Curious Theatre Company founder and artistic director Chip Walton didn’t resort to thievery as you and I might define it, even though he readily admits to pilfering the idea for “Denver Stories,” his organization’s first fundraiser, from colleagues who’d made a fortune from similar events in their respective cities.
“I stole the idea from a theater company in Atlanta, and they’d stolen it from a theater company in Seattle,” he said, explaining how writers Josh Hartwell, Martin McGovern, Melissa McCarl, Tracy Shafer Witherspoon and Laura Tesman were tapped to craft four vignettes – some poignant, others hilarious – that spoofed such leading lights as developer Mickey Zeppelin and artist Susan Wick, restaurateurs Mel and Janie Master, distance runner Ellen Hart Peña and socialite Holly Kylberg. “Denver Stories” played to a sold-out house earlier this month.
The idea had been percolating for three years.
“One thing we do well at Curious is throw parties,” Walton added, “so we figured we might as well make some money off them. We wanted to do a fundraiser that would be a celebration of community not just once but for several years, and ‘Denver Stories’ fit the bill.”
Kylberg, Westword’s Socialite of the Year, not only allowed herself to be the subject of some good-natured ribbing, she also volunteered to chair “Denver Stories” with Dr. Dean Prina and make a cameo appearance in the slice of her life being acted out on stage. In addition, she lent her name to one of the six deluxe gifts sold in an auction called by master of ceremonies Paul Borrillo.
Her husband, Rich Kylberg, emerged as the high bidder, offering $2,000 for Holly’s Glamour and Pampering Package. In it was a pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes from Neiman Marcus; a massage at Glo Spa in Cherry Creek North; a new ‘do from Kylberg’s hairdresser, Matthew Morris; makeup, a spray-on tan and eyelash extensions from Gina Comminello; an overnight at the JW Marriott; a $100 gift card redeemable at Cherry Creek North merchants; and four hours in a limo from Around Town Car Service.
Morris, headquartered at Berenices, expects to have his namesake salon up and running by summer in Cherry Creek North.
Mel and Janie Master donated the wine and hors d’oeuvres served prior to the show and the desserts that were enjoyed afterward. They also gave the menu tasting for four at their Mel’s Restaurant and Bar that was part of an auction package bearing their name; Ellen Hart Peña’s package included VIR (Very Important Runner) registration for the May 29 Bolder Boulder and an overnight with dinner at the Broadmoor Hotel. Mickey Zeppelin and Susan Wick’s City Spirits Package included an original work from her Z Wick Gallery, a cocktail party for 25 at their RiNo-neighborhood club, Taxi, and memorabilia from their City Spirit Cafe.
Gabriel Conroy, who designs many of the knockout gowns that Kylberg wears, outfitted her for the benefit and enjoyed the show from a balcony seat. Nearby were her brothers, Greg and Gary Lucas, and their wives, Julie and Cindy; Martha Kelce, who has chaired each of the five Harrison Memorial Animal Hospital Mutts & Models fashion shows with Kylberg; Jim Rhye and Tom Lorz; Douglas Kerbs of Fuller Town & Country Realty; and Bradley Joseph, who coordinates special events for the Pepsi Center’s Blue Sky Grill.
Quite a few of the theater company board members were there, too; we spotted president Steve Choquette, an attorney with Holland and Hart; Kristin Bronson, an attorney with Rothgerber, Johnson & Lyons; Loren Faye, president of Rule 6 Communications; University of Denver Professor Roscoe Hill; and Carol Wolf, a senior vice president with Oppenheimer Funds.
Others joining in the fun were retired Denver Center for the Performing Arts president Lester Ward and his wife, Ros, with DCPA communications chief Sylvie Drake; gallery owner William Havu; Tonya Frank; Thomas Hardy; and Cherry Creek North spokeswoman Christina Brickley, who served on the benefit’s planning committee with Nick Brunetti, Lara Copperthwaite, Becky Lathrop and Elizabeth Neid.
Society editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jmdpost@aol.com.
