One of the most unlikely long-running hits in Colorado stage history writes its last diary entry next Sunday.
“Girls Only: The Secret Comedy of Women,” which began as a modest, home-grown experiment at the Avenue Theatre and was picked up by the Denver Center and has since spread across the country and into Canada, is closing its flagship production after 571 performances at the Galleria Theatre.
It will have been seen by nearly 96,000 women (and a few men), having grossed more than $2 million.
“Girls Only,” written and still performed by Barbara Gehring and Linda Klein, is a series of sketches based on the writers’ childhood diaries — a self-described “unique examination of all things girly.” It opened at the Galleria on Sept. 19, 2008, and is also running in Charlotte, N.C., with local actors Diana Dresser and Christine Rowan.
“We are so grateful to have been able to achieve such success right in our own backyard,” Gehring said.
The little show has made a positive impact on the Denver Center’s bottom line. “Have we made money on it? You bet,” said president Randy Weeks. And as the show now becomes available for licensing around the country, the Denver Center will continue to share in revenues.
Tickets ($29) are available for remaining shows at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, plus 2 p.m. Saturday and June 27 (303-893-4100).
Chicago’s legendary Second City comedy troupe will return to the Galleria Sept. 14 with a new show celebrating its 50th anniversary. Second City, which launched the likes of Tina Fey and Steve Carell, staged “Red Scare” and “How I Lost My Denverginity” at the Galleria in ’06.
The new show, “A Mile High Celebration,” runs through Oct. 10 and will feature some of the best sketches in the company’s history. Tickets on sale now.
Going back to Indiana
As one era begins, another is ending in Grand Lake. The summer-only Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre, one of the most successfully run companies in the state, is building a 300-seat new theater — but it will open next year without the couple largely responsible for getting it built.
Managing director Chad Scott and wife Sally Myers, the company manager, will exit after six years at season’s end, and for happy reasons. The couple, both vets of the Country Dinner Playhouse, became the parents of Oliver Robert Scott four months ago. Their replacements are Scott Haden and Clare Arena- Haden, respectively. Michael Querio remains as artistic director and Jeff Duke as artistic associate.
Chad Scott will manage the new theater’s capital campaign until it opens next June; then the Scotts move home to Indiana.
“It’s time for the two of us,” he said. “Something about 401k, weekend getaways and health insurance now seem a bit more appealing. Call me crazy.”
Rocky Mountain Rep is staging “Carousel,” “. . . Putnam County Spelling Bee” and “Thoroughly Modern Millie” this summer (970-627-3421).
Henry Awards nominations dreamy for “Joseph”
The new-look Colorado Theatre Guild Henry Award nominations have come out, with the Arvada Center leading the way with a whopping 29 (count ’em) finalists for the fifth annual awards, which will be handed out Monday, July 19, at the Denver Center’s Space Theatre. The Arvada Center’s umpteenth production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” led all productions with a massive 14 nominations. Its “Miss Saigon” closely followed with 12. All told, only 15 of the Guild’s member companies received even one nomination. and
Live from New York
Local ties to last week’s Tony Awards: Russell Hornsby of best-revival winner “Fences” starred in the Denver Center Theatre Company’s “A Raisin in the Sun” last year. . . .
Montego Glover, who was robbed of the best-actress award by Catherine Zeta- Jones, starred in the Arvada Center’s 2001 “Putting it Together.” . . .
And during Michael Douglas’ presentation of the annual regional theater award to the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center in Connecticut, Scott McKeowan’s artwork from the Denver Center’s production of “1001” was flashed on the screen. That’s one of 1,200 new plays and musicals that have gotten their start at the O’Neill Center, but only a few got the royal graphic treatment on national TV. . . .
The big winner for best musical revival was “La Cage aux Folles,” starring Kelsey Grammer, and it turns out the Denver Center has $25,000 invested in that show. The Denver Center is part of a group called Independent Presenters Networks that pools resources to invest in Broadway shows. Sometimes these small-potatoes buy-ins pay off; sometimes they don’t. But Weeks says investing gives Denver an inside track on preferred dates when these shows tour.
Briefly. . .
Of all the responses to last week’s column on Charlie Sheen, perhaps the most disturbing came from an older woman who called in to say, “You have to realize that occasionally, women bring on bad behavior by men . . . “
And finally, riddle me this: How is it that the city of Denver took over operation of the Crossroads Theatre earlier this year … and yet it hasn’t been able to secure a liquor license from the city of Denver?
John Moore: 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com
This week’s theater openings
Opening Thursday, through Aug. 22: Backstage’s “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” Breckenridge
Opening Thursday, through July 3: Crested Butte Mountain Theatre’s “Guys and Dolls”
Opening Thursday, through July 25: Little Theatre of the Rockies’ “The Lady With All the Answers” Greeley
Opening Friday, through Aug. 27: Lake Dillon’s “Hair”
Opening Friday, through Aug. 28: Creede Repertory Theatre’s “The Ladies Man”
Opening Friday, through Sept. 18: Thin Air Theatre Company’s “Gunslinger: The Legend of Billy the Kid” Cripple Creek
This week’s theater closings
Today, June 20: Miners Alley Playhouse’s “Dietrich & Chevalier” Golden
Today, June 20: Vintage Theatre’s “Hospitality Suite”
Today, June 20: Little Theatre of the Rockies’ “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” Greeley
Today, June 20: Perry-Mansfield’s New Works Festival Steamboat Springs
Wednesday, June 23: Little Theatre of the Rockies’ “Tintypes” Greeley
Saturday, June 26: Theatre Aspen’s “Defying Gravity”
Saturday, June 26: Victorian Playhouse’s “True West”
Saturday, June 26: Carousel Dinner Theatre’s “A Chorus Line” Fort Collins
Saturday, June 26: Theatre Company of Lafayette’s “Seascape”
Sunday, June 27: Denver Center Attractions’ “Girls Only: The Secret Comedy of Women” (at the Galleria Theatre)
Sunday, June 27: Shadow’s “The Life and Times of Ol’ Alfred”
Sunday, June 27: Denver Center Attractions’ “Young Frankenstein,” at the Buell Theatre
Complete theater listings
Go to our complete list of in Colorado, including summaries, run dates, addresses, phones and links to every company’s home page. Or check out our listings or
The Running Lines blog
Catch up on John Moore’s roundup of theater news and dialogue:
