The Snow Queen at Broomfield Auditorium

The original fairy tale The Snow Queen dates back to the mid 1800s, and was written by none other than Hans Christian Andersen. Since then, it’s become one of the more popular stories for children, and has been adapted and translated into myriad formats. From Jan. 28–30, Dance Etoile Ballet is presenting the ballet version of this perennial favorite. It tells the story of Gerda, who embarks on a journey to the palace of The Snow Queen to save her friend. Featuring choreography by Marie-Jose Mapannet and original music by Bruce Klepper, The Snow Queen might just become your new favorite winter tale. See it at the Broomfield Auditorium, 3 Community Park Road, Broomfield; tickets range from $15 to $25 at www.dansetoile.org.

Steve Vai at Boulder Theater

Crowned the 10th Greatest Guitarist in the world by Guitar World magazine, the only controversy some will attribute to Steve Vai’s recognition is that he wasn’t higher on the list. A pure virtuoso who studied under Joe Satriani with more than 15 million album sales as well as three Grammy Awards, his work with legendary icons like Frank Zappa certainly deserve notice. And while that work is relatively peerless in its own right, Vai’s solo efforts and production work is prolific — as is his scoring work on movie and video game soundtracks. And of course that amazing guitar battle in the movie Crossroads where he shows up as the “Devil’s Guitarist.” Catch him live on Feb. 2 at the Boulder Theater at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $40 at www.bouldertheater.com.

Source: Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art

Natani Notah at Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art

Natani Notah is a contemporary Native American artist who has been featured in Forbes, Art in America, and Sculpture Magazine, and she’s bringing a compelling new exhibition to the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art. Titled “Inner Lining,” this exhibit combines natural and synthetic materials to create pieces intended to evoke a conversation about resisting colonization in the present-day United States. The artist works with textiles like faux fur, scraps of leather, and tiny seed beads to create posable sculptures that resemble limbs and other body parts that defy definition. On display from Feb. 3–May 30 at the West Gallery at BMoCA, 1750 13th Street, Boulder. Admission is $2. Visit www.bmoca.org or call 303.443.2122 for more information.

The Odd Couple at Longmont Theatre Company

As the tinsel goes back into storage and holiday theatre rings its closing bell, Longmont Theatre Company is relying on the plentiful laughter from Neil Simon’s classic The Odd Couple to keep things light in the post-holiday theatrical season. The timeless story of clean-freak Felix Unger and his poorly matched roommate Oscar Madison comes to the stage for a short run – only two weekends – so you’ll want to book your tickets early to one of the six performances. Tickets to The Odd Couple run $30 online at longmonttheatre.org and the show runs Feb. 4–13 at 513 Main Street, Longmont. 303.772.5200

Head for the Hills at Meow Wolf

“So often we get caught up in the business end of the music industry that we forget the type of influence we can have on helping others.” That was a poignant comment from guitarist/vocalist Adam Kinghorn in our interview a few years back with Head for the Hills (April, 2019). The pandemic definitely hit this road dog of a band hard, but they haven’t lost a beat, musically speaking. Just check out their new release, “Number One Hit Single” which has notes of The Eels and the Elephant 6 collective bursting from the pop-smart track at www.headforthehillsmusic.com. Catch them on Feb. 18 at the sprawling venue inside Meow Wolf in Denver at 8:30 p.m. Tickets start at $18 online at www.meowwolf.com.

Curtains at Candlelight Dinner Playhouse

While there are no lack of mystery-filled plays out there, the whodunnit musical is a bit less common. Thankfully, Candlelight Dinner Playhouse is presenting the popular hit Curtains running Feb. 10–March 13. This mystery-musical tells the story of a small musical theatre whose leading lady suddenly dies on stage. With the entire cast and crew as suspects, a local detective has his work cut out for him. Thankfully he, too, is a musical fan. The original Broadway production of Curtains was also a huge hit, garnering eight Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical. See it at 4747 Marketplace Drive, Johnstown. Tickets range from $29–$65 and are available online at ColoradoCandlelight.com; call 970.744.3747 for more info.

The post Scene Stealers | January 2022 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Boulder’s Square Product Theatre has been on the cutting edge of compelling, timely, fascinating works that have you thinking and questioning long after the lights have gone down and you’ve left the theater itself. Fresh off its most recent production, The Box Marked Black, which presented stories from bi-racial people who grew up in America comes She Rode Horses Like the Stock Exchange. Here, producing artistic director Emily K. Harrison talks about the new production, their approach to theater and what you can expect for this latest work in Square’s long line of compelling productions.Yellow Scene: Tell me about She Rode Horses Like the Stock Exchange. What is this play about?

Emily Harrison: In 2007 in a “nice” park, on a “nice” street, two “nice” New England couples try very, very hard to be “nice” to each other, as the crippling global financial crisis rides into town. Amelia Roper’s She Rode Horses Like the Stock Exchange is an absurdly funny, poignant and terrifying look at wealth in America, focusing on what happens when the patriarchal status quo is undermined by women who are more intelligent, more complex, more aggressive and better at what they do than the men in charge. The gender politics in the play serve to highlight the anguish that accompanies the fading American Dream.

YS: Is this play as timely as it seems, in regards to our current financial climate?

EH: The play is very timely in many respects, and may, in fact, be more timely given the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Many experts believe that deregulation and “undisclosed conflicts of interest” played a significant role in the global financial crisis. Our current President seems to favor deregulation in many sectors, and his refusal to release his tax returns has led many to speculate about the breadth of his conflicts of interest. I also think the play is timely in terms of the real estate situation in this region. We’re in the midst of a housing crisis of a different sort than the 2007 subprime mortgage crisis, but there are striking parallels. While it was largely homeowners who suffered during the mortgage crisis, especially those in lower income brackets, the current housing crisis often negatively affects renters, especially in a region with soaring property values, high demand for housing, low supply of housing (especially affordable housing), and no rent control. In both worlds, people are losing their housing.

