The bad news: Summer’s coming to a close.
The good news: Autumn offers a bountiful harvest of arts and entertainment. Great theater, music, dance, visual art and more. You’ll find our critics’ picks for the best theater of the season in the article below.
You’ll find our critics picks for dance, visual art, classical music and those hard-to-categorize arts by following the links here.
Critics’ picks: Classical music
Critics’ picks: Uncategorized arts.
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THEATER
Theater’s equivalent to the “No Pain, No Gain” adage might be something along the lines of “without risk, there’s no reward.” Which is why this prelude to the fall theater season includes a number of regional or world premieres by young playwrights amid the promising revivals.
“CAMELOT.”
You can be forgiven if you stifled a yawn at the mere mention of this Arthurian musical that first wowed ’em in 1960. We feel you. However we must caution that we were similarly blasé when news came that the Arvada Center would stage “Man of La Mancha” last season. Boy, did artistic director Rod Lansberry show us. Doubters might want to leave some room to be startled and pleased.
Sept. 6-29
arvadacenter.org or 720- 898-7200
“AFTER THE REVOLUTION.”
Amy Herzog is smart, young, and on the ascent. (Heck, she’s even a knitter.) No surprise then that the Curious Theatre Company wants to be the first to introduce the playwright to local audiences with this personal/political drama about a young activist who learns that the grandfather she named her social justine foundation for was not quite the man so many thought him to be.
Sept. 7-Oct. 19 (Previews Sept. 5-6)
Curioustheatre.org or 303-623-0524
“SEVEN GUITARS” and “DEATH OF A SALESMAN.”
The folks at TheatreWorks in Colorado Springs had a potent idea: Produce the dramas of two of America’s most protean playwrights back-to-back. Discuss. After all, August Wilson’s “Seven Guitars” and Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” are each set in 1948 and both feature a flawed protagonist wrestling with his place in post-war society.
“Seven Guitars”: Sept 12-29
“Death of a Salesman”: Oct. 24-Nov. 10
Theatreworkscs.org or 719-255-3232
“SEMINAR.”
The theater world is small enough to provide amusing coincidences. So consider this: In a 2012 piece about granddaughter Amy Herzog (see above), the late Leepee Joseph told a journalist she didn’t much care for the play son-in-law Sam Gold was directing on Broadway at the time. “Seminar,” she said, “makes fun of literature.” Judge for yourself whether that’s a problem or a delight when the terrific Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company mounts the regional premiere of Theresa Rebeck’s play about a self-important and charismatic writing professor who’s exceedingly good at tearing down his students.
Sept. 26-Oct. 20
Thedairy.org or 303-444-7328
“JUST LIKE US.”
Of the four plays chosen to get a full production out of from the Denver Center’s January Colorado New Play Summit, this one seemed to present the greatest challenges. But instead of retreating, director Kent Thompson has rolled up his sleeves and given Karen Zacarías’ play — based on Helen Thorpe’s non-fiction book about Denver-based Latina friends — the first of four world premiere slots.
Oct. 4-Nov. 3
Denvercenter.org or 303-893-4100
“WHO KILLED JIGABOO JONES?”
Yes, that racially charged title and the poster for the world premiere of Jeff Campbell’s one-man show (featuring a black man in black face) promises dangers ahead. But director donnie l. betts’ role in the production promises the discomfort in Campbell’s tale of a fictional dead rapper and the actor’s commentary on why “we continually choose dollars over dignity in a ‘post-racial’ society” is well worth the risk.
Oct. 4-19
Workspaceeenver.org or 720-221-3821
“THE BOOK OF MORMON.”
If the boys of the Church of Latter Day Saints had you at “hello” then you already know the tour of the Broadway show is returning to Denver A new touring cast is set to deliver Robert Lopez, Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s mix of naughty and oddly earnest.
Oct. 22-Nov. 24
denvercenter.org or 303-893-4100
“SYLVIA.”
On the occasion of the 1995 New York premiere of this A.R. Gurney play about a married couple and the dog that comes between them, Vincent Canby wrote “Not since ‘Abie’s Irish Rose’ has there been a play as critic-proof as ‘Sylvia,’ at least for anyone who has ever owned a dog, loved a dog, wanted to wring a dog’s neck or wished the dog would take a long weekend.” You know who you are. Now fetch some tickets.
Nov. 7-17.
Lonetreeartscenter.org or 720-509-1000
“CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF.”
Sometimes you just want to see what a local actor will do with a character. Russell Costen portrayed the father of a young man killed during the Detroit riots in “Tell Martha Not to Moan.” Then he played a member of the household staff in “Dividing the Estate.” Now he’s taking on Tennessee Williams’ iconic head of household, Big Daddy, in Edge Theatre’s production of the classic.
Oct. 18-Nov. 17
Theeproject.com or 303-232-036
Lisa Kennedy: 303-954-1567, lkennedy@denverpost.com or twitter.com/bylisakennedy
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