Performing Arts

Podcasts are in tune with the democratized spirit of internet media; anyone with a microphone and a computer can offer their listeners unlimited hours of recordings, usually for free. Limited only by their imaginations, podcasters have a freedom of expression unrestricted by commerce, censorship, or geography. Indeed, several great podcasts have blossomed from Denver’s own flourishing arts community. Here to celebrate them is Podcast Profiles, a new series documenting the efforts of local podcasters and spotlighting the peculiar personalities behind them

Though I generally love Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, The Sound of Music has never been one of my favorites. But continuing a tradition it started two years ago of bringing a more mainstream production down from the hills to Denver’s larger audiences, that’s the show Central City is presenting at…

Henry IV, Part 1. King Henry IV gained the throne by deposing his predecessor, Richard II, and having him murdered, and in Henry IV, Part 1, the crown lies uneasily on his head. Men who aided his insurgency have turned against him, and there’s rebellion brewing throughout the kingdom. Worst…

Going to a play in the summer isn’t that different from hitting a blockbuster film or burying your nose in a fat, classic novel: Big themes — Hurricane Katrina, the silent-film milieu of the early twentieth century and the rise of AIDS — power our current theater picks. Keep reading…

It’s always a treat to attend a play in the antique and elegant lobby of the Barth Hotel, one of fourteen residences maintained for elderly and disabled people by the nonprofit Senior Housing Options. In the past, the money from these annual fundraisers has been used to provide emergency kits…

By the time August rolls around, summer seems to have lost some of its summery luster. After sweltering in the muggy heat and unexpected downpours for two months, August
Schools re-open, attractions close, and Hollywood has already burned through its popcorniest blockbusters. It falls to comedy then, to entertain browbeaten Denverites, and fortunately for them, this August, Denver is replete with giggles. With two showcases in Boulder’s rapidly growing comedy market, a Red Rocks birthday celebration with an increasingly less reclusive comedy icon, and a homegrown comedy festival, there are enough great shows this month to keep you laughing until autumn.

Henry IV, Part 1. King Henry IV gained the throne by deposing his predecessor, Richard II, and having him murdered, and in Henry IV, Part 1, the crown lies uneasily on his head. Men who aided his insurgency have turned against him, and there’s rebellion brewing throughout the kingdom. Worst…

There’s not a lot of nourishment in Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple, which premiered on Broadway in 1965, spawned a film and television show, and is now showing at Miners Alley. But the central pairing of two very different men who find themselves sharing an apartment, and the humorous way…

Adam Sank is a nationally reknown comedian who has appeared on Last Comic Standing and VH1’s Best Week Ever. In June, Sank debuted his one-man cabaret show Mama, I Want to Sing Showtunes: A One ‘Mo Show to sell out crowds, with another run planned for august. Westword caught up with Sank before he comes to town this week to headline the LOL Presents showcase at the Denver Improv for phone interview where we discussed transcending an audience’s labels and performing naked at nudist retreats.

Comedy shows come and go all the time, usually whimpering out of existence after a few ignominious months of effort. So when a show reaches its second anniversary, it’s truly something to celebrate. Comedy fans can help ring in the anniversary this year on July 27th at Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret. Named 2014’s Best Comedy Night by this very publication, Propaganda! has excelled thanks to host and producer Matt Monroe’s savvy booking, mingling a roster of enviable headliners with Lannie’s classy ambience month after month for free. July’s lineup features out-of-towners Raj Silverman and Brandie Posey along with local favorites Chris Charpentier, Adrian Mesa, Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald and headliner Adam Cayton-Holland. Doors open at 7:00pm for the free showcase.
In celebration of reaching this milestone, Westword caught up with Monroe to discuss the highlights of the past 2 years and how his commitment to Propaganda! would surprise his exes.

For some in a Phamaly Theatre Company production, just getting out of bed, dressing and arriving at rehearsal is a grueling ordeal. The group — once known as the Physically Handicapped Actors and Music Arts League — comprises performers with all kinds of physical problems, some more visible than others…

King Henry IV gained the throne by deposing his predecessor, Richard II, and having him murdered, and in Henry IV, Part 1, the crown lies uneasily on his head. He’s beset with political problems: Men who aided his insurgency have turned against him; there’s rebellion brewing throughout the kingdom; and,…

