1. “American Idiot,” Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Buell Theatre, 950 13th St., Denver. Tickets start at $25. Information: 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org. Details: It may seem like a stretch to compare the pop-punk trio Green Day to storied Broadway composers like Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Weber. There may be little in the way of obvious links between Green Day anthems like “21 Guns” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and the most well-known ballads of the Great White Way, but there’s a convincing comparison to be made with “American Idiot.” The Broadway musical about disaffected youth in the early 2000s features some of the band’s best-known songs, as well as a story co-written by the members of the band. The show’s themes of angst and rebellion struck a chord with audiences soon after its Broadway debut in 2010. The show has drawn comparisons to great rock operas such as “Tommy,” and its latest stop in Denver comes during a successful international tour.
2. Metronomy, 9 p.m., Saturday, Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. Tickets start at $19. Information: bluebirdtheater.net. Details: Joseph Mount has come a long way since he started Metronomy in his parents’ house in Devon, England. Mount’s vision of a new kind of electronic music project helped him move out of his folks’ flat and find a solid spot in the genre’s international ranks of innovators. Since 1999, the band has released a steady flow of impressive material including the 2008 album “Nights Out” and 2011’s “The English Riviera.” Along with fellow Metronomy members Oscar Cash, Anna Prior and Gbenga Adelekan, Mount will hit the Bluebird in support of the band’s new release, “Love Letters.”
3. “1969 Symphony,” 7:30 p.m., Friday, Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Pl., Denver. Tickets: $29-$59. Information: 303-623-7876 or coloradosymphony.org. Details: Revisit three infamous days of free-spirited, tie-dyed, mudslinging fun with Colorado Symphony’s tribute to the original Woodstock Music and Arts Festival of 1969. Witness the symphony’s versatility as they perform songs written by your favorite Woodstock guests including Janis Joplin, The Who, Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Band, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Jimi Hendirx and many more. Ticket prices include free parking, which will be available at both the Dominion Tower and the 410 Garage.
4. Downtown Denver Arts Festival, 4 p.m., Friday, 11 a.m., Saturday and Sunday, Performing Arts Complex, 950 13th St., Denver. Free. Information: 303-893-4100 or downtowndenverartsfestival.com. Details: Be one of 150,000 expected to attend this year’s premier fine arts and crafts festival. A select group of national artists will join a broad group of locals in showcasing their work over Memorial Day Weekend as Denver celebrates the event’s 16th anniversary. Also performing will be Opera Colorado’s Young Artists. Advanced passes are available through the festival’s website for guaranteed parking in the downtown area.
5. “Grey Gardens,” Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St. Tickets start at $31. Information: 303-856-7830 or vintagetheatre.com. Details: The Vintage Theatre showed guts and dramatic glory with its 2011 production of “Grey Gardens.” Starring the luminescent Megan Van de Hey and the charming Aurora native Deb Persoff, the show popped with endearing life and impressive presence. The show was one of the best to run in the Vintage’s old homebase on 17th Avenue in Denver, and now will stake out new theatrical ground in Aurora. The Vintage is remounting the production in its larger digs on Dayton Street. Van De Hey and Persoff will return, as will the crew that made the original production so memorable. From a massive set that completely transforms in the space of intermission to a story that’s at once heartbreaking and inspirational, “Grey Gardens” boasts all the ingredients of great theater. That much hasn’t changed since 2011. It’s your last chance to see this definitive show from the troupe.