DCPA NEWS CENTER
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DCPA Celebrating Christmas in July: Six Productions on Sale Now
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) announces today that Christmas is coming early with six productions on sale Tuesday, July 18. Productions will include the seasonal tradition A Christmas Carol, the holiday extravaganza Camp Christmas returning to Stanley Marketplace, the energizing national tours of The Hip Hop Nutcracker and Yippee Ki Yay, Theatre Company’s enchanting production of A Little Night Music and the return of the Theatre for Young Audiences production of Little Red.
“The summer is heating up, but we are already celebrating Christmas in July at the DCPA,” said DCPA CEO & President Janice Sinden. “Each of these productions from our various programming lines have something for everyone, from our youngest patrons experiencing their first theatre experience to those who include us in their holiday traditions every year. We cannot wait to celebrate the season with all of you.”
Tickets are available at denvercenter.org now!
ABOUT THE SHOWS (In Date Order)
Sep 1 – Oct 8, 2023
Wolf Theatre
Music and Lyrics by STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Book by HUGH WHEELER
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Suggested by a Film by Ingmar Bergman
Originally Produced and Directed on Broadway by Harold Prince
Directed by Chris Coleman
Choreography by Candy Brown
“Enchanting!” – The New York Times
Winner of seven Tony Awards, A Little Night Music has inspired decades of theatre-lovers with its masterful music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim (Into the Woods, West Side Story), an unforgettable book by Hugh Wheeler (Candide, Sweeney Todd), and its iconic number, “Send in the Clowns.”
Love makes fools of us all. Lean into the comedy of it with A Little Night Music, which traces the plotting, flirting, and foibles of three affluent couples in circa-1900 Sweden. In the perpetual twilight of the Nordic summer, lovers waltz in and out of each other’s lives and arms during a weekend romp in the country.
Join the DCPA Theatre Company for a lighthearted, airy production of one of Sondheim’s most beloved musicals!
LITTLE RED
A Musical Adventure
Oct 5 – Dec 23, 2023
Randy Weeks Conservatory Theatre
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Chad Henry
Directed by Allison Watrous
Music Direction by Trent Hines
This charming, song-infused retelling of Little Red Riding Hood finds Little Red at the center of new adventures and new ways of seeing familiar characters. With a wandering wolf, a gardening grandma, a singing forest creatures, and characters from other tales joining in, Little Red discovers her own power as a vital doer in her community. Joyous and inspiring, the musical captures the warmth of Little Red and her family of smart, engaged females while also welcoming a new friendship between Red and Wolf.
Nov 16 – Dec 24, 2023
Stanley Marketplace
Hanzon Studios and DCPA Off-Center Present Camp Christmas
Created by Lonnie Hanzon
Welcome home, Campers!
Denver’s campiest, quirkiest holiday tradition is returning to its original location — Stanley Marketplace — after a nearly sold-out run in 2019! Immerse yourself in a 15,000 square-foot, 360-degree kaleidoscope of yuletide cheer at this year’s Camp Christmas!
Handcrafted by Camp Director Lonnie Hanzon and his band of Denver-based magic makers, Camp Christmas is a dazzling dreamscape made just for you. It’s an invitation to come in from the cold and wrap yourself up in the ooey-gooey, eclectic rituals that have brought light to the darkness of winter for thousands of years.
At Camp, you can leave your worries behind, discover your holiday superpower, pay a visit to Santa, and savor craft cocktails from our Base Camp and Fairy Bars. You can wander through a surreal mashup of nostalgic scenes we’ve accumulated over four years of Camp Christmas, scratch your head at playful pun trees, and, most importantly, reconnect with the joy of the season.
Camp Christmas is fun, fleeting, and just a little bit weird. It’s everything you love about the holidays all wrapped up into one enchanting experience. Round up everybody on your Nice List and come get your spirit on!
Nov 17 & 18, 2023
The Buell Theatre
A holiday mash-up for the whole family, The Hip Hop Nutcracker returns for another spectacular tour. Directed and choreographed by Tony and Olivier Award-nominated Jennifer Weber, this contemporary dance spectacle is a re-mixed and re-imagined version of the classic, smashing hip hop dance and Tchaikovsky’s timeless music together into a heart-stirring and inspirational holiday event. The Hip Hop Nutcracker is brought to life by a powerhouse cast of a dozen all-star dancers, a DJ, a violinist, and MC Kurtis Blow, one of hip hop’s founding fathers, who opens the show with a short set.
Just like the original, in The Hip Hop Nutcracker, Maria-Clara and the Nutcracker Prince go on a dream adventure battling a gang of mice, visiting the land of sweets and learning the lessons of the holiday season. Innovative digital graffiti and visuals transform the landscape of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s beloved story from traditional 19th Century Germany to the vibrant, diverse sights and sounds of contemporary New York City.
Grab your family and friends and let the dynamic performers of The Hip Hop Nutcracker take you on a journey that celebrates love, community and the magic of the holiday season.
Nov 17 – Dec 24, 2023
The Wolf Theatre
By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Richard Hellesen
Music by David de Berry
Directed by Anthony Powell
“The region’s best production” – The Denver Post
Essential to the holiday season in Denver, A Christmas Carol is a joyous and opulent musical adaptation for the whole family that traces money-hoarding curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge’s triumphant overnight journey to redemption.
Based on Charles Dickens’ classic novel, the DCPA Theatre Company’s production is “a splendidly festive tradition” (BroadwayWorld) that illuminates the meaning of the holiday season in a way that has resonated for generations.
JAMES SEABRIGHT PRESENTS YIPPEE KI YAY
Dec 6-23, 2023
The Garner Galleria Theatre
By Richard Marsh
Directed by Hal Chambers
Movement and Associate Director Emma Webb
Lighting Designer Robbie Butler
Sound Designer and Composer Ben Hudson
“Whether you’re a Die Hard fan or not, it guarantees happy trails.” – ★★★★ The Guardian
Acclaimed retelling of the classic film Die Hard from Richard Marsh – Fringe First-winner, London poetry slam champion, BBC Audio Drama Best Scripted Comedy Drama award-winner and New York cop (one of these is untrue). This joyfully funny show heads to the US following rave reviews for its premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe and 2023 UK tour. When gunmen seize an LA skyscraper, off-duty police officer John McClane is the hostages’ only hope. This uplifting action romp (and unauthorized parody) pays affectionate tribute to the iconic 80s festive fan favorite. Essential viewing for Hans Gruber superfans and newcomers alike. Content warning: divorce, foot trauma, German terrorists.
