The Aurora City Council unanimously approved a $250,000 loan to Shadow Theatre Company on Monday, sealing our only black theater company’s move to 1468 Dayton St.
The new, $583,000 state-of- the-art theater will double the capacity of Shadow’s longtime home at the McGlone Center (where it does not even have a backstage) to 149 seats. The city of Aurora’s Urban Renewal Authority expects the new theater to be occupied 40 weeks of the year and bring at least 12,000 people a year into its new arts district, located two blocks east of the Aurora Fox.
“Shadow is now poised to emerge into the light with an arts institution of its own,” said an ecstatic founder, Jeffrey Nickelson. “What this means is, we are now going to be able to perform at the level we always aspired to.”
The new Shadow will tentatively open March 20 with the musical “Dinah Was” (about Dinah Washington).
Shadow must raise $113,000 for its share of the buildout of the now empty shell owned by Doug Adams. But the $250,000 the city is contributing is a fully forgivable loan, meaning if Shadow stays put for seven years, principal and interest will be forgiven.
“They have really bent over backwards to make this happen,” Nickelson said.
Shadow will make undisclosed monthly lease payments to Adams (who is contributing $219,000 to the buildout), but 10 percent of the equity accrued over the life of the loan will be applied to Shadow’s option to purchase after seven years. It’s a one-of- a-kind financial arrangement that not only puts Shadow in the permanent facility it has sought for a decade, but Shadow also should be a catalyst for Aurora’s lagging, 5-year-old arts district. It’s a win-win for everybody.
“We really think this is going to boost our arts district, and boost Shadow’s reputation nationally,” said Andrea Amonick, Aurora’s manager of urban renewal. She believes Shadow will attract new residents, visitors and other businesses to the district.
“If Shadow brings in 12,000 people a year – and that’s conservative,” said Amonick, “then that’s about $4 per visit over the life of the loan, and that’s really what we are paying for. We are paying to increase visitation to the area.”
Shadow already has launched a $500,000 facilities campaign to pay for its share of the buildout and to prepare for significantly amped-up programming, which will include longer play runs and live jazz on Sunday nights.
“This is a landmark moment for us,” said Shadow spokesman P.J. D’Amico.
Sneed in Russia
Colorado Shakespeare Festival producing artistic director Philip Sneed is in Vladivostok, Russia, for nine days as part of an artistic and educational exchange with the Maxim Gorky Theatre, the largest theater in eastern Russia.
Sneed has invited Gorky artistic director Efim Zvenyatsky to direct a Russian classic for the 2009 Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Sneed previously directed “Dracula” for the Gorky.
Sneed is also traveling with University of Colorado theater chairman Bud Coleman to finalize details of faculty and student exchanges. One idea is for a year-long exchange pairing CU students with Russian academy students to live and train together in both countries – culminating in performance opportunities at both the CSF and Gorky.
Sneed, who just completed his first season with CSF, has had a relationship with the Gorky since 1994, when he played Hamlet there.
Sneed is excited to have Zvenyatsky direct here so American audiences can see a Russian take on a Russian classic, perhaps for the first time.
Sneed said he’d love for some of the Russian actors to come as well and rehearse alongside American actors. Then, perhaps, the opening couple of performances will be bilingual. After the Russians go home, American actors would take on the roles for the rest of the run.
“That could be fun,” he said.
Clay Aiken replacing Moran in “Spamalot”
George Washington High grad Martin Moran, who has played Sir Robin in Broadway’s “Spamalot” since April 2006, will be succeeded by “American Idol” crooner Clay Aiken beginning Jan. 18.
Moran had been asked to stay through June, but he declined. He’s been chosen for a month-long writing residency at The MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire (that’s the oldest artist colony in the country). And opening Jan. 28, he will perform his play, “The Tricky Part,” at The Signature Theater in Washington, D.C.
“It was a great run, but it’s time to go,” Moran said. “I wish Clay well. He really seems like a sweet guy.”
Briefly …
“Hats,” the New Denver Civic-born musical celebrating life after 50, takes up residence on the Las Vegas strip Jan. 12 at Harrah’s … The Denver Center-born Arabian Nights fantasia “1001” makes its off-Broadway bow Monday at New York’s Nagelberg Theatre. Remaining from the Denver cast are Drew Cortese and John Livingston Rolle …
Theatre Aspen has named Paige Price to replace David McClendon as its now part-time artistic director. She just starred there in “The Last Five Years.” Shirley Tipton is now executive director …
The Avenue Theater has extended its hit “The Bible … Abridged” through Dec. 31 …
And finally, New York actor Vickilyn Reynolds is in town to debut what she hopes is a Broadway-bound one-woman show on Denver native Hattie McDaniel. “Hattie … What I Need You to Know!” opens Thursday and runs through Dec. 23 at the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Theater (303-292-6471) …
This week’s openings
Tue.-April 23. Buntport’s “Starship Troy” Season 2″ (new episodes every other Tuesday and Wednesday)
Wed.-Oct. 28. Theatre 13’s “Savage Love” Boulder
Thu.-Dec. 23. 3-G Entertainment’s “Hattie … What I Need You To Know!” (at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Theatre)
Fri.-Nov. 4. Backstage’s “Cannibal! The Musical.” Breckenridge
Fri.-Nov. 11. Star Bar’s “The Heidi Chronicles.” Colorado Springs
Fri.-Nov. 17. Longmont Theatre Company’s “Damn Yankees.”
Fri.-Dec. 31. Union Colony Dinner Theatre’s “Clue, the Musical.” Greeley
Fri.-Nov. 10 Stage Door’s “The Fantasticks.” Conifer
This week’s closings
Today. New Denver Civic’s “The Great American Trailer Park Musical”
Today. Town Hall Arts Center’s “Nunsense A-Men!” Littleton
Today. Openstage etc.’s “Rag and Bone” (Armstrong Hotel) Fort Collins
Today. Main Street Players’ “Kiss Me Kate.” Littleton
Fri. Coal Creek Community Theatre’s “Lucky Stiff.” Louisville
Sat. Boulder’s Dinner Theatre’s “Mid-Life! The Crisis Musical”
Sat. Miners Alley Playhouse’s “My Old Lady.” Golden
Sat. El Centro Su Teatro’s “Bowl of Beings.”
Sat. Spotlight’s “A Murder is Announced.” Lakewood
Sat. Thunder River’s “The Trip to Bountiful.” Carbondale
Sat. Theatre Company of Lafayette’s “The Deep Beep-Beep: Eight Short Plays about Sputnik.”
Oct. 28. National touring production of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” (at the Buell Theatre).
Oct. 28. Fine Arts Center’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs.” Colorado Springs
Oct. 28. Festival Playhouse’s “The Werewolf’s Curse, or Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow.” Arvada
Oct. 28. Modern Muse’s “Thom Pain (based on nothing).” (at the Bug Theatre).
This week’s podcasts
Audio: Running Lines with the cast of “Starship Troy.” The crew of the intergalactic space garbage truck talk with John Moore about next Tuesday’s launch of the second season of Buntport Theater’s fun serial, which offers new episodes every other Tuesday and Wednesday through April 23 (303-946-1388). Listen by . From there just press the miniplayer’s triangular “play” button and the podcast will begin immediately without downloading.
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Video: In the third in a series of short interviews with the cast of Listen Productions’ “Macbeth,” John Moore talks with William Hahn, who plays the title character. Watch at .
John Moore: 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com
