THEATER
A ‘Simpsons’ shake
Today-Sunday. Theater. Doth Birnam Wood come to the Nuclear Power Plant? It does when “The Simpsons” meet “Macbeth.” Rick Miller plays more than 50 characters in “MacHomer,” a popular one-man stage play in which the cowardly but ambitious Homer is a funny yet tragic hero, aided and abetted by the faithful Marge, who has always worn the pants in the family. With plenty of projections from the popular animated TV show, it’s a tale told by an idiot, a train wreck and a triumph both for Bart and the Bard. $35. 7:30 p.m. today, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. At TheatreWorks’ Bon Vivant Theater, 3955 Cragwood Drive, Colorado Springs, 719-255-3232 or . John Moore
POP MUSIC
Neo-retro disco
Today-Sunday. Comedy. Thursday. Neo-disco. Who said disco is dead? Austin, Texas-based indie dance group Ghostland Observatory is here to prove the haters wrong. The group’s electric and uniquely modern take on disco is a favorite with fans, and Ghostland’s Thursday night show at the Ogden Theatre should be something of a dance party — especially since Lipgloss resident DJ boyhollow is opening the night. Tickets, $25, are available via or 303-830-8497. Ricardo Baca
Getting dirty
Sunday. Indie rock. One of the most underrated bands in indie rock, the Dirty Projectors have somehow flown under the radar for the past few years. The band’s smart and stylish blend of pop sensibilities and rock acumen has made it one of the most consistent bands in the game. That they tour so much is a gift to their in-the-know fanbase, which could very well blow up in the next year. Dirty Projectors play the Bluebird Theater on Sunday, and tickets, $15.25, are available via or 303-830-8497. Ricardo Baca
FAMILY FUN
Arts week jr.
Starting today. Kid activities. Little ones can be part of Denver Arts Week with special kid-friendly activities at the Children’s Museum of Denver. The museum will be filled with creative activities all week long: Make shapes with clay, build an animal, paint with bubbles, see live performances and more. And on Saturday, the museum will be open until 10 p.m. during the Arts Week “Night at the Museums” event. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday (open until 7:30 p.m. Wednesday), 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Children’s Museum of Denver, 2121 Children’s Museum Drive; 303-433-7444. Admission is $7.50 for guests ages 2 to 59, $5.50 for 1-year-olds and seniors age 60 and older. For more information, visit . Kathleen St. John
On track
Saturday-Sunday. All about trains. The National Western Complex will turn into a miniature rail-yard when the Great Train Expo pulls into town. It’s a bonanza for train hobbyists, with all sorts of working model trains, free workshops and model-train vendors. Children are especially welcome — there’s a wee train to ride, a kids’ workshop and models they can touch and operate. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. National Western Complex, 4655 Humboldt St.; 303-297-1166. Admission is $7 for adults, kids age 12 and younger are free. Learn more at . Kathleen St. John
Classical kids
Saturday. CSO concert. The Boulder Public Library and members of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra present two free, short concerts for families. First up is “The Steadfast Tin Soldier,” a piece based on a Hans Christian Anderson story about a toy soldier and his crush on a paper ballerina. A narrator helps tell the story with a string trio and percussion. The second concert is “Mathnotes,” a show designed for third- through fifth- graders to demonstrate the cool synergy of math and music. 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday. The Canyon Theater at the Boulder Public Library, 1001 Arapahoe Ave.; 303-441-3100. Free. Kathleen St. John
Now you see it….
Saturday. Magic show. Mystery and amazement will be in the air when the Mile High Magicians Society presents “Magic — Beyond Belief IV” in Lakewood. Hosted by Doc Murdock, the show features illusions from Richard Nakata, Keir Royale, Matthew Sheets and the kooky Dr. Nincompoop. A couple of new-school magicians will perform, too — Michael Jensen, 16, and seventh-grader Kimberly Holter. 7 p.m. Saturday. Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway; 303-987-7845. Tickets are $19.50 for adults, $14.50 for seniors, students and children. Call to order tickets in advance. Kathleen St. John
Reading fun
Saturday. Bookstore appearance.
