THIS WEEK’S THEATER OPENINGS:
Midtown Arts Center’s “Next to Normal”
Opening Thursday Sept. 8, through Nov. 12: The former Carousel Dinner Theater becomes the first Colorado theater company to stage a homegrown version of this Tony- and Pulitzer-winning musical that traces the disintegration of a family that has battled the effects of bipolar disorder for two decades.
Showtimes: 7:15 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 1:15 p.m. Sundays (dinner service 90 minutes before).
Formerly Carousel Dinner Theatre. Note new address: 3750 S. Mason St., Fort Collins, 970-225-2555 or
Theatre Or’s “Apples from the Desert”
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Opening Thursday, Sept. 8, through Nov. 6: The American premiere of Savyon Liebrecht’s romantic comedy, winner of Israel’s best play for 2006, is about a young religious Israeli woman who flees her strict family to find freedom and love on a desert kibbutz. Theatre Or is a new local company that recently relocated from Durham, N.C.
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. (Note: No performances on Sept. 28; or Oct. 8, 13 or 20
Pluss Theatre at the Mizel Arts and Culture Center, 350 S. Dahlia St., 303-316-6360 or
LIDA Project’s “Justin Bieber Meets Al Qaeda”
Opening Friday, Sept. 9, through Oct. 8: This irreverent and controversial “theatrical editorial” focuses on our pop culture-priorities in the decade after the al-Qaeda attacks, during which the United States has waged two wars and seen its financial system collapse – while still churning out billion-dollar pop stars. This original collaborative work, inspired by Max Fritch’s “The Firebugs” and “Albert Camus’ “The Just,” marks the 17-year-old experimental company’s move from a warehouse into a swank new theater.
Showtimes: 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays
At the Laundry on Lawrence, 2701 Lawrence St., 720-221-3821 or lida project’s home page
The Avenue’s “Completely Hollywood (Abridged)
Opening Friday, Sept. 9, through Oct. 22: In the tradition of “The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged)” comes this rapid-fire comic reduction of 187 movies, by three actors, in 99 minutes. Armed with the theory that every Hollywood movie is just a combination of two old movies, this comedy mashes up such unlikely pairings as Kevin Bacon teaching a disabled writer how to dance in “My Left Footloose,” Jessica Tandy and Robert DeNiro in the feel-good movie of the year, “Taxi Driving Miss Daisy.” and Akira Kurosawa directing Disney’s next hit, “Snow White and the Seven Samurai.” Expect some audience participation – and an outrageous zombie movie. Rated PG-13
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; plus 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9 and Monday, Oct. 10.
417 E. 17th Ave., 303-321-5925 or
Aurora Fox’s “Rashomon”
Opening Friday, Sept. 9, through Oct. 9: In this 12th-century Japanese mystery, the audience is challenged to solve the crime after a man is murdered and his wife is assaulted by a roving bandit. Four people give different accounts of the incident. Based on stories by Ryunokuke Akutagawa that were made into the film that in 1950 introduced director Akira Kurosawa to Western audiences.
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays
9900 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora, 303-739-1970 or
Miners Alley Playhouse’s “The Night of the Iguana”
Opening Friday, Sept. 9, through Oct. 23: In this Tennessee Williams play, defrocked Rev. T. Lawrence Shannon now scrapes out a living as a tour guide in Mexico . On the verge of a mental collapse, he abducts his tour group to a crumbling seaside hotel on the edge of the jungle. As a fierce tropical storm rolls in, Shannon must wrestle with the passions of the women around him-the wrath of a Texas school teacher, the advances of a lustful teenager, and the jealousies of the widowed hotel owner-as he seeks solace with a new arrival, a gentle spinster traveling with her grandfather – the world’s oldest living poet.
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 6 p.m. Sundays (except the final Sunday, Oct. 23, when curtain is at 2 p.m. Note: No performance on Saturday, Sept. 10
1224 Washington St., Golden, 303-935-3044 or
Heritage Square Music Hall’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
Opening Friday, Sept. 9, through Nov. 13: You may know the classic Victor Hugo story of Quasimodo, the gentle but misshapen 15th-century bell ringer. Now the irreverent Heritage Square Music Hall ensemble puts its comic spin on the tale, followed by another the Hall’s popular original comedy and music revue.
