Movies
Whether you travel “Across the Universe” or venture “Into the Wild,” you’re in for stunning cinema. Julie Taymor’s hotly anticipated and just- as-vibrant Beatles musical finally makes its way to area theaters. Jim Sturgess as Jude – a Brit who comes to 1960s America to meet his father and finds a girl named Lucy and a nation in turmoil – is a breakout pleasure. On a quieter note, Eddie Vedder’s throaty ballads deepen the many moods of Sean Penn’s muscularly sentimental adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s best seller. Emile Hirsch embraces 22-year-old wanderer Chris McCandless’ ecstatic-tragic journey with trusting abandon. Lisa Kennedy
Television
Exotic animals vie for screen time with the actors in the CW’s new “Life Is Wild,” premiering at 7 tonight on Channel 2. D.W. Moffett plays a vet who moves his family (his second wife and their respective sets of kids) to a South African game reserve. It’s “7th Heaven” meets “Daktari,” a solid formula for family viewing. Joanne Ostrow
Popular music
It’s really an incredible time to be listening to hip-hop. And no, I’m not writing about Kanye West or 50 Cent. What many kids have discovered – no thanks to FM radio – is that underground hip-hop is alive, well and conscious. There are scenes around America making noise, including Def Jux in New York and Stones Throw in Los Angeles, but perhaps the most exciting group making indie hip-hop is the Rhymesayers collective out of Minneapolis. Heading up that crew is Atmosphere, a prominent and smart voice in the underground. And those who rhyme together, play – and tour – together, and so it makes sense that there’s a tour hitting the Ogden Theater on Friday that brings together a lot of this goodness. Supporting Atmosphere is Brother Ali, Grayskul, Mac Lethal and others. Tickets: or 303-830-8497 Ricardo Baca
Theater
The Denver Center Theatre Company’s new staging of Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman’s radically beatnik 1930s family-values comedy, “You Can’t Take it With You,” is unnerving for its sheer wonderfulness. Yes, it’s impeccably cast, remarkably performed and looks like a 1930s diorama come to life. More than that … it just feels good. It’s got a big, beautiful beating heart. It’s so marvelous, in fact, it may leave you a little sad for what has become of the American family. 6:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 7:30 p.m. Fridays; 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 20 at the Stage Theatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex. $36-$46; 303-893-4100, 866-464-2626, 800-641-1222 outside Denver, all King Soopers or John Moore
Classical music
Longmont native Julie Albers moved to Ohio during her junior year of high school to take part in the young-artist program at the Cleveland Institute of Music. In 1998, the cellist made her major orchestral debut with the Cleveland Orchestra, and her career took off from there. Albers will join music director Jeffrey Kahane and the Colorado Symphony for Tchaikovsky’s sumptuous “Variations on a Rococco Theme.” Performances are set for 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Boettcher Concert Hall. Also on the program are works by Kenneth Frazelle and Edward Elgar. Tickets are $15-$69.50. 303-623-7876 or Kyle MacMillan
Visual arts
As the art scene in Denver continues to accelerate, Museo de las Américas, 861 Santa Fe Drive, is making sure it has a significant role to play. This weekend, it unveils a surprisingly comprehensive look at the widely recognized artist, Vik Muniz, who has been featured at the Whitney Museum of American Art and other prestigious venues. The show, titled “Muniz: Remastered,” focuses on his reinterpretation of classic artworks of the past using such unlikely materials as chocolate, and peanut butter and jelly. The exhibition continues through Jan. 20. 303-571-4401 or Kyle MacMillan
