As morning frost begins to greet thinning blades of golden prairie grass on the fringes of the Eastern Plains, thespians around the metro area are hastily preparing sets, casting roles and memorizing lines in preparation for a winter theater season bursting with vitality and verve. The theater scene in Aurora and across the metro region continues to grow grander with each passing month, a notion evidenced by an impressive line-up of shows that appeared this fall and the arguably more titillating line-up slated for the winter.
In a time of such talent and variety in metro-area theater, here’s a short list of some of the most exciting projects gracing the stages of Aurora and Denver this holiday season.
The Santaland Diaries at The Denver Center For The Performing Arts
One man shows are demanding for both the actor and the audience, but when the material comes at the hands of ceaselessly funny humorist and satirist David Sedaris, things get a whole lot easier for everybody. Based on Sedaris’ past experience as Crumpet the Elf at Macy’s in New York City, the hour-long-show shines light on some of the uglier parts of the holidays in a delivery that matches the award-winning author’s snide style. From Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company and presented by Off-Center, the show is a refreshing departure from the played out tales of ghosts and reindeer that perennially inundate the stage this time each year.
Excluding Mondays, the show runs daily Nov. 28 through Dec. 24. Weeknight curtains at 7 p.m., weekends at 8 p.m. Matinees at 3 p.m. DCPA Art Complex, corner of North Speer Boulevard and Arapahoe Street, Denver. Tickets start at $25. Information at 800-641-1222 or denvercenter.org.
Red Ranger Came Calling at The Aurora Fox
Holiday-centric musicals can be…limited. From Tiny Tim to the Grinch – and not too many personages in between – shows surrounding Christmas have a nasty habit of repeating year after year after year. Thankfully this season, The Fox is shirking convention and breathing life into “Red Ranger Came Calling,” adapted for the stage by Myra Platt and Edd Key and based on the beloved children’s book of the same name, originally penned by Berkeley Breathed. The story centers on a young boy who demands he only be addressed as, “the Red Ranger of Mars,” and his encounter with a Grinch-like octogenarian named Slander Clos. The two share a bit of a Mr. Fredrickson/Russell dynamic as seen in the Pixar hit “Up,” but with, you know, that whole Christmas thing tied in.
Runs Nov. 28 through Dec. 21. Curtains at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. on Sunday. The Aurora Fox, 9900 E Colfax. Tickets at aurorafoxartscenter.org or 303-739-1970.
Miss Saigon at The Vintage
If you saw Theatre Esprit Asia’s production of “M. Butterfly” earlier this fall, you can go for the theatrical hat trick thanks to the Colorado Opera’s presentation of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” and the Vintage’s production of “Miss Saigon.” Like “M. Butterfly,” “Miss Saigon” is based on the aforementioned Puccini-piece and spins the yarn of the ill-fated romance between an American solider and a Vietnamese waitress in the throes of the Vietnam war. With music by Claude-Michel Schlonberg and Alain Boubil of “Les Miserables” fame, this Rebecca Joseph-directed show at the Vintage is primed to shine and provide a step away from the standard seasonal fare.
Running Dec. 4 through Feb. 1. Weekend curtains at 7:30 p.m., matinees at 2:30 p.m. The Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton Street. Ticket information at 303-856-7830 or vintagetheatre.com.
Dream Girls at The Aurora Fox
A company known for dreaming big and adapting renowned shows for smaller stages, Ignite Theater Company is the perfect suitor to bring the Tony-winning “DreamGirls” to the Aurora Fox. Behind the scenes of the glitz and glamour of 1960s R&B groups like The Temptations and The Supremes, the show highlights the inner workings of that groundbreaking era in the music industry. While there is far less Beyoncé in this rendition than there was in the 2006 Oscar-winning film of the same name, Ignite’s take will undoubtedly showcase some serious pipes and teleport audiences back to the golden age of soul.
Runs Dec. 27 through Jan. 18. Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2:30 p.m. The Aurora Fox, 9900 E. Colfax. Tickets start at $27. Information at 720-362-2697 or ignitetheatre.com.
To Kill A Mockingbird at The Community College of Aurora
This is one of those stories that just doesn’t get old.
If you’re hesitant to jump into one of the more contemporary theater offerings this season, look no further than CCA’s adaptation of the perennial classic, “To Kill A Mockingbird.” Based on the novel by Harper Lee – her only published work – the version adapted for the stage by Christopher Sergel is an exquisite intersection between the 1960 book and acclaimed 1962 film. The production zooms in on a white lawyer (Atticus) and he and his family’s defense of a black man accused of rape in Depression-era Alabama. While it’s a fictional account, the book has hit home with audiences since its immediate, Pulitzer Prize winning success in the ‘60s. Whether you’re looking for a High School English class refresher or to simply be entertained by a timelessly compelling story, this year’s CCA production checks both of those boxes emphatically.
To Kill A Mocking runs Nov. 6-8 and 13-15 at 7 p.m. Shows on Nov. 18 and 15 also at 1 p.m. Larry D. Carter Theater, 1600 E Centretech Pkwy. GA tickets are $10, $7 for seniors and free for CCA students. Info at ccaurora.edu or 303-361-7379.