Showtimes: 7 p.m. selected Wednesdays and Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays (dinner 2 hours before)
18301 W. Colfax Ave., Golden, 303-279-7800 or
OpenStage & Company’s “33 Variations”
Opening Friday, Sept. 9, through Oct. 16: In 1819 Vienna, a music publisher wrote a waltz and sent it to 50 composers, asking each to contribute a variation. At first, Ludwig van Beethoven dismissed it as a “cobbler’s patch.” But then he became obsessed with the waltz and ultimately wrote 33 variations. Why? That is the question that haunts musicologist Dr. Katherine Brandt as her own life crumbles around her. In a journey that spans 200 years, Moisés Kaufman’s (“The Laramie Project”) Broadway play is a sublime waltz between past and present, fact and speculation, art and life. A regional premiere.
Showtimes: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, plus 2 p.m. Sundays starting Sept. 18. Also 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15
At the Masonic Temple, 225 W. Oak St., Fort Collins, 970-221-6730 or
73rd Avenue Theatre’s “Six Characters in Search of an Author”
Opening Friday, Sept. 9, through Oct. 9: Italian absurdist Luigi Pirandello’s enduring story presents a group of actors who are preparing to rehearse for a Pirandello play. While starting the rehearsal, they are interrupted by the arrival of six characters. The leader of the characters, the father, informs the manager that they are looking for an author. He explains that the author who created them did not finish their story, and that they therefore are unrealized characters who have not been fully brought to life. The manager tries to throw them out of the theater, but becomes more intrigued when they start to describe their story.
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2:30 p.m. Sundays
7287 Lowell Blvd., Westminster, 720-276-6936 or
Union Colony Dinner Theatre’s “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”
Opening Friday, Sept. 9, through Nov. 6: This ubiquitous, Tony-winning musical comedy follows six young misfits in the throes of puberty as they compete in an “actual” onstage spelling bee. Recommended for ages 8 and up. Through Aug.
7.
Showtimes: 7:45 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 1:45 p.m. Sundays (dinner 75 minutes before)
802 9th Ave., Greeley, 970-352-2900 or
Platte Valley Players’ “Of Mice and Men”
Opening Friday, Sept. 9, through Sept. 18: Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck’s adaptation of his own 1937 masterpiece that tells the tragic story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers during the Great Depression in California.
Showtimes: Not specified by company.
At Prairie View High School, 12909 E 120th Ave., Henderson, 303-481-8432 or
Longmont Theatre Company’s “Bye Bye Birdie”
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Opening Opening Friday, Sept. 9, through Sept. 24: This musical satire on 1958 American middle-class society was inspired by the phenomenon of popular singer Elvis Presley and his draft notice into the Army. Struggling songwriter Albert Peterson hatches a plot with his secretary (and long-suffering girlfriend) to get rock phenomenon Conrad Birdie to sing one of his songs on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” The pop star would then kiss a random girl goodbye before reporting to duty, which brings all manner of upset to Sweet Apple, Ohio. Songs include “Kids” and “Got a Lot of Living”
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays.
513 Main St., Longmont, 303-772-5200 or
Vail Valley Theatre Company’s “The Great American Trailer Park Musical”
Friday and Saturday, Sept. 9-10 only: A truth-in-advertising redneck musical about adultery, spray cheese, road kill, hysterical pregnancy, kleptomania, flan … and disco. There’s a new tenant in Armadillo Acres, and she’s wreaking havoc all over Florida’s most exclusive trailer park. The double-wide divas of this fine housing establishment have survived everything from kidnapping to no-good men to (the horror!) bad perms. But when Pippi, a “stripper on the run,” comes between agoraphobic housewife Jeannie and her tollbooth collector husband, a storm begins to brew that will shake these manufactured homes right down to their mobile foundations. All this and some singin’, too.
Showtimes: 8 p.m.
At the Vilar Performing Arts Center, Beaver Creek, 970-845-8497, 800-595-4849 or
Midtown Arts Center’s “Tony ‘n Tina’s Wedding”
Opening Friday, Sept. 9, through Nov. 13: In this interactive show, you don’t just watch the wedding … you are part of the wedding. The actors treat you as if you are one of the family. The evening begins with the comically staged wedding ceremony, where anything can happen. Then, it’s time for the interactive Italian wedding reception. You’ll enjoy a delicious Italian banquet, eat wedding cake and dance the night away at the party. Rated PG.
Showtimes: 6:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays, plus 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29
Formerly Carousel Dinner Theatre. Presented In the studio theater. Note new address: 3750 S. Mason St., Fort Collins, 970-225-2555 or
THIS WEEK’S THEATER CLOSINGS:
Backstage Theatre’s “The Music Man”
Through Sunday, Sept. 4 only: The throwback musical about a con man who comes to a small town intent on making his mark; instead they make theirs on him. Songs include “76 Trombones.”
