It’s a Can of pop-country with Flatts and Simpson
Saturday. Pop-country. Jessica Simpson may be opening for Rascal Flatts on their latest tour, but many of the folks looking forward to the double-bill at the Pepsi Center on Saturday are more excited about seeing Simpson’s sparkly celebrity than Flatts’ tried-and-true pop-country approach. Either way you look at it, it’s a potent bill – although it’s not likely flashy enough to sell out the Can. (The show’s promoter announced a discount on ticket four-packs in the last week, a sure sign that tickets aren’t moving as much as they’d like. Single tickets are still $51-$71, but when bought in multiples of four, they’re $37.25-$52.25.) Simpson will bring material from her pop-country debut “Do You Know” to an audience that is ready for a little twang. And Rascal Flatts will represent with their pop-branded, award-friendly country music that was written with arenas in mind. More: ticketmaster.com. Ricardo Baca
Dance
Wednesday and March 6. Ballet. ABT II, the apprentice company of New York’s famed American Ballet Theatre, will present two performances in Colorado. The 14-member troupe consists of dancers ages 16 to 20, who are chosen from among applicants worldwide. Dancers will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, 210 N. Santa Fe Ave., Pueblo, and 7:30 p.m. March 6 at Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia St., Fort Collins. Wednesday, $25 (719-295-7200 or sdc-arts.org) and March 6, $26-$28, $14 students (970-221-6730 or ). Kyle MacMillan
Sunday. International dance. I Made Sumayasa, a traditional Balinese painter, has created replica of a temple gate for Sunday’s performance by Gemelan Tunas Mekar, a Denver-based Balinese gamelan and dance troupe. In a program titled “Sketches of Bali: A Celebration of Indonesian Music, Dance and Art,” it will unveil three premieres and perform two traditional works, “Jauk Manis” and “Legong Kraton.” The performance is set for 7:30 p.m. Sunday in the concert hall at the Denver School of the Arts, 7111 Montview Blvd. $12, $8 seniors and students. Available at the door. 303-433-3782. Kyle MacMillan
Classical music
Today. Chamber Music. Johann Sebastian Bach composed three centuries ago, but his music remains as relevant as ever. The Denver Bach Society and University of Denver’s Playground Ensemble team for “Bach to the Future,” a program marrying Bach’s music with modern and contemporary works inspired by his creations. The program will take place at 7:30 p.m. today at Wellshire Presbyterian Church, 2999 S. Colorado Blvd. $15, $5 students. Available at the door. 303-893-4869 or . Kyle MacMillan.
Today and Saturday. Symphonic music. The Colorado Symphony takes a musical journey to Russia, performing widely known (and not so widely known) pieces by four of the country’s greatest composers. Included will be Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2, with guest soloist Chee-Yun, Rachmaninoff’s “Vocalise” and Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings. Performances will take at 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday in Boettcher Concert Hall. $15-$73. 303-623-7876 or coloradosymphony . Kyle MacMillan
Theater
Today through March 21. Theater and music. The experimental theater known as LIDA Project gives Georg Buchner’s classic “Danton’s Death” a makeover as “Rain/of Terror,” the story of the inevitable triumph of humanity and its insatiable lust for life, against the backdrop of sex, violence, corruption and bloodshed. During the chaos of revolution, a man in isolation has left the political scene to languish in sensual delights. Another man at the zenith of power clings to virtue and a hunger for conformity. The citizens are easily roused and swayed as a culture of fear infects the city with the constant threat of execution. Original music composed by local musicians Carrie Beeder and James Han (from the indie bands Bela Karoli and The Wheel). 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through March 21 at The Bindery Space, 770 22nd St., 720-221-3821 or lida . John Moore
Family fun
Today and Saturday. Opera for kids. It’s not often that kids want to go to the opera, but Colorado State University’s Opera Theatre might lure them with Rossini’s “La Cenerentola.” It’s the story of Cinderella, with a few changes (besides the opera part). For instance, the wicked stepmother is a stepfather, and the fairy godmother is replaced with the prince’s tutor. 7:30 p.m. today, Saturday and March 6. There’s an additional showing at 2 p.m. March 8, plus a tea with Cinderella and the Prince beforehand at 1 p.m. Griffin Concert Hall at the University Center for the Arts, 1400 Remington St, Fort Collins. Tickets are $20 for adults and $9 for students and kids ages 6 to 17. Admission is free for kids under 12 with a paying adult. Order tickets by calling 970-491-4849 or visit . Kathleen St. John
Saturday. Storytelling. Celebrate Black History Month one last time when The Grange, in the Meadows community, hosts historian and author Wallace Yvonne Tollette. Tollette will present a historical interpretation of Sojourner Truth, the 19th-century abolitionist, women’s rights advocate and former slave. 2 p.m. Saturday. The Grange at The Meadows, 3692 Meadows Blvd., Castle Rock. Call 303-814- 2358 to RSVP. Free. Kathleen St. John
Saturday. Puppets! Puppet-show fans will want to check out “Little One-Inch,” presented by Tears of Joy Theatre in Lakewood. This isn’t the usual puppet show — it’s presented in the Japanese bunraku style, with ornate puppets and visible puppeteers. “Little One-Inch” is based on a Japanese folktale about a plucky little guy who sets off into the world with a rice bowl for a boat, a chopstick for an oar and a needle for protection. 1 p.m. Saturday. Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway.; 303-987-7876. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10.75 for seniors age 65 and older and students with ID, and $7.50 for kids ages 3 to 12. To purchase advance tickets, call 303-987-7845 or visit . Kathleen St. John
Classical music
Sunday. Film Music. The five-piece Mont Alto Picture Orchestra has built a national reputation performing scores for silent movies. The group, which was formed in Colorado in 1989, will accompany Buster Keaton’s “The General” during a screening at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway. The 1927 comedy classic helped establish many of the formulas still used in today’s action films and chase scenes. $14. 303-987-7845 or . Kyle MacMillan.
Visual art
Today. Photography. William Sutton, one of 18 artists chosen to take part in a recent showcase of Colorado photography at the Arvada Center, is featured in a solo survey at the O’Sullivan Gallery at Regis University, 3333 Regis Blvd. Sutton, a member of Regis’ faculty, has works in the collections of the Denver Art Museum and Museum of Modern Art in New York. He focuses on subtle, easily overlooked aspects of nature. Unfortunately, the exhibition, “Watershed: Pictures from Thirty Years,” has had an unusually short run, ending today. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. 303-964-3634 or . Kyle MacMillan
