Pop music
Genuine idol
Tonight. American pop. In a recent interview with Larry King, David Cook opened up about the death of his brother, Adam, from brain cancer this spring. It was the kind of authenticity that you don’t often see from made-for-TV pop stars, let alone past American Idols. But that’s what makes David Cook different. He writes his own songs, plays his own guitar and doesn’t waste time making screwball moves for TMZ cameras. Cook’s rise to stardom has seemed a little more natural, and a little less, well, Seacrest. Tickets, $30, through . With Ryan Star. John Hendrickson
Big act
Monday.Choral music. If you think the organization of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square is impressive — the tour involves more than 500 people moving from site to site — try the music. Under the direction of Mack Wilberg, the choir is sure to fill the stage — and the crowd — with music at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Monday evening. The platinum-selling ensemble is best known for the Grammy-winning 1959 recording “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Tickets to the Red Rocks show, $25-$85, are available via tickets . or 866-464-2626. Ricardo Baca
Crossing over
Wednesday. She-blues. Grace Potter, the blond bombshell who belts Bonnie Raitt blues, has gained a following among the jam-band and alt-country communities since the 2004 release of “Original Soul.” Her summer tour with perennial backing band the Nocturnals stops in Boulder for the second show of a four-night run that also hits Fort Collins, Breckenridge and Telluride. Tickets, $17, through . or the box office. John Hendrickson
Family fun
Plane truths
Wednesday. Flying high. Airplane fans and history buffs alike will get a thrill from the Wings of Freedom traveling exhibit in Broomfield. At 1 p.m. Wednesday, three rare World War II aircraft will land at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport for three days of ground tours and demonstrations. Anyone can stop in and take a tour of the B-17 bomber, B-24 bomber and P-51 Mustang fighter plane while they’re on the ground — with a donation, you can even get a ride in one of them. 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon July 3. Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, 11755 Airport Way, Broomfield; 303-271-4850. Donations requested: $12 adults, $6 children under age 12. Flights are $425-$3,200. To reserve a spot on a flight, call 800-568-8924. Kathleen St. John
Flowers and big drums
Saturday-Sunday. Downtown fair. Sakura Square is the setting for the Cherry Blossom Festival, a celebration of Denver’s Japanese-American community. Stroll the streets and peruse Japanese arts and crafts. Take in traditional dance and music, too, including a rumbling drum performance by the Denver Taiko. Yummy Japanese food will be available, of course, from yakitori (saucy, skewered meat) to sushi. Events start at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Sakura Square, between Lawrence and Larimer streets and 19th and 20th streets. Admission is free. Kathleen St. John
Art outside
Saturday-Sunday. Art and fun. Liven up the weekend in Littleton at the sixth annual Littleton Art and Music Festival. Artists of all stripes will set up their wares at Aspen Grove, selling everything from charcoal drawings to jewelry. Youngsters can make noise at the Kids Drum Circle at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, while Saturday night brings the “Hot Summer Street Salsa Dance,” featuring Manuel Molina and his International Orchestra. On Sunday, Celtic tunes and guitar music take over. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Aspen Grove Lifestyle Center, 7301 S. Santa Fe Drive, Littleton. Admission is free. Kathleen St. John
Visual art
Come on in!
Saturday and Sunday. Studio tour. A few dozen artists who live and work in and around Lyons are opening their homes and studios this weekend for the annual studio tour. On view will be work ranging from botanical art to handcrafted purses to pottery. Maps will be available at the Stone Cup Cafe, Fifth Avenue and High Street, and the Boulder Arts and Crafts Gallery, 1421 Pearl St. in Boulder. Visiting hours for the 2009 Lyons Studio Tour are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Free. 303-823-5655 or . Kyle MacMillan
Theater
Winning roles
Monday. Awards. The Colorado Theatre Guild’s Henry Awards are moving on up to the Denver Performing Arts Complex for Monday’s fourth annual gathering honoring the best in metro- area theater. The public is encouraged to mix and mingle with the 111 nominees. Numbers from best-musical nominees will be performed: The Arvada Center’s “Les Miserables,” PHAMALy’s “Side Show,” Boulder’s Dinner Theatre’s “The Producers” and the Colorado Shakespeare Festival’s “Woody Guthrie’s American Song.” 6 p.m. auction; 7 p.m. awards. Space Theatre, 14th and Curtis streets. $20-$25 (303-931-7241). John Moore
Playing together
Friday and Saturday. Awards. Colorado’s only black (Shadow) and brown (Su Teatro) theater companies team up as Shadow hosts two performances of Su Teatro’s “Bless Me, Ultima,” Su Teatro’s stage adaptation of Rudolfo Anaya’s seminal 1972 novel. It tells the tale of a young boy, Antonio, growing up in 1940s New Mexico and his relationship with a folk healer named Ultima. It ranked No. 75 on the American Library Association’s list of most-banned books of the 1990s because some parents complained that it questions conservative values. 8:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $25. 1468 Dayton St., Aurora, 303-296-0219. John Moore
Classical music
Mountain festival
Saturday.Symphonic. The 22-year-old Strings Music Festival opens its 2009 classical music series at Strings Music Pavilion, Steamboat Springs, at 8 p.m. Saturday with noted violinist Elmar Oliveira performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. The veteran soloist jumped back in the spotlight as a 2009 Grammy Award nominee for a recording of lesser-known concertos by Ernest Bloch and Benjamin Lees. He will join Strings’ new music director, Andres Cardenes, and the orchestra in the event’s accommodating 543-seat concert hall. $50. 970-879-5056, ext. 105, or . Kyle MacMillan
Opera central
Saturday. Singers galore.Central City Opera opens its 2009 season with Russian Soprano Lyubov Petrova making her second appearance in the title role of “Lucia di Lammermoor.” This opera, which has been consistently popular since its debut in 1835, is best known for its famous mad scene, when Lucia appears bloodstained at her wedding festivities after having murdered the man she was forced into marrying. Opens 8 p.m. Saturday in the Central City Opera House, 124 Eureka St., and runs for 12 additional performances through Aug. 2. $50-$99. 303-292-6700 or . Kyle MacMillan
