Going, going…
Catch these events before they disappear after this weekend: “1776”
THEATER|Town Hall Arts Center presents the sprawling musical about the writing, and adopting, of the Declaration of Independence.|ENDS SUNDAY|Final performances 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday at 2450 W. Main St., Littleton. $16-$33 (303-794-2787, townhallartscenter.com).
“Razzle Dazzle: A Saroyan Circus”
THEATER|Germinal Stage Denver intercuts four short avant-garde theater pieces and radio plays by William Saroyan, the playwright who turned down the Pulitzer Prize.|ENDS SUNDAY|Final performances 8 p.m. today and Saturday, 7 p.m. Sunday at 2450 W. 44th Ave. $15.75-$19.75 (303-455-7108).
Friday
Lakeside at 99
AMUSEMENT PARK|Front Range families know Lakeside Amusement Park is one of a kind. Celebrating 99 years in operation, the park opens today with reliably attractive free parking and pick-and-choose ride tickets. Sure, it’s no Elitch Gardens, but that’s the appeal. Classic roller coasters, bumper cars, train rides and picnic areas encourage a down-to-earth vibe not often found at extreme modern parks.|6 p.m. today, noon Saturdays and Sundays|4601 Sheridan Blvd., $2 general admission, 50 cent ride coupons, 303-477-1621 or lakeside amusementpark.com.
CSU hosts quartet
CHAMBER MUSIC|The Borromeo String Quartet, a recent winner of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, is in residence for two days at Colorado State University. As part of the ensemble’s visit, the group will present a concert featuring Stravinsky’s Concertino and quartets by Bartok and Beethoven.|7:30 p.m. today|CSU, Griffin Concert Hall, University Center for the Arts, 1400 Remington St., Fort Collins, $10 general admission and $5 students, 970-491-4849 or csutix.com.
Youth arts
BENEFIT|Labyrinth Arts Academy, Denver’s newest nonprofit youth arts organization, will get some celebrity help at its first fundraiser tonight. Ana Ortiz, star of ABC’s hit “Ugly Betty,” will star in “Zoot Suit Romeo and Juliet,” an adaptation of the bard’s classic tale set in 1940s L.A. during the Zoot Suit riots. Members of Labyrinth Arts Academy will also share the stage with the East L.A. Classic Theatre.| 8 tonight|Buell Theatre, Denver Center Performing Arts Complex, $20-$50, 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org/zootsuit.
Saturday
Kinetics event
FESTIVAL/RACE|The annual Kinetics Festival at the Boulder Reservoir means different things to different people, and all are fun. The day kicks off with a 5K walk-run before the Sculpture Challenge, in which nearly 800 people in teams with names like “A Reptile Dysfunction” race colorful creations across land and water, usually to humorous results. This year’s 28th annual KBCO-sponsored event also includes musical performances from Los Lonely Boys and Robert Randolph & the Family Band, food and more.|Begins 6:30 a.m. Saturday|Boulder Reservoir, east of Boulder on Foothills Parkway, 303-444-5600 or kbco.com.
The weekend
Proops performs
COMEDY|Improvisation is a cornerstone of comedy, and few do it better than Greg Proops. It’s tempting to peg him as another talk show circuit-rider, considering his regular appearances on “The Late Late Show,” “Talk Soup” and others, but Proops proved his improv talents on the transatlantic hit “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” The versatile, bespectacled comedian visits Denver this weekend.|Various times tonight-Saturday| Comedy Works, 1226 15th St., $29, 303-595-3637 or comedyworks.com
The week
A masked ball
OPERA|Opera Colorado’s production of “Un ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball)” serves up a big, audience-pleasing spectacle with a thrilling fusion of music, drama and visuals. The company has put together a thoroughly top-flight cast of singers, who all ideally suit their roles vocally and mesh as an ensemble.|7:30 p.m. Saturday and Tuesday|Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis streets; $27-$157; 303-357-2787 or operacolorado.org.
Ravaging reality TV
FILM|”I started eating bugs because I heard about this show.” Welcome to an unending parade of folks seeking their 15 minutes. Desperate screenwriters Gil and Dave pitched a reality show called “American Cannibal.” But in this disturbing, watchable documentary, the true nibbling of its own takes place as the entertainment industry devours too-willing writers to feed a ravenous craving for reality-driven programming. Directors Perry Grebin and Michael Nigro followed the making – and undoing – of a reality show. Screenings of “American Cannibal” run through May 13; the filmmakers will be in town for the Denver Film Society’s DocNight, hosted by film critic Lisa Kennedy. |7:30 p.m. Thursday|Starz FilmCenter, 9th & Auraria Parkway, $5.75-$8.75, 303-820-3456
Western exhibit
ART|A much-anticipated event on the local art scene is the annual exhibition, “Colorado & the West.” This year’s installment will feature more than 150 paintings, drawings and original prints, including 70 works by early Colorado artist, George Elbert Burr. The show will open Thursday and run through June 30.| Opening reception, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday|
David Cook Fine Art, 1637 Wazee St.; free; 303-623-8181 or davidcookgalleries.com.
