Critic’s pick
Irish Chamber Orchestra with pianist Leon Fleisher
Tuesday. The Irish Chamber Orchestra will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Boulder as part of an eight-city American tour. The concert, part of the University of Colorado at Boulder’s Artist Series, will take place in CU’s Macky Auditorium. A highlight of the program will be an appearance by Leon Fleisher, one of the most celebrated American pianists of the past half-century. In the 1960s, he lost the use of his right hand because of focal dystonia, a condition that became treatable only in the past decade or so. He will serve as soloist for Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto for Left Hand, No. 4, Op. 53. Also featured on the program will be Mícheál Ó Suilleabháin’s “Termon (10th Anniversary of 9/11)” and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. $12-$52. 303-492-8008 or . Kyle MacMillan
Family Fun
“Cretaceous Dinosaur Carnival” stomping in
Saturday and Sunday. The “T-rex Encounter” exhibit adds a little extra fun this weekend at the “Cretaceous Dinosaur Carnival” at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Special activities include a dino-art station, a puppet show and a miniature “dig” for dinosaur bones. Kids can make their own dinosaur costume, too, and join in the “Mesozoic March” parade. And, of course, there’s the “T-rex Encounter” itself, a collection of lifelike animatronic dinosaurs. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd.; 303-370-6000. Activities included with museum admission: $12 for adults, $8 for seniors, $6 for juniors and students.
Disney’s “Cars 2” tour pulls into kids museum
Saturday. Engines will be revving to check out the “Cars 2” tour when it stops at the Children’s Museum of Denver. Dubbed “Agents on a Mission Tour,” the display features life-size, remote-controlled replicas of the stars of the Disney film “Cars 2.” Get up-close with Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater and Finn McMissile — photos allowed. Games, giveaways and an inflatable obstacle course will keep things lively. Free but additional fun inside the museum requires paid admission. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Children’s Museum of Denver, 2121 Children’s Museum Drive; 303-433-7444. Admission is free.
“Flat Stanley” back in the thick of things
Through Dec. 30. “The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley” makes an encore appearance at the Arvada Center. The kids musical, back after a run earlier this year, tells the tale of young Stanley Lambchop and his sudden transformation to 2-D. 10 a.m. and noon Tuesdays through Fridays. 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, and Oct. 29, Nov. 26 and Dec. 17. Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada; 720-898-7200. Tickets are $8 on weekdays, $10 on weekends and holidays.
On your mark, get set, . . . ghost! Scream Scram 5K
Friday night. Bring the whole freaky family to the Scream Scram 5K, a race benefiting the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver. Dress up and arrive by 4:45 p.m. to strut down an orange carpet and enter the costume contest. Next up is the race, followed by a mini-Halloween party with candy for the kids, refreshments and goodie bags. Race registration includes a Scream Scram T-shirt. 6 p.m. Washington Park, 701 S. Franklin St. $40 for adults, $25 for kids under 12.
“Bug-A-Boo” flies again at Butterfly Pavilion
Saturday and Sunday. At this scary time of year, some of the Butterfly Pavilion’s residents need a little understanding: The Pavilion’s annual “Bug-A-Boo” attempts to take some of the spook factor out of Halloween’s preferred creatures: spiders. Also, learn about tarantulas, scorpions and other arachnids, in hands-on activities and exhibits. Kids are encouraged to come in costume and join in a parade; food and drinks will be available for purchase. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; last entry at 4:15 p.m. The Butterfly Pavilion, 6252 W. 104th Ave., Westminster; 303-469-5441. $8.50 for adults; $5.50 for seniors 65 and older, children 2 to 12. (Adult Westminster residents receive $2 off admission.)
Classical music
St. Martin’s to take on “Liebeslieder Waltzes”
Through the weekend. Johannes Brahms’ charming, often witty “Liebeslieder (Love Songs) Waltzes” are quintessential examples of his appealing musical voice. The 18 folk-tinged songs, published in 1869, are settings of poems by George Friedrich Daumer. The group will be performed this weekend by four singers from St. Martin’s Chamber Choir — one of Denver’s top vocal ensembles — and pianists Tamara Goldstein and James Myers. Concerts are set for 7:30 p.m. today at Grace Lutheran Church, 1001 13th St., in Boulder and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 2015 Glenarm Place. $20, $5 students. 303-298-1970 or . Kyle MacMillan
Art
Hooper’s compositions at Goodwin/Fine Art
Friday. Jill Hadley Hooper is most recognized as a nationally respected illustrator. What is less widely known is that she is also a first-rate fine artist, creating strikingly hermetic, enigmatic compositions. Her latest works will be featured in “The Weight of Things,” a solo exhibition at Goodwin/Fine Art, 1255 Delaware St. It opens with a public reception from 6 to 9 p.m. today and runs through Dec. 3. Free. 303-573-1255 or . Kyle MacMillan
Dance
Catch the swan song of “Swan Lake” at DPAC
Through the weekend. The Colorado Ballet’s impeccably staged, smartly executed version of “Swan Lake,” the most popular of the great 19th-century classical ballets, concludes this weekend. Final performances, with three rotating casts of principals, are set for 7:30 p.m. today, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in the Ellie Caulkins Opera House at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. $20-$140. 303-837-8888, ext. 2, or . Kyle MacMillan
Theater
Take in a big helping of “Cannibal, the Musical”
Through Oct. 30. In 1873, six men ventured up into the Rocky Mountains, and only one came down with . . . indigestion! The Backstage Theatre’s irreverent cult hit from 2006, “Cannibal, the Musical,” written by Trey Parker (“South Park” and “The Book of Mormon”), returns. It’s based on the true story of Alfred Packer, who leads a group from Utah to Colorado territory in search of gold. They meet a grisly fate when they get horribly lost. Oh, and they sing and dance a lot, too. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 6:30 p.m. Sundays at 121 S. Ridge St., Breckenridge, 970-453-0199 or . John Moore
Lafayette returns to Twilight Zone again
Through Nov. 12. For the eighth year, the Theatre Company of Lafayette presents “Return to the Twilight Zone,” its Halloween parody of the iconic sci-fi series that consists of four episodes, complete with vintage commercials. As always, media celebrities will make cameo appearances, including Ernie Bjorkman (Nov. 6) and Kirk Montgomery (Nov. 5). 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays Oct. 30 and Nov. 6 at the Mary Miller Theater, 300 E. Simpson, 720-209-2154 or John Moore
MCA is devoting its max to minimalist Fred Sandback
Since the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver moved into its David Adjaye-designed permanent home at 1485 Delgany St. in 2007, it has never devoted the entire 27,000-square-foot space to the work of one artist — until now.
Eschewing a regional notable or a widely known national or international artist for its first such institution- wide offering, it opted instead to showcase the work of Fred Sandback, who died in 2003 at age 59.
It is an unexpected and, in some ways, improbable choice, considering that he is well-respected in the art world but hardly well-known outside it. But it is hard to deny the ethereal elegance of the resulting exhibition, which runs through Sunday.
Although categorized as a minimalist, Sandback devised a distinctive brand of intangible yet tangible sculpture that stands alone in the history of contemporary art, using yarn to trace shapes in space or partition a room.
The New York artist realized that viewers would perceptually fill in these outlines and open walls and give them dimension and consistency.
Viewing hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. $10, $5 students and seniors. 303-298-7554 or .Kyle MacMillan
