MOVIES
Michel Gondry’s documentary “Dave Chappelle’s Block Party” is as deceptively rough-hewn as the Comedy Central variety show he so famously walked away from. The engaging moments come when Chappelle heads to the Ohio town he calls home to invite his fellow denizens to a hip-hop shindig he’s hosting in New York’s Bedford- Stuyvesant neighborhood. The concert features Kanye West, Mos Def, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and the Fugees. Paired with Chappelle’s recent Actors Studio appearance, “Block Party” offers a portrait of a man intent on entertaining but also driven to stay connected. LISA KENNEDY
STAGE
“Amy’s View,” by British playwright David Hare, is a meditation on family relationships with an overlay of running arguments about the relevance of theater. “Is the theater dead?” Hare asks. He answers by having his aging diva (wonderfully played at the Miners Alley Playhouse by Paige L. Larson) wonder why critics never talk about “the death of television, the death of journalists,” only the death of theater? 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 6 p.m. Sundays through March 19 at 1224 Washington St. in Golden. Tickets $16-$18 (303-935-3044). JOANNE OSTROW
POPULAR MUSIC
The music of Rilo Kiley is increasingly saccharine-sweet, which is why this year’s solo project from Jenny Lewis, the L.A. band’s frontwoman, was a breath of fresh air. Lewis’ music is still quite sticky, almost sickly so with all the smartypants love songs, but she and her music are still among the most precious and adorable out there. Lewis plays the Bluebird on Friday, but just as exciting as her headlining the bill is the evening’s opener, Whispertown2000. The stark, pretty, female-fronted, white-soul dubut record, produced by Rilo Kiley’s Blake Sennett, has not yet been released but can be sampled at myspace.com/whispertown2000. (Check out “Goodbye Baby” and “Restless,” especially.) RICARDO BACA
NIGHT LIFE
Classically trained musicians usually haunt recital halls, but one pair is sticking to the subversive side. Singer Molly Zackary and pianist Glen Dennis, both classically trained at Colorado universities, perform under the provocative moniker Sybil Vane Weird Opera. Zackary, a former riot-
grrrl DJ and opera-singing major at the University of Northern Colorado, leads the duo as they flit between schizophrenic comedy skits, punk rock, torch songs and bursts of audience participation. The free weekly event manages to cover both Madonna and Puccini, a classy, edgy mix if ever there was one. From 9:30 p.m. to midnight, Thursdays at The Mercury Cafe, 2199 California St. JOHN WENZEL
VISUAL ART
The Museum of Contemporary Art/Denver, 1275 19th St., offers an enthralling sampling of contemporary takes on the sea in “See Into Liquid,” an exhibition bringing together 21 pieces by 14 noted artists from around the world. Although it incorporates diverse media and ranges in tone from humorous to awe-inspiring to unsettling, the show ranks among the most focused and cohesive themed exhibitions the institution has done. It runs through May 28. 303-298-7554 or
mcartdenver.org. KYLE MACMILLAN
TELEVISION
While it is likely not for the squeamish, ABC’s “Miracle Workers” shows some maturing of the reality genre. Rather than relying on humiliation and wannabe stars, the show focuses on a dream team of physicians and people with seemingly insurmountable medical problems. Using cutting-edge technology, the physicians in the premiere Monday (9 p.m., KMGH-Channel 7) take on the case of a man who has been blind for 22 years and a woman with degenerative bone and joint disease. (More TV best bets for this week, Page 17F.) EDWARD P. SMITH
CLASSICAL MUSIC
Anton Kuerti is hardly a household name. But among his fellow pianists and keyboard cognoscenti, he is highly regarded for his intellectual, affecting performances. The veteran, Austrian- born artist will join the Colorado Symphony for performances of Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Boettcher Concert Hall. Principal guest conductor Peter Oundjian will be on the podium. Tickets are $15-$65. 303-623-7876 or coloradosymphony.org. KYLE MACMILLAN
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“The “Miracle Workers” physicians.