Showtimes: 6:30 p.m.
Performed at the Riverwalk Center Amphitheater, 150 W. Adams Ave., Breckenridge. 970-453-0199 or
Union Colony Dinner Theatre’s “A Chorus Line”
Through Sept. 4: This groundbreaking, behind-the-scenes look at struggling Broadway dancers, won 12 Tony Awards, the Pulitzer Prize and was, for years, the longest-running show in Broadway history. Music by Marvin Hamlisch. Songs include “One” and “What I Did For Love.”
Showtimes: 7:45 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 1:45 p.m. Sundays (dinner 75 minutes before)
802 9th Ave., Greeley, 970-352-2900 or
Union Colony Dinner Theatre’s “My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra”
Through Sept. 4: In this musical revue that celebrates the music of Frank Sinatra, two couples take the audience from 1940s swing era to the bright lights of Las Vegas with the Rat Pack and beyond. Classic songs include “Chicago,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “I Only Have Eyes for You,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “The Lady is a Tramp,” “New York, New York” and “Strangers in the Night.” Presented on Sundays only. (“A Chorus Line” plays at all other times).
Showtimes: 7:45 p.m. Sundays only (dinner 75 minutes before)
802 9th Ave., Greeley, 970-352-2900 or
Thin Air Theatre Company’s “Calamity Jane”
Through Sept. 4: Based on the 1953 movie starring Doris Day, “Calamity Jane” is an energetic musical about the unlikely romance of famed Western tomboy Calamity Jane and gunfighter Wild Bill Hickok. In an attempt to lure a handsome Army lieutenant away from another woman, Jane trades in her gun slinging and buckskins for housekeeping and dresses, and wins the affections of Wild Bill instead.
Showtimes: Times variable.
Butte Theatre, 139 E. Bennett Ave., Cripple Creek, 719-235-8944 or
National touring production of “Les Misérables” ***1/2
Through Sept. 10: “Les Misérables” has visited Denver many times before, but the production coming to Denver this time is the official “25th anniversary” production of the world’s longest-running musical. Producer Cameron Mackintosh’s is promising “a glorious new staging and spectacular, reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo.” Based on the Hugo novel, “Les Misérables” is the epic saga of one man’s escape from social injustice. After Jean Valjean’s parole from prison for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family, he is haunted by a constant cloud of suspicion and distrust.The score includes “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own” and “Do You Hear the People Sing?”
It opens at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Buell Theatre and continues daily — often twice daily — through Sept. 10. “I’m delighted that 25 years after ‘Les Mis’ originally opened in London, the audience for the show is bigger and younger than ever before,” Mackintosh said in a statement. “Over the years, I have seen many successful but visually different productions, so it has been exciting to draw inspiration from the brilliant drawings and paintings of Victor Hugo himself, integrated with spectacular projections. The new ‘Les Mis’ is a magnificent mix of dazzling images and epic staging, driving one of the greatest musical stories ever told.” Les Mis originally opened in London on Oct. 8, 1985, and has since been by nearly 60 million people worldwide in 42 countries and in 21 languages. “Les Mis” made theatrical history this year with an international first — three different productions playing in London at the same time. The celebratory 25th anniversary concert was shown in cinemas throughout the U.S. last November and has since run frequently on cable television.
Showtimes: 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays; also: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 4; 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7; and 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9
At the Buell Theatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis streets, 303-893-4100 or and here’s
Creede Repertory Theatre’s “Unnecessary Farce”
Through Sept. 10: Two undercover cops stake-out a motel room to catch a crooked mayor on tape. Sounds simple, right? Nope. Because his accountant keeps removing her clothes, his head of security has fear issues, and an insane Scottish hitman keeps locking people in closets. Sometimes, in order for a cop to stay alive, fully-clothed, and in the right motel room, it’s necessary to resort to unnecessary farce. By Paul Slade Smith.
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 24; 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 25; times then variable throughout the summer.
124 N. Main St., Creede, 719-658-2540, 1-866-658-2540, or
The Edge’s “Senior Moments”
Through Sept. 11: Lafayette playwright Don Fried’s five short, slightly raunchy playlets about aging. Starring Ellen Ranson and Gary Crow Willard.
Showtimes: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays
9797 W. Colfax Ave., Lakewood, 303-232-0363 or
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 the latest theater news:
