MOVIES
If you heed cinema’s call, you might wind up at Church this week. That’s the name of the speakeasy in the musical spectacle “Idlewild.” Set in a 1930s of the mind, this playful, postmodern ride stars André Benjamin and Antwan A. Patton, a.k.a. André 3000 and Big Boi of OutKast fame. The two play the very different Rooster and Percival. Bryan Barber, the sonic-duo’s longtime music-vid maestro wrote and directed this vibrant celebration of friendship, Prohibition gangsterism and getting down. Ving Rhames, Patti LaBelle, Macy Gray also appear. And Terrence Howard – this time playing a brooding baddie – takes hold of the screen everytime he appears. | Michael Booth
STAGE
The Cripple Creek Players present one classic melodrama each summer, largely as written and performed in the late 19th century. It’s surprising in the best sense – the theater, sets, costumes and acting abilities. “My Partner” is surprisingly substantive. While there’s plenty of booing bad guys and huzzah-ing heroes, the villain is complex, and our hero’s catharsis (after being unfairly accused of his friend’s bloody murder), is thoughtful. 2 and 8 p.m. Wednesday, 2 p.m. Thursday, Saturday and Sunday through Sept. 3 at 139 E. Bennett Ave. Tickets $18-$25 (719-235-8944, 800-500-2513 or cripplecreekplayers.com). | John Moore
TELEVISION
At 6 tonight on KMGH-Channel 7, ABC runs “Pirates of the Carribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl” opposite the Emmy Awards on NBC. Emmy producers already are worried that the August airdate may hurt the awards show’s ratings. With Johnny Depp as swashbuckling competition, they have further cause for concern. | Joanne Ostrow
VISUAL ARTS
Herbert Bayer, who taught at Germany’s famed Bauhaus before having to flee the Nazis, was one of the most significant artists to live and work in Colorado. Beginning Monday and running through Sept. 23, the Philip J. Steele Gallery at the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, 1600 Pierce St. in Lakewood, will present an exhibition devoted to the artist, titled “Herbert Bayer: Earth and Air.” It begins with early works in Europe and shows how he reinterpreted many of the same subjects throughout his career. Hours are noon to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. 303-753-6046 or rmcad.edu. | Kyle MacMillan
POPULAR MUSIC
What happens when Aaron Deer (Impossible Shapes, John Wilkes Booze) forms a new band with two women (Shelley Harrison and Elaina Morgan) and hits the road for three weeks? Horns of Happiness, that’s what. The new band recently signed to Secretly Canadian, and it plays the Hi-Dive tonight. The band also put out a 12-inch EP, “Would I Find You Psychic Guideline,” as a vinyl-only release. (It’s available also on iTunes.) And it’s a driving, drummy adventure in gristle. The rock isn’t clean, but it sure is pretty. Opening the show are Bad Weather California, Fierce Perm and Lafayette. | Ricardo Baca
NIGHT LIFE
“There’s not a club I’ve been to that’s as nice as The Church,” said Brad Roulier, director of entertainment for Vinyl and the aforementioned nightclub. “And I’ve been all over Europe, from Ibiza to London.” Indeed, Denver is lucky to have such a unique and spacious Gothic-style venue, one suited for the litany of international DJs it hosts. This Thursday, British DJ Nick Warren will drop by for a set. He was one of the first “superstar DJs” in the mid-to-late ’90s, with a high-profile residency at Cream and a host of production credits and collaborations. 1160 Lincoln St. Doors at 9 p.m. $10 presale tickets at GrooveTickets.com. | John Wenzel
