FRIDAY
Holiday ice show
ICE SKATING|The Ice Rink at 1 Boulder Plaza cuts the ribbon on its holiday season with “Light Up the Ice,” a professional family ice show and discounted public skating event tonight. Elf characters will greet children with balloon animals as they enter the rink as part of Boulder’s “Switch on the Holidays” lighting ceremony on the Pearl Street Mall.|6 p.m., Friday|1 Boulder Plaza, 1301 Canyon Blvd.; $1-$3 admission and skate rentals. 303-209-3722, OneBoulder Plaza.com.
SATURDAY
AfroBlu’s show
ART & MUSIC| “AfroBlu’s” lively late-night events celebrate African culture through dance, music and performance art. Multimedia offerings from Magnet Mafia, D-Bomb and Podslam.org will augment DJ sets from Peter Black, Musa, Aztec and K-Nee in this latest installment. Whether your flavor is Afrobeat, deep house or soul, you won’t be disappointed.|1 a.m.-5 a.m., Saturday|Monkey Mania, 2126 Arapahoe St.; $5, 18 and up, myspace.com/AfroBlu.
SATURDAY
Bjork meets big band
MUSIC|What do you get when you combine Denver’s “only modern jazz big band” with reworked compositions by Bjork? We have no idea, but there’s a good chance it’s worth a listen. The Ninth and Lincoln Orchestra will take on new arrangements of Bjork’s work for an exercise in genre- bending.|7 p.m. Sunday.|Dazzle Restaurant and Lounge, 930 Lincoln St., Denver; $7 and $10; (303) 839-5100
Piano quartets
CHAMBER MUSIC|Although less frequently heard than the piano trio or string quartet, the piano quartet is every bit as appealing. The Boulder Piano Quartet (David Korevaar, piano; Judith Ingolfson, violin, pictured; Martin Sher, viola, and Thomas Heinrich, cello) will perform two classic works for the combination: Mozart’s Piano Quartet in G minor, K. 478, and and Dvorak’s Piano Quartet in E flat, Op. 87.|2 p.m., Sunday|Hampden Hall, Englewood Civic Center, 1000 Englewood Parkway; $10 adults and $5 students younger than 18; 303-806-8196.
THE WEEKEND
Lost at Midnight
FILM|A top DVD guide calls “The City of Lost Children” a “weird, not-for- the-kiddies fairy tale,” which means it’s the perfect French oddity for Midnight Madness at the Esquire. An evil inventor is kidnapping children to steal their dreams, because he has none; a brave band of outcasts tries to fight back. Could be the antidote to overflowing Turkey Day cheer.|Midnight, Friday and Saturday.|Esquire Theatre, East Sixth Avenue and Downing Street, Denver; $7; 303-352-1992
“The Nutcracker”
BALLET|Christmas is a time of traditions, and among the most popular is the Colorado Ballet’s annual presentation of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky’s exotic fantasy, “The Nutcracker.” Back will be a striking group of costumes and sets by José Verona that made their debut last year and gave the production a big boost. It opens this weekend and runs through Dec. 24.|25 performances, beginning with three at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday|Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis streets; $27-$143; 303-837-8888 or coloradoballet.org.
THE WEEK
Reich on a roll
CLASSICAL MUSIC|The classical music world is celebrating the 70th birthday of influential composer Steve Reich with performances spanning the globe. Joining the festivities is Pendulum: New Music at CU, which will present
Reich’s “Eight Lines” along with a group of other works by students, faculty and outside composers.|7:30 p.m. Thursday|Imig Music Building, 18th Street and Euclid Avenue, University of Colorado at Boulder; free; 303-492-8008 or colorado.edu/music.
Ten Tenors
VOCAL MUSIC|The Ten Tenors are the crossover kings. While grounded in the classical world, the 10 Australian singers delve into everything from Neapolitan ballads to classic rock. Formed in 1995 while its members were still students, the ensemble has since become something of an international sensation.|7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Dec. 1 and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2|Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia St., Fort Collins; $36 and $38; 970-221-6730 or lctix.com.