YS: Your mission states that you “engage in radical acts of inquiry that leave an audience with just as many questions as answers.” Talk more about that, what that means to you and how you use that to determine your seasons each year.

EH: I believe that art is highly subjective. As an audience member, I personally prefer to walk away from a play thinking about what I just experienced, discussing what I experienced with others and learning about their perceptions of what we just saw together. I don’t really believe in wholly universal experiences; there is an element of universality in some works of art, for sure, but everyone brings his/her/their own perspective, history, and experience to any situation, meaning that it’s always filtered through an individual lens… I don’t want to be spoon fed, and I don’t want to be told what the art is “about,” because what it’s about for one person can be completely different than what it’s about for the person sitting next to them. In turn, I like making theatre that leaves an audience with questions — gives them the space to wonder about what happens next in these characters’ lives — allows them to engage their empathy and their imagination to come to their own conclusions.

She Rode Horses Like the Stock Exchange runs April 20 through May 7 in the Carsen Theatre at the Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut Street in Boulder. It’s running in repertory with Goddess Here Productions’ presentation of Testament of Mary so times vary depending on day. Visit thedairy.org or call 303.444.7328 for tickets and information.

The post Editor’s Pick: She Rode Horses Like the Stock Exchange appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

The Wailers play Fox Theater.

From concerts and comedians to a live murder mystery for teens starring video game characters.

CITY OF LONGMONT 2nd ANNUAL HOLIDAY FESTIVAL

The inaugural event last year was so popular, the City of Longmont not only committed to a second year — they doubled up the fun with two shows on Dec. 17 at the Stewart Auditorium in the Longmont Museum and Cultural Center (400 Quail Road). The matinee starts at 3 p.m., the evening show starts at 6:30 p.m. Both shows kick off with an hour-long reception with Santa, followed by performances by the Boulder Ballet, Peruvian guitarist Manuel Molina, the Boulder Klezmer Consort, the Heath Walton Jazz Quintet and more. For more information and to buy tickets, head to longmontcolorado.org

FACEMAN AT THE BLUEBIRD THEATER

If you missed the 100-Year Storm — the 2-day, 100-band tornado that hit the Oriental Theatre in Denver last month — all is not lost. The brain behind the bash, FaceMan, returns to the stage at the Bluebird Theater on Dec. 23 at 8 p.m., opening for the Rebirth Brass Band, a beloved Second Line outfit from New Orleans. FaceMan — Steve, David Thomas Bailey and Dean Hirschfeld — are adding a bunch of horns to the mix, bringing their country-tinged, jazz-influenced indie rock sound in support of the release of their fourth studio album, Wild and Hunting. Tickets start at $19; bluebirdtheater.net

YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND AT THE BOULDER THEATER

Settling in for a 2-night stand at the Boulder Theater, the Yonder Mountain String Band hopes your New Year’s Eve plans just might revolve around the quintet’s blend of Nederland-flavored prog-grass. Honed across the span of 16 years and thousands of live shows across the globe, YMSB built its following on clever songwriting, DIY grinding and encouraging the bootleg recording subculture that permeates its fan base. Tickets start at $35, 2-day passes start at $90; www.bouldertheater.com for more information.

RFK at Dairy Center For The Arts

Vintage Theatre first presented RFK featuring James O’Hagan-Murphy in 2013, directed by popular local director and playwright, Terry Dodd. The show was met with rave reviews and multiple revivals over the past few years, as audiences have clamored to see this important play. Unfortunately, Dodd recently passed away, but his original vision and production is receiving another revival, this time at the Dairy Center for the Arts in Boulder. This moving, poignant and historic work about the life and tragic loss of the most enigmatic of the Kennedys plays Jan. 6–8. Tickets are $20 in advance online. 2590 Walnut Street, Boulder 303.440.7826 thedairy.org

LEADING LADIES AT LONGMONT THEATRE

Longmont Theatre is bringing another hilarious comedy to its beautiful stage with Leading Ladies by beloved farcical writer Ken Ludwig. In this production, two English Shakespearean actors find themselves in Pennsylvania. They learn an elderly woman is nearing death and she’s looking to leave her massive fortune to her long-lost English nephews. Or possibly nieces? The actors will have to find out. Catch this classic comedic romp on stage from Jan. 13–22 at the Longmont Theatre. Tickets are $18. 513 Main Street, Longmont 303.772.5200, longmonttheatre.org

CLUE AT THE ERIE COMMUNITY LIBRARY

Few things are more fun than murder. At least, that’s the underlying sentiment when the Erie Community Library (400 Powers Street) morphs into the scene of the crime for a massive game of live-action Clue, filled with all your favorite video game characters. Teens aged 12–18 are encouraged to dress up as Mario, Pikachu or any of their other beloved game characters and come ready to solve this genre-bending whodunit on Jan. 20 at 6:30 p.m. Pre-registration is required. Call 814-451-6900 for more information

THE WAILERS AT THE FOX

There’s no arguing that Bob Marley and the Wailers not only singlehandedly evolved the reggae sound from niche tropical ska-child to worldwide acclaim, but delivered some of the most beautiful songs ever recorded in the process. And while it’s been more than 35 years since Marley passed, The Wailers — through a few different incarnations — have ensured that the spirit of what he preached continues to live on. Catch them on another turn through Boulder on Jan. 28 at 8:30 p.m. at The Fox Theatre. Tickets start at $25; foxtheatre.com for more information.

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