I Hate Hamlet. I Hate Hamlet is a bit like the curate’s egg: hilariously funny in parts, and in others so idiotic that you’re embarrassed for the actors. Why is the radiant Jamie Ann Romero wasting her talents wafting about as Deirdre, a stagestruck 29-year-old virgin who’ll have sex with…

In the ballet world, Damian Woetzel is a rock star. A one-time New York City Ballet principal, he retired in 2008, his last performance marked by a burst of critical praise, a shower of blooms and an ovation that lasted ten minutes. Since then, he’s been busy. It’s impossible to…

Summer is a mixed bag at metro-area stages, where the local companies entertain with audience-friendly fare, new play festivals and Shakespeare under the stars. And there’s more, so what will you see this weekend? Here are a few ideas. See also: Dance Fever: The Vail International Dance Festival…

The Colorado Theatre Guild’s Henry Awards, which were presented last night, have been growing in stature, professionalism and efficiency in some ways for quite a while — but this has come at a cost. The awards used to be judged by around a dozen professional theater critics, and because those…

As Denver comedy fans gear up for next month’s High Plains Comedy Festival, Sex Pot comedy is there the whet their appetites with another weed and jokes pizza party at the Oriental Theater to kick things off. The lineup, which Sex Pot has has finely curated each month, is packed with crushers from start to finish. Sex Pot host Jordan Doll and comics Sean Patton, Ashley Barnhill, and Ian Douglas Terry join headliner Aparna Nancherla for an evening promises to be a greasy slice of laughter pie.

Nancherla is a fast-rising star on the alternative comedy scene whose absurdist perspective informs a wide-ranging act that can range from the gross combo of orange juice and toothpaste to imperialism within the same five minute set. Nancherla has appeared on Conan and @Midnight and contributed several memorable segments as a performer and staff writer on the pre-maturely cancelled Totally Biased with Kamau Bell. Westword caught up with Nancherla to chat about about Sex Pot, Australian audiences, and avoiding the dregs of twitter.

Anarchist playwright Benjamin Turk sees theater as more than entertainment. He believes plays can spark dialogue, transform community and attack systems of violence: capitalism, the police and prisons. Steeped in the work of Bertolt Brecht and Augusto Boal, who both resisted the idea that stories should help audiences connect with…

Most comedy nerds are already familiar with Marc Maron’s biography. He rose to prominence in the 90s alt-comedy scene before floundering through a few TV and radio gigs that never felt like a perfect fit. Despite racking up over 40 appearances on the various incarnations of Conan and never leaving the airwaves for long, Maron’s career was at a low point when he started the WTF podcast in his garage. In addition to the in-depth interviews with comedians, musicians, and the occasional movie star featured on WTF, Maron’s chronic over-sharing gets plenty of mic time as well. Though off-putting at first to some listeners, his rambling engenders a more personal connection with his legion of listeners, who have flocked to his shows. Currently starring in the final few episodes of the second season his IFC sitcomMaron, he’ll also be headlining this weekend at Comedy Works Larimer Square. Westword caught up with Maron to discuss patent trolls, Denver’s drunk crowds, and his attempts at a spiritual experience in the dessert.

Jamie Wollrab works in Los Angeles as a director, actor and acting coach, but he grew up in Boulder and loves Colorado. “My family lives here,” he says, “and they don’t often get to see my work.” That’s why he and a couple of professional colleagues decided to bring Rajiv…

I Hate Hamlet. I Hate Hamlet is a bit like the curate’s egg: hilariously funny in parts, and in others so idiotic that you’re embarrassed for the actors. Why is the radiant Jamie Ann Romero wasting her talents wafting about as Deirdre, a stagestruck 29-year-old virgin who’ll have sex with…

Christopher Titus is a singular voice in standup comedy with a unique style and profound personal connection to his fanbase. Titus stood out early on in his career with appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Premium Blend, and managed to turn his one man show Norman Rockwell is Bleeding into the eponymous sitcom Titus which ran from 2000-2002 on Fox until it was cancelled following a dispute with executives. Titus has remained prolific in the aftermath, releasing standup specials The Fifth Annual End of the World Tour, Love is Evol, Neverlution, and The Voice in my Head in the space of a few years. He also co-hosts the Titus Podcast and is currently working to fund a movie called Special Unit, co-starring Denver’s own Josh Blue. In town this weekend to headline at Comedy Works South as he gears up for his next special The Angry Pursuit of Happines, Westword recently caught up with Titus to discuss honesty in comedy, dismantling pro-gun hysteria with humor, and his new History Channel game show, Pawnography.