Salute National Bookstore Day with the Tattered Cover. Mary Ann Hoberman and co-author Linda Winston will read from their children’s poetry anthology, “The Tree That Time Built: A Celebration of Nature, Science and Imagination.” They’ll sign copies after the reading, too. Hoberman was named the “Children’s Poet Laureate” by the Poetry Foundation in 2008 and won the National Book Award for “A House Is a House for Me” in 1983. 2 p.m. Saturday. Tattered Cover Bookstore, 2526 E. Colfax Ave.; 303-322-7727. Free. Kathleen St. John
VISUAL ARTS
Cubism, sort of
Today. Mixed Media. Denver has a new artist cooperative. Twelve area artists, including Regina Benson, Deborah Jang and Karen Roehl, have teamed to form the Ice Cube Gallery. Its name derives from the Dry Ice Factory, 3320 Walnut St., a renovated art-studio building where the gallery is located. The new space debuts today with its inaugural group exhibition, “Buy Art, Not Underwear.” An opening reception is set for 6 to 10 p.m. Regular hours will be 6 to 10 p.m. Fridays and noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays. Free. 303- 807-9944 or . Kyle MacMillan
Roll on
Today. Mixed Media. The Art Students League of Denver and Greenway Foundation have joined forces for “Art on the River ’09.” Denver-area artists were invited to submit works that in some way depict or pay tribute to rivers, and 45 took part. The show, which will run through Dec. 18 at the league, 200 Grant St., opens today with a public reception and awards ceremony from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Free. 303-778-6990 or . Kyle MacMillan
CLASSICAL MUSIC
Bach mix
Sunday. Chamber Music. The Rosetta Chamber Society, an enterprising ensemble composed primarily of Colorado Symphony musicians, made a welcome debut in January. The group, under the leadership of Scott O’Neil, the symphony’s ever- busy associate conductor, returns for an Englewood Arts-sponsored concert at 2 p.m. Sunday in Hampden Hall in the Englewood Civic Center, 1000 Englewood Parkway. Highlighting the Johann Sebastian and C.P.E. Bach program is “A Musical Offering,” one of the elder composer’s most admired works. $15, $12 seniors and $5 students. 303-806-8196 or . Kyle MacMillan
And more Bach
Sunday. Keyboard Music. The Boulder Bach Festival is offering a rare opportunity to hear Johann Sebastian Bach’s monumental “Goldberg Variations” on harpsichord. Featured will be internationally recognized harpsichordist Jory Vinikour. 4 p.m. Sunday at the First Congregational Church, 1128 Pine St., in Boulder. $20, $10 students and $5 children. Tickets will be available at the door. . Kyle MacMillan
Artist Mel Strawn: A Colorado favorite, pared down
In 2006, the Denver Public Library mounted a large-scale exhibition with about 75 paintings, drawings and other works spanning nearly the entirety of Mel Strawn’s six-decade career.
The flawed yet still valuable offering brought renewed attention to the Salida artist, who taught at the University of Denver from 1969 to 1985. Although he could be inconsistent, Strawn managed to produce many strong, mostly abstract pieces.
To mark his 80th birthday, the Sandra Phillips Gallery, 744 Santa Fe Drive, is offering a smaller, more focused exhibition, with five of his paintings and an assortment of his less frequently seen drawings.
Strawn’s work reached its maturity in the 1980s, when he created a series of first-rate canvases offering a hard-edged take on the pattern and decoration movement. Several fine examples are on view, including “Series Last” (1985), an oil on canvas measuring 45 by 53 inches.
The exhibition runs through Nov. 28. Free. A public reception is set for 5 to 7 p.m. today. 303-573-5969 or thesand- . Kyle MacMillan
40 Women Over 40 dance onto Boulder stage
Can older babes boogie?
Of course they can, according to choreographer Nancy Cranbourne. They just move differently than the young dancers who tend to dominate the scene. Her company 40 Women Over 40 sets out to prove it again with “Feels Like Falling” at the Dairy Center for the Arts in Boulder this weekend and next.
The dancers in 40 Women Over 40 have been as old as 75.
“The perception culturally is very limiting for aging women. We’ve created this tribe; and we don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we’re dead serious about our mission,” said Cranbourne, 54.
The dance troupe’s mission speaks to embodying “sensuality, authority, humor and depth,” and encourages dancers to “leave their hearts on the stage at every performance” and to “define seasoned elegance.”
Cranbourne said, “We don’t preach anything about sexism; we just dance.”
The company includes women of all sizes, shapes and levels of professional dance experience. “They’re so empowered and grounded, and they’re doing this for themselves. They’re not coming from that proving place.”
Cranbourne said sashaying sex appeal doesn’t automatically dwindle after 40. The secret lies with authenticity.
“We’re not trying to act like younger women. We’re who we are,” she said. “Females have such innate power in their body and their sexuality. Older women know all about that. It’s simmering. It’s not boiling over. It’s seated. It’s not a push, but more an invitation.”
“Feels like Falling.”
Presented by 40 women Over 40 at the Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. Through Nov. 15. Today and Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. Saturday and Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday and Nov. 15 at 4 p.m. $26. 303-444-7328, or
