MOVIES
In another lifetime, Nanny McPhee would have been played by Julie Andrews. But star and screenwriter Emma Thompson plies her own exquisite magic. As the mysterious nanny who comes to the aid of the seven naughty Brown children, she has an odd walk and amusing way of tilting her head. And Thompson and Colin Firth (who plays the widower with the rebellious brood) know how to keep a good gag running. As Aunt Adelaide, Angela Lansbury has wicked fun delivering unkind observations and crueler ultimatums. McPhee cautions the children “When you need me, but do not want me, then I must stay. When you want me, but no longer need me, then I have to go.” “Nanny McPhee” is such a marvel of clever language and physical comedy that they won’t be the only ones regretting her departure.
– LISA KENNEDY
VISUAL ARTS
Functional and non-functional. Large and small. Shiny and matte. Metal sculptures of all kinds will be featured in “METALisms: Signature Works in Jewelry and Metalsmithing,” which opens Thursday and runs through March 16. An opening reception is set for 7-9 p.m. Feb. 9. The invitational show, which involves 60 artists from across the country, will be on view at the Center for Visual Art, 1734 Wazee St. 303-294-5207 or mscd.edu/news/cva.
– KYLE MACMILLAN
POPULAR MUSIC
Monday’s INXS show at the Colorado Convention Center’s Lecture Hall is nearly sold out, and the Australian band can thank Mark Burnett for that. Burnett, also an Aussie and the mastermind behind “Survivor” and other reality TV hits, gave INXS a boost via last year’s sleeper hit “Rock Star: INXS,” which found the band a new singer. (Original singer Michael Hutchence died in 1997.) J.D. Fortune, a former Elvis impersonator from Canada who won the TV contest, is leading the band on its first large-scale tour in nearly a decade. They’re touring behind “Switch,” a 2-month-old album Fortune helped write.
– RICARDO BACA
STAGE
“A Bright Room Called Day” was born as a 1985 diatribe against Ronald Reagan. It’s a better play today, as a 2006 diatribe against the current administration. “Bright Room,” about a group of idealistic artists who confront the inconceivable rise of the Nazis, is set entirely in 1932-33 Berlin. But by taking playwright Tony Kushner’s advice to update the script to reflect “whatever evildoing is prevalent at the time,” the work unapologetically equates the rises of Hitler and George W. Bush. Presented by Fort Collins’ OpenStage & Co. at the Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia St. Final performances 2 p.m. today and Jan. 29, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets $13-$20 (970-221-6730 or lctix.com).
– JOHN MOORE
TELEVISION
Just in time for the new year, “The First Emperor,” a stunning exploration of China’s legendary tyrant and visionary, debuts on Discovery at 7 tonight. Qin Shi Huangdi’s empire outlasted Rome’s by 1,000 years. He built the Great Wall and the terra cotta warriors. Using re-creations and following an archaeological dig, Discovery explores the legend of the emperor.
– JOANNE OSTROW
CLASSICAL MUSIC
The continuing celebration of the 250th anniversary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s birth continues with a Colorado Symphony program that pairs two works by the great Austrian composer with two by Antonin Dvorák. The featured soloist will be YuMi Hwang-Williams, the orchestra’s concertmaster. Performances are set for 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Boettcher Concert Hall in the Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis streets. Tickets are $15-$65. 303-623-7876 or coloradosymphony.org.
– KYLE MACMILLAN
NIGHT LIFE
Anyone who has been to DJ Psycho’s “Zocalo Sabados” at Club Sky knows he can kick up a party. Now the Mega 95.7 personality is giving reggaeton fans an early start to their weekend with a sizzling Thursday-night event in The Shaker Room at Martini Ranch, 1317 14th St. “Sabrosa Thursdays” promises a mix of salsa, reggaeton and merengue, along with drink specials galore. Doors open at 10 p.m.
– ELANA ASHANTI JEFFERSON
