AROUND TOWN
House of Poetry 8-10:30 p.m., Nov. 18, Aurora Cultural Arts District gallery, 1400 Dallas St. Tickets are $10, or $5 for those participating in the open mic.
After taking a quick, one-month hiatus, 5280 Artist Co-op is returning to the Aurora Cultural Arts District Gallery this weekend with their monthly poetry slam, House of Poetry. And this time, they’re bringing the likes of MC Hammer, parachute pants, and maybe even Slick Willy with them. It’s a gosh darn ‘90s party, and after the past couple weeks of apocalyptic predictions and general sky-is-falling sentiment, we’re down for a quick trip back to the days when Kimmy Gibbler was the spunkiest gal on television. We’ll bring the Zima. And maybe a few cases of extremely turned Crystal Pepsi, too.
Vintage Theatre Annual Gala 6-10 p.m. Nov. 19, The Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St. Tickets are $30 for an individual, $50 for a couple. Cast and crew tickets are $15.
Quit your bellyaching, theatergoers. Just because you may or may have not spent the better part of your evening this past Monday and Tuesday crying your eyes out at The Vintage Theatre while attending Benchmark Theater’s staging of “After Orlando,” doesn’t mean you’ve had enough Vintage for the week. The theater’s annual gala is certainly not to be missed. The event, co-hosted by local thespians Bernie Cardell and Deborah Persoff, will feature scenes and songs from upcoming shows, which could include — but are certainly not limited to — “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” and the theater’s holiday showcase “Martinis and Mistletoe.”
Ursula Brewery 11 Iron Men Beer Release 4 p.m. Nov. 17, 2101 N. Ursula St. Entry is free. Call 720-324-8529 or visit the Ursula Facebook page for more information.
In case you mongrels didn’t know, we’re kind of suckers for a good story around here. And it turns out one of the suds slingers at Ursula Brewery is sitting on a doozy. Apparently, the grandfather of one of the Ursula beer makers played for the 1934 Yale University football team, a group of blokes colloquially known as the Iron Men. They earned that nickname after playing a game against Princeton in which they didn’t substitute a single player. Try explaining that to any of the oxygen-sucking fellows who can’t play more than a down at a time at 5,280 feet. To celebrate that Connecticut crew, the Ursula team is unveiling “11 Iron Men Triple IPA,” an 11 percent ABV beast that will leave you satisfied — and more than a little sozzled.
ONSTAGE
The Hip-Hop Nutcracker 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20 at Buell Theatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1400 Curtis St. Ticket prices vary. Visit denvercenter.org or call 1-800-641-1222.
After an inaugural year earning mad street cred by way of sold out shows across two nations — the U.S. and Russia — The Hip Hop Nutcracker will deliver its contemporary re-imagination of Tchaikovsky’s timeless music to the Buell Theatre stage this weekend. A holiday mash-up for the entire family, the show features a supercharged cast of a dozen all-star dancers, a DJ and violinist immersed in digital scenery that takes E.T.A. Hoffman’s sugarplum palace and plunks it down into a romantic 1980s Brooklyn backdrop, complete with night clubs and, of course, dance. The Hip Hop Nutcracker is directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber, artistic director of the all-female hip-hop crew Decadancetheatre in Brooklyn.
Much Ado About Nothing and Murder on the Nile Both shows start at 7:30 p.m. “Much Ado” runs Nov. 18; “Murder” runs Nov. 19, The Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Pkwy, Lakewood. Tickets start at $20. Visit Lakewood.org or call 303-987-7845 for more information.
There’s nary a better way to ring in the cold weather with a little dose of The Bard, followed by a pinch of Agatha Christie. London-based Aquila Theatre is serving up just such an opportunity this weekend with back-to-back, one-night-only stagings of “Much Ado About Nothing,” Shakespeare’s goofy take on Venus vs. Mars, and “Murder on the Nile,” an updated, 1940s twist on the lasting mystery tale, at the Lakewood Cultural Center. Don’t miss this local dash of British sophistication just across the municipal border.
MUSIC
Avourneen and The Celtic Friends 7:30 p.m., Nov. 20, The Clocktower Cabaret, the corner of Arapahoe Street and the 16th Street Mall, Denver. Tickets are $15. Visit clocktowercabaret.com or call 303-293-0075 for more information.
Adam Goldstein, the so-called “favorite singing Irish Jew” of the Mile high City, is returning to a familiar haunt this Saturday, though in a slightly different role. Instead of opening one of the many burlesque and variety shows at Lannie’s Clocktower, Goldstein and a pair of counterparts will be taking center stage to perform a set of celtic tunes as Avourneen, a prominent Celtic/folk trio in the metro area. Composed of violinist CL Morden, multi-instrumental Aeryk Parker and Goldstein, who assumes guitar and vocal duties, Avourneen has played a slew of local and regional Celtic shows across the Mountain West since popping onto the scene just two years ago. This Saturday, the group will play alongside The Celtic Friends, another Irish-flavored outfit that regularly plays at the AOH New Year’s Eve part at the Celtic Connection in Denver.