623-0106
Saturday-Sunday, October 15-16
AURORA SYMPHONY FALL MASTERWORKS!
Join the ASO as they open its 2022-2023 season with the Fall Masterworks – “American Voices” conducted by Kyle Rupley and featuring Natasha Reiners on the French Horn. The program includes:
· The Cowboys Overture,John Williams
· The Glass Bead Game, James Beckel
· The Oak, Florence Price
· Suite from “The Tender Land”, Aaron Copland
Cherokee Trail High School, 25901 E. Arapahoe Rd., Aurora
Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 3:00 p.m.
Admission: $20
Sunday, October 16
KEVIN HART: REALITY CHECK
Originally known as a stand-up comedian, he has since starred in Hollywood films and on TV. He has also released several well-received comedy albums. After winning several stand-up comedy competitions, Hart had his first breakthrough when Judd Apatow cast him in a recurring role on the TV series Undeclared. His album ‘Kevin Hart: What Now?’ was nominated for the Grammy Award in the ‘Best Comedy Album’ category. He has received several awards in his career, such as the ‘BET Award’, ‘Teen Choice Award’, and ‘People’s Choice Award’.
Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle, Denver
7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $69-$199
Phone: 303-405-1100
The Arts, Music and More Near Southshore!
Enjoy Life at the Lake in the master-planned community of Southshore—and find all sorts of entertainment within easy reach! You can personalize your living space – just check out the beautiful model homes from Richmond American Homes and Century Communities. It’s easy to picture yourself in your own new home here, priced from the $